Merton Centre for Independent Living

Who we are

We are a user-led pan-disability Deaf and Disabled people’s organisation providing services for Deaf and Disabled adults (18+) living in The London Borough of Merton.

We all deserve to live free from discrimination, poverty and exclusion. However, many Deaf and Disabled people experience structural inequities that impact our ability to live independently and have choice and control over our lives. Our organisation works hard to remove barriers and create more inclusive and equitable communities.

Our Vision: A society where we (Disabled people) can live as full and equal citizens in all aspects of life and lead systemic change. 

We believe that people with impairments and health conditions are disabled by societal barriers. Therefore, our work to influence policies and practices which affect our lives is underpinned by the Social Model of Disability and an Independence Charter co-designed with Disabled people.

We provide a holistic service, with all work feeding into our three overarching/strategic aims:

1. To promote the independence and inclusion of Deaf and Disabled people in Merton.
2. Challenge discrimination faced by Deaf and Disabled people.
3. Deaf and Disabled people in Merton achieve change locally.

What is a Deaf and Disabled Peoples Organisation (DDPO)? A DDPO is a user-led organisation where over 50% of staff and 75% of trustees are Deaf or Disabled people. 

What do we mean when we say ‘Disabled’? - We use the term ‘Disabled people’ to mean all people living with an impairment or health condition. This includes:

• People with physical impairments
• People who experience mental distress/mental health issues
• Deaf People
• Hearing Impaired People
• Blind, partially sighted or Vision Impaired People
• People with learning disabilities
• People with long-term health conditions
• Neurodivergent People
• People with invisible impairments

We recognise and respect that some of the people mentioned above do not think of themselves as Disabled but we believe the groups above can face disabling barriers in society.

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

The Social Model of Disability was developed by Disabled people and describes people as being disabled by barriers in society, not by our impairment. The Social Model of Disability and our values inform all that we do at Merton CIL. We centre equity and inclusion in all that we do.