‘Our Voice’ Project

ALLFIE feels Disabled Young people’s voices have been ignored. ‘Our Voice’ is a national participation project to amplify their voices, and address erasure of Young people’s education experiences.

'Our Voice' Project Report
Our Voice project flyer 2023

What is ‘Our Voice’ project? 

  • The Our Voice project is a young people’s campaigning and activism project which is funded by the Paul Hamlyn foundation
  • The project started in 2023, we are working with the young people, and it will run for 3 years. It is a national project. We are working with young people aged 16-30.
  • The project campaigns for inclusive education and increases political knowledge and campaign skills through workshops. Writing blogs, articles and contributing to other resources, about their experiences and topics that are important to them.
  • The majority of the meetings with the young people are online but we will have some face-to-face events. We have already had in person capacity building events in 2023, including our UCL eugenics project
  • The young people have also been involved in other aspects of ALLFIE such as the End Torture Campaign.
  • Our Voice is an intersectional project, in line with ALLFIE’s wider strategic work and principles of intersectionality.
  • There are a number of ways for Young Disabled people to get involved in the project (see below)

Why is this necessary?

  • To highlight the oppression and barriers that young people face in the education system
  • To amplify young people’s voices and to give them a space to talk about what makes them angry
  • To develop future young leaders and activist in the Disabled People’s Movement
  • To create a space for young people to share their experiences in education, and campaign so that future generations have better experiences

How to get involved

Join our Young Disabled people’s social justice movement – Get involved and make a change!

The Alliance for Inclusive Education is looking for Young Disabled people aged 16-30 who want to become change makers and future leaders.

Do you:

  • Have issues you are angry about you want to share?
  • Feel your voice is unheard due to ableism and other oppressions?
  • Want to get involved in campaigning and make a change?

Our Voice project aims to empower Young Disabled people, to get their voices heard and campaign for mainstream inclusive education rights. Meetings will take place mainly online with some in-person events. You will receive vouchers for your time.

For more information and to join, please email ALLFIE’s Our Voice Youth Officer: Yewande Akintelu-Omoniyi, Our Voice Youth Officer (project lead)

Yewande Akintelu-Omoniyi, Our Voice Youth Officer (project lead)

Image: Yewande Akintelu-Omoniyi, head and shoulders shot smiling at the camera“I am a Black, Disabled woman and I live in South London. I started my journey working in Disabled People’s Organisations as a volunteer and participant in Disabled people’s movements fourteen years ago. I began working on Our Voice project in 2023, I have also been involved with other ALLFIE campaigns including as a founding member of ALLFIE’s Disabled Black Lives Matter (DBLM) campaign to address racial and intersectional inequality of Black Disabled people, in solidarity with Black Lives Matter movement.

I am passionate about making sure Young Disabled voices are heard, and that they are empowered… that’s why I’m so excited to be working on this project!”

– Yewande Akintelu-Omoniyi

Our Voice project 2021 (archive)

‘Our Voice’ is a Covid-19 national participation project, to amplify Disabled Young people’s voices, and address erasure of their education experiences.

 

Lucy Wing: “I will not give up until all Disabled children, my siblings, are free from torture”

In December 2023, a collective of Disabled People’s Organisations and allies took the “End Torture of Disabled people” campaign to Parliament. This collective campaign aims to end the segregation of Young Disabled people in UK educational residential settings, where abuse is rife and private companies profit.

Eugenics in education and its effects on society

The legacy of eugenics in education. By Michelle Daley, ALLFIE Director, and Yewande Akintelu-Omoniyi, Our Voice Project Youth Officer

Miro Griffiths: “Young people’s voices matter and should be recognised with authority and with influence”

ALLFIE’s ‘Our Voice’ project members interviewed Dr Miro Griffiths on youth involvement in Disabled People’s Organisations, and the intersection of academia and disability activism.