About Disabled Peoples Organisations Denmark

Disabled Peoples Organisations Denmark (DPOD) was founded in 1934 (as "De Samvirkende Invalideorganisationer" - DSI) and has 32 national member organisations representing more than 320.000 people with disabilities in Denmark. DPOD is the only Danish umbrella organisation in the disability field.

The principal objective of DPOD is to take care of the common interests of the member organisations. Characteristic common tasks are negotiations with the national government on issues like pensions and social benefits, medicine, health care, technical aids, and other general questions of importance to all disability groups - such as education, labour market questions, and insurance.

Whenever the government - national, regional and local - consults with disabled people or wants disabled people to be represented, DPOD is the organisation consulted or asked to designate representatives. This is the situation in respect to almost all the Danish ministries.

DPOD designates 7 members to the Danish Disability Council set up by The Danish Government. Furthermore DPOD designates members to a number of other public committees and commissions at national, regional & local level.

DPOD often play an active part in the committees and commissions dealing with disagreements, complaints etc. Many of the DPOD representations are written into the law.

Some examples of areas/cases where the work of DPOD have been essential:

· Employment on special conditions (flexjob etc.)
· Inclusive education
· Support of the implementation of the UN Standard Rules
· Independent living
· User participation
· Development policy
· Education of Architects
· Actions plans on accessibility
· Early retirement pension
· Free physiotherapy for people with disability

Our structure

The members of DPOD are non-governmental organisations of persons with disabilities (and their families) and not organisations FOR disabled people. The majority of the member organisations are single disability organisations. They are all engaged in activities on national and regional level - and some are engaged on local level.

The highest body in DPOD is the national board. It meets once a year. The national board is composed of two representatives from each member organisation and one from each of the five regions, representing the local branches.

The national board elects an executive committee with seven members (one chairman, one vice chairman and five board members). Chairman is Stig Langvad.

The local branches

Being a member of a Danish disability organisation you are also member of a local section. In the 98 municipalities, the local sections of the organisations are affiliated to the DPOD local branch.

The local branches comprises persons with disabilities and parents who are all involved in local activities. From among its members the local branch appoints representatives to various public councils, boards and commissions.

DSI local branches appoint representatives to Municipal Disability Councils, Municipal Committee on the Open Labour Market, Regional Complaints Boards on Social Matters, County councils of users of various services - and other public councils and committees.

The standing committees

DPOD has five standing committees:

1) The social policy committee

2) The labour market policy committee

2) The education policy committee

3) The health policy committee

4) The accessibility and assistive device policy committee

The five committees are consultative for the national board and the executive committee. They work on political input from the member organisations.  The members of the committees are nominated by and found among the qualified members of the member organisations and the regional branches. The members are appointed by the DPOD executive committee.

The secretariat

The DPOD secretariat is based in the Copenhagen area and currently has 35 employees (consultants on political issues, secretaries, accountants etc.). The secretariat is headed by the director of DPOD.

Funding

DPOD gets its funding from the national lottery. This funding is supplemented by fees from the member organisations and public/non public project funding.

DPOD has a substantial engagement in support towards people with disability in the Developing Countries. The funding for this is from Danida - The Danish Developing Agency.

International activities

DPOD is member of the Nordic Council of Disability Organisations (HNR - Handicaporganisationernes Nordiske Råd) - a forum of cooperation between the Nordic umbrella organisations.

DPOD appoints members to The Nordic Council on Disability Policy, an advisory and policymaking body for the Nordic Council of Ministers and its various cooperative bodies and institutions. The Council's seceteriat is The Nordic Cooperation on Disability, NSH.

DPOD is the Danish representative in the european DPO-umbrella European Disability Forum.

DPOD support sister organizations in the Third World with organizational and policy development. Read more about the development cooperation at the site www.disability.dk.

Contact:

Disabled Peoples Organisations Denmark
Danske Handicaporganisationer
Kløverprisvej 10 B
DK-2650 Hvidovre
Denmark
Tel: +45 3675 1777
Fax: +45 3675 1403
e-mail: dh@handicap.dk