This is where it begins.
For too long, disabled people across the UK have been left to navigate some of life’s hardest moments without support that truly understands them. Disabled Voices CIC is changing that, starting with a 12-month pilot designed not just to help people, but to prove that disability-led emotional support works.
The pilot at a glance
From October 2026, we will offer free, confidential emotional support via telephone and webchat, alongside a free community space where disabled people can connect with others who genuinely understand.
Our opening hours will be Mondays and Thursdays 7pm to 10pm.
Every session is delivered by trained, disabled volunteers. Every contact is person-centred, trauma-informed and designed for what disabled people actually need rather than what existing systems assume that they need.
There are four phases to our pilot program.
Build
January to September 2026
We’re laying the foundations before we open the doors. From research, talking with people in the disabled community, recruiting and training our first cohort of disabled volunteers, setting up our telephone and webchat systems, building our safeguarding framework and getting everything in place so when we do launch, we do it safely.
Listen
October 2026 to September 2027
This is the heart of the pilot, where we begin to deliver our emotional support sessions, facilitating peer connection and collecting data on what’s working and what disabled people need most. Every single conversation matters.
Learn
October to December 2027
We analyse everything: what we achieved, where we fall short, and what the numbers and stories tell us. This phase will produce our impact report which will shape our future.
Illuminate
October to December 2027
We take on board what we’ve learned and share it by launching our training and consultancy offer, delivering education in the community and building partnerships that will sustain us long-term.
Why a Pilot?
Disabled people deserve services that have been tested, evaluated, and improved rather than rushed. The pilot lets us prove demand, demonstrate impact, and refine our model before we grow.
What we’re measuring
We’ll track session numbers, user reach, and repeat engagement. We’ll measure changes in loneliness, emotional distress, and feelings of being heard. We’ll collect stories, reflections, and feedback, and we’ll be honest about what the evidence shows.
This is about proving that disability-led early intervention works, so we can make the case for investment, expansion, and lasting change.
Be part of it
The pilot needs your support. Whether you’re a disabled person who wants to use our services, a volunteer who wants to help deliver them, a funder who wants to make them possible, or an organisation that wants to refer, there’s a way for you to be part of this. Contact: info@disabledvoices.org.uk
Disabled Voices CIC 