The Government has launched a new Independent Disability Advisory Panel, promising a step change in how disability and long-term health policy is shaped in the UK. For the first time, a group made up entirely of people with lived experience of disability and long-term health conditions will advise ministers directly on policies that affect their daily lives.
The ten-member panel, announced in the Get Britain Working White Paper, held its inaugural meeting last week (22nd Jan). Ministers say the initiative is designed to ensure disabled people are no longer consulted as an afterthought, but are actively involved in decision-making from the outset.
Putting lived experience of disability at the heart of decision-making
Selected from more than 300 applicants, the panel brings together individuals from across Great Britain, including Scotland, Wales, London, the Midlands, Yorkshire and the South West. Members bring expertise spanning employment support, disability rights, health services, local government, commissioning and policy research.
The Government has described the panel as a “first-of-its-kind” approach, placing lived experience at the centre of its disability and health strategy. The panel will work directly with ministers to provide independent advice on major programmes such as Access to Work, the Disability Confident scheme and the implementation of recommendations from the Keep Britain Working Review.
This work will feed into the Government’s wider “Plan for Change”, which aims to raise living standards and improve employment outcomes for disabled people and those with long-term health conditions.
A response to long-standing criticism
Disability organisations have long argued that UK disability policy has been shaped without sufficient input from those most affected by it. Campaigners have pointed to repeated reforms that failed to account for the realities of living with impairment, chronic illness or fluctuating health.
Sir Stephen Timms, Minister for Social Security and Disability, acknowledged this history when welcoming the panel’s first meeting.
“Far too often, decisions about disabled people have been made without them,” he said.
“We are changing this. This panel brings together years of experience and valuable insight. The voices of disabled people will count because they will be in the room where decisions are made, and where policies are shaped.”
He added that the Government intends to work collaboratively with panel members to “build a system that truly works for disabled people”.
Read: UK Welfare Reforms: How Changes Will Impact Disabled People
How the Independent Disability Advisory Panel will operate
The panel is chaired by Zara Todd, a disability rights expert appointed to the role in August 2025. She said the group represents a long-overdue opportunity for disabled people to influence government policy meaningfully.
“The panel represents a much-needed opportunity for disabled people to shape and influence government policy which affects us.
“The breadth and diversity of the panel membership will enable us to provide robust, independent and practical advice, all driven by lived experience.”
While the panel will operate separately from Sir Stephen Timms’ ongoing review of Personal Independence Payment (PIP), the two will share insight and expertise. Officials say this arrangement allows the advisory panel to maintain a broad focus across health and disability policy, while still informing specific reforms.
Transparency and concerns over non-disclosure
According to Disability News Service, members of the panel are required to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) covering their discussions. This has drawn criticism from some disability rights groups, who argue that NDAs risk limiting transparency and accountability in a process that is meant to amplify disabled people’s voices.
Critics have suggested that restrictions on what panel members can share publicly may make it harder for the wider disabled community to understand how decisions are being influenced or to hold the government to account. The use of NDAs also raises questions about how openly panel members can communicate with the public about issues raised in meetings.
The Government has not indicated whether summaries of discussions or outcomes will be published, though it has said the panel will operate independently and provide candid advice to ministers.
Reaching beyond the meeting room
Despite concerns around transparency, the panel is expected to engage with disabled people and organisations beyond its formal meetings. Government notes indicate that panel members will reach out to their networks and communities, helping to connect ministers with a wider range of perspectives and experiences.
Supporters of the initiative say this community-based approach could help ensure that advice is grounded in real-world experience rather than abstract policy models, particularly when it comes to employment, access to services and navigating the welfare system.
Who sits on the panel?
The Independent Disability Advisory Panel brings together a diverse group of professionals and advocates whose lived experience with disability and long-term health conditions informs their work in the community, public services and policy.
The 10 members are:
- Laura Fulcher (Southwest) – Founder and CEO of Mission Remission, a UK-based charity and online community supporting cancer survivors to rebuild their lives after treatment.
- John Kerr (Scotland) – Employability Development Officer with East Lothian Council, working within its Local Employability Partnership to design and deliver programmes that help people into sustainable work.
- Jeff Banks (Southeast) – Interim Chief Executive Officer at Lightyear Foundation, a disabled-led charity focused on making science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) inclusive for disabled and neurodivergent children and young people.
- Tracy Lazard (London) – Chief Executive Officer of Inclusion London, a major disability equality organisation campaigning for the rights of Deaf and Disabled people.
- Nabila Gardner (Midlands) – Director and Founder of Ways For Wellbeing UK CIC, a community interest company offering health and wellbeing coaching and support services to people facing mental health and wellbeing challenges across the West Midlands.
- Molly Deakin (Yorkshire) – Policy and Campaigns Officer at Together Trust, a long-established charity providing care, education and support for people with disabilities, complex needs, and their families.
- Arun Veerappan (London) – Director of Research at The Disability Policy Centre, a think tank and research organisation that focuses on disability policy analysis.
- Noor Al-Koky (Southwest) – Senior Commissioning Manager at Gloucestershire County Council & NHS Gloucestershire, involved in planning and managing health and social care services for local communities.
- Damian Bridgeman (Wales) – Damian Bridgeman is a Welsh Romany disability rights activist and inclusive technology leader shaping policy, accessibility and community-driven innovation.
- Issac Samuels OBE (London) – Community Campaigner and Co-production Advisor, recognised for his work on community engagement and co-production in disability services and advocacy.
This mix of charity leaders, public sector specialists, policy experts and lived-experience advocates represents a broad range of perspectives on disability rights, social inclusion and employment support.
A test of meaningful co-production
As the panel begins its work, attention will focus on whether it can deliver genuine influence rather than symbolic inclusion. For disabled people who have seen advisory groups come and go, the key question will be whether lived experience shapes outcomes – not just conversations.
If successful, the Independent Disability Advisory Panel could signal a cultural shift in UK disability policy, moving away from top-down reform and towards meaningful co-production. For now, its creation marks a clear acknowledgement that disabled people must be central to decisions about their lives – not on the margins of them.
Read: Saving Money As A Disabled Person In The UK: A Comprehensive Guide