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- Our work to promote the disability Convention
- Disability Harassment Inquiry
- Your rights - disability
- A tribute to Dave Morris
Creating a fairer Britain
This page introduces the Commission's Disability Committee, explains its purpose, lists who is on the Committee, and provides some background information about the individuals involved.
You can contact the Disability Committee by email
The Commission is required by law to have a Disability Committee. This was considered necessary by the Government because of the highly distinctive nature of disability equality law, in particular the duties to make reasonable adjustments, and the complex technical and ethical issues associated with promoting disability equality.
The Disability Committee has decision making powers in relation to those matters which solely concern disability, and the Commission must seek the advice of the Committee on all matters which relate to disability in a significant way. The Committee is supported by the Disability Programme Director who works across the Commission to ensure the Committee's objectives are met.
On 14 January 2010 the Commission appointed Michael Smith, known as Mike, as the new chair of its Disability Committee. Mike replaces acting chair Alun Davies who stepped down at the end of 2009.
This appointment follows Mike’s engagement as a Commissioner on 3 December 2009. As well as chairing the Disability Committee, Mike is also lead champion for disability matters on the Commission's board.
Mike is Chair of the National Centre for Independent Living (2005 to date). The Centre is a national umbrella organisation that works with government and other stakeholders to help realise independent living for all disabled people. He is also a member of the board of Stonewall (2006 to date), the lesbian, gay and bisexual charity. Prior to this he worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers for 19 years, qualifying as a chartered accountant and specialising in company tax advice. After working in risk management his most recent role was Director of Policy, Compliance.
Saghir Alam, a lawyer and a DRC Commissioner leading on partnership and capacity building. He has been working with central and local government on equality and diversity issues including as a member of Equality 2025. He is also a member of the Race and Diversity Panel of CENTREX, the National Police Training Authority.
Diane has worked extensively on disability, human rights and international development issues both overseas and domestically. She is currently the UK's nominated candidate to run for the 2012 election round for the Expert Committee of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities . Her previous experience includes working as an academic at the Institute of Development Studies; as Country Director of VSO Indonesia and currently with Sightsavers International as a global advisor on disability.
In 2009 Diane was featured in the Women's National Commission's 'Women in Public Life Guide'. In addition to her work with the Commission, Diane's appointments in public life include: Member of Equality 2025 (Office for Disability Issues), the British Medical Association (Patient Liaison Group and Equal Opportunities Committee), the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and Sussex Probation Board.
Andrew Lee, Director of People First (Self Advocacy), a campaigning organisation run by people with learning difficulties. It has national membership and has influenced Government on a number of key issues.
Liz Sayce is Chief Executive of RADAR, the leading pan-disability organisation. Before that she was Director, Policy and Communications, for the Disability Rights Commission, where she led on creating a new Disability Agenda for policy for the next 2 decades, as well as a Formal Investigation into physical health inequalities experienced by people with mental health problems and/or learning disabilities. Previously she was Director of Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham Health Action Zone. She spent 8 years as Policy Director of Mind, and one year as a Harkness Fellow in the USA, studying the impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act and related policy initiatives. She was a member of the UK Government’s Disability Rights Task Force (1997-99).
With knowledge and experience of mental health issues, she has published widely on mental health and disability issues including From Psychiatric Patient to Citizen (Macmillan-Palgrave 2000). She is also a Trustee of Stonewall.
Kirsten is an independent member of the Metropolitan Police Authority and is the chair of its Equality and Diversity sub-committee. She is also a non-executive member of the Office for Disability Issues Disability Delivery board and a member of the Arts Council England Independent Disability Equality Advisory Group. Alongside this, Kirsten is the chair of Inclusion London, the Deaf and Disabled People’s organisation's community interest company. She is also vice chair and a trustee of the consortium of LGBT Community and Voluntary organisations.
Kirsten has previously been a member of the Transport for London Board where she championed social inclusion and a member of Equality 2025, the UK Advisory Network on Disability Equality. For sixteen years, she worked as an Equality specialist and senior manager in local government.
Michelle Valentine is Director of a Disability Consultancy and also works as a Diversity and Social Inclusion Officer for Norfolk County Council. Prior to this, Michelle worked at the Disability Rights Commission for seven years, where she advised stakeholders on the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and had a key role in the co-ordination of DRC projects relating to employment.
Michelle is a member of the Federation of Small Businesses and of the Association of Disabled Professionals. She is also the Design for All co-ordinator for the British Standards Institute, and sits on the Norfolk Area Crown Prosecution Service Hate Crime Scrutiny Panel. Michelle also acts as an adviser to the National Disabled Fire Association.
For the past 16 years, Teresa Waldron has worked as a senior manager at Chesterfield Law Centre, an organisation that provides free legal advice and casework services in the field of social welfare law, including equality, discrimination and human rights. She is also an advisory member of Acas Disabled People Involvement Forum, advising Acas on disability and employment issues. For the last 5 years Teresa has worked as an Equality/Disability Adviser for a local council in a consultancy capacity. She is also a member of Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board, advising on disability and social care issues. Occasionally, Teresa works as an Expert by Experience inspector for Care Quality Commission, having previously worked for five years as a part time community care law practitioner at the Law Centre.
Teresa is a trustee of Law Centres Federation and LINKS Council for Voluntary Service. Teresa used to work at Derbyshire Centre for Inclusive Living and as a Youth worker for Derbyshire County Council. She served as a committee member of Ddeaf Equality Forward and United Kingdom Council on Deafness (UKCOD).