Our Mission Statement
We aim to provide an easily accessible Information and Advisory Service for people who live in the Doncaster area.By providing this service we aim to raise awareness of disability issues in order to influence change.We aim to empower and enable disabled people to live a more independent and enriched life. 

DIAL Doncaster was formed in early 1983 when John Gaskell was seconded by ICI (Imperial Chemical Industries) to the Doncaster District Association for the Welfare of the Disabled under a Government sponsored scheme.
His role was to visit disabled people in Doncaster to ascertain what they thought was needed most. An Information and Advisory Service covering all aspects of disability was the result of his survey.

DIAL's service began in Bentley Library with two paid workers and, after various moves, transferred in 1995 to shared premises at The Disability Resource Centre. During this time DIAL's staff increased to 9 paid workers and 20 volunteers with the quality and range of services improving dramatically. In November 2004, DIAL relocated to its own premises based at Shaw Wood Business Park and currently employs 20 paid workers and 46 volunteers.

DIAL is currently funded by:
Doncaster Local Authority
The Big Lottery Fund
Lloyds TSB Foundation

DIAL Doncaster covers the Doncaster Metropolitan Borough
We are confident that we provide a service that is second to none. The DIAL Network is one of the leading disability information and advice organisations.
DIAL Doncaster is a Registered Charity, Company Limited by Guarantee and a voluntary organisation. It is managed by a Management Committee of 15 people who are responsible for making sure that the organisation is working effectively to meet the needs of its service users.

The majority of DIAL's Management Committee, staff and volunteers are either disabled or have had experience of disability, which means, as an organisation, we are close to the needs of our service users. It takes a lot of people with many skills to make DIAL Doncaster work. All play an important role but the spirit and commitment of DIAL's volunteers is invaluable.

What DIAL Doncaster does:

Advice and Information
DIAL provides information, confidential advice and support to people with any disability (including physical, sensory, learning disability and people who have mental health problems) and those with ill health (eg cancer or heart disease). We also provide a service for families, carers and friends of disabled people and for professionals working within healthcare.
Advice where it's needed:
A Confidential and Impartial Service.
Telephone advice.
Drop-in advice and support.
Outreach advice.
Outreach advice for BME Groups/Coffee mornings and gentle exercise classes.
Producing fact sheets.
Home visiting service.
Information available in other languages upon request.
Text-phone.
Braille and large print information upon request.
Promotion through local groups of disabled people.
Talks to community groups and hospitals.
Disability Awareness sessions in local primary schools and after school clubs.
Information via Touchscreen Kiosks in GP Surgeries.

Welfare Benefits Service
DIAL Doncaster's Welfare Benefits Team deal with over 6000 enquiries from clients every year with all issues relating to State Benefit Entitlements. Last year we helped claim nearly £2 million pounds in unclaimed benefits for disabled people and their carers. We represented at over 400 Appeal Tribunals and answered questions on Entitlement to Disability Benefit Criteria. Enquiries are dealt with via telephone, personal appointments and visiting clients in their own homes.Since the commencement of this service in 1994 we have helped raise over £14,000,000.00 in benefit claims, much of this will be spent within the local economy.

Benefits Help and Advice:
Assessments against DLA/AA eligibility.
Assistance with form/claim filling.
Revisions and Supersessions.
Appeals and Appeals to Commissioners representation.

Other Services
Wheelchair Hire Service.
Debt Advice.
Your choice, Your Support - help with the Personal Budget Process.
Blue Badge/Passport photographs.
Sale of Radar toilet keys.
Sale of car stickers for disabled drivers/passengers.
Access Audits.
Charity Shops (located at Woodlands, Armthorpe, Balby and Intake).
Holiday Lodge and Holiday Caravan (for let).
Accessible Vehicle (for hire).
High Dependency Mobile Changing Unit (for hire).

Quality
DIAL Doncaster is an Investors in People organisation.
It was the first voluntary group to achieve this accolade in 1997 and has been reassessed every 3 years.
The organisation has the Community Legal Services Quality Marks - "Specialist in Welfare Benefits" and "General Help and Casework in Disability".
DIAL Doncaster has the DIAL UK quality mark, the "Positive About Disabled People" Award, the ISO 9001 quality mark which is an Internationally recognised award, a standard quality Management System that demonstrates that an organisation can provide a consistant standard of quality. DIAL Doncaster has recently achieved the Investing in Volunteers quality mark recognising the excellent work they do with volunteers and the Customer First Quality Standard.