Looking Ahead: The DI ADEPT Project Set to Empower Independence and Connection

As Disability Initiative (DI) launches the next phase of its DI ADEPT Project, there’s a real sense of anticipation and hope about what the year ahead will bring.

With continued support from a foundation grant, DI is building on years of learning, collaboration, and community connection — ready to help even more disabled adults gain confidence, independence, and a stronger sense of belonging.

A Vision for Lasting Change

At the heart of the DI ADEPT Project is a clear belief: real transformation happens when support reaches the roots of a challenge, not just its surface.

The project takes a holistic approach — offering expert-led sessions, personal goal setting, and community engagement — designed to help people strengthen their physical, emotional, and social wellbeing. It’s about creating the conditions for long-term empowerment, where individuals can develop skills, express themselves, and feel truly part of their community. DI believes that meaningful, lasting change comes from targeted, personalised action that builds confidence and connection at every stage.

The upcoming programme draws on three years of learning from earlier phases of DI ADEPT, which successfully supported participants to build friendships, develop new skills, and reconnect with their communities after long periods of isolation. This new year of activity will expand on that foundation — offering a rich mix of creative arts, movement and fitness, and digital learning sessions. Each session will be carefully designed to balance skill development with confidence-building and social connection, ensuring participants can flourish both personally and collectively.

Learning What Matters Most

One of the key insights shaping this next phase has been the importance of personally meaningful goals. Some participants found traditional goal setting difficult, so DI has introduced a new “What’s Important to Me” tool to make the process more empowering and relevant. By identifying what really matters in each person’s life, staff can help participants set goals that reflect their priorities — from regaining a sense of purpose to improving mobility, communication, or confidence.

The DI team is also refining how it captures and celebrates the “small successes” that happen outside formal sessions — those everyday moments of progress, like reconnecting with a friend, joining a group discussion, or taking on a new challenge. These moments are often the most powerful indicators of growth.

DI ADEPT doesn’t work in isolation. The project is underpinned by collaboration with social workers, occupational therapists, general practitioners, and other community partners who bring specialist expertise and continuity of care.

By fostering these partnerships, DI is ensuring that participants receive the right support at the right time — and that the programme continues to evolve in step with community needs.

Hope, Resilience, and Opportunity

As DI ADEPT prepares for its new year, there’s an overwhelming sense of momentum. Each element of the programme — from creative expression to practical skill-building — reflects DI’s deep commitment to helping people thrive, not just survive. By blending compassion with evidence-based practice, and community spirit with professional expertise, Disability Initiative is once again setting the stage for lasting, positive change.

This next chapter of DI ADEPT is about more than just activities or sessions — it’s about possibility. And as the programme unfolds, DI looks forward to seeing just how far its participants, partners, and community can go together.