Michael Devine

Breakthrough UK

Breakthrough UK has a reputation for successful project delivery and for being at the leading edge of disability policy development. We enable disabled people to: live independently, prepare for work and find employment and exercise greater choice and control over decisions that affect their lives. We are also an influential thought leader that identifies and challenges the barriers to disabled people's participation in society - we influence on a local, regional and national level. We are a disabled people's organisation; this means 75% of our Board are disabled people and currently 85% of our staff. Our services are designed, developed and delivered by disabled people, who understand the barriers within society and have the experience to find a solution. Established since 1997, in the last five years alone we have supported over 3,000 disabled people to find work and to live independently. This includes peer support services such as challenging hate crime; improving employment opportunities; and increasing self awareness and confidence. In addition to our main website you can follow Breakthrough's work on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BreakthroughUKLtd, or on Twitter at twitter.com/BreakthrouUKLtd for disability policy discussion, and at twitter.com/BUKCommunity for news and community updates.