The National Resource Centre for Participation and Accessibility

Objectives

The primary objective of the Delta Centre is to contribute to enabling people with disabilities to participate in society on equal terms with other citizens. The centre's vision is one of participation and accessibility for all. Through its work the Delta Centre shall contribute to the achievement of government targets for increased accessibility and universal design.

The work of the Delta Centre is based on the premise that universal design, adaptations, technology and assistive aids together contribute to increased participation and accessibility for people with disabilities. The centre's activities and working methods are founded on its overarching principle of user participation.

The activities of the Delta Centre first and foremost shall benefit people with disabilities and shall encompass all the most important areas of life. The Delta Centre is to possess knowledge about technology, products and equipment that contribute towards the inclusion of people with disabilities in mainstream society. The Delta Centre shall contribute to ensuring that diverse initiatives and services are viewed from a holistic perspective.

This mandate, together with the annual funding allocation letter, indicates the centre's objectives, as well as the scope of and guidelines for its activities.

The roles and functions of the Delta Centre

The Delta Centre shall on an independent professional basis:

• Identify disabling barriers and demonstrate how they can be either mitigated or abolished
• Prevent new disabling barriers from coming into existence
• Develop knowledge about and advise on good practice regarding accessibility
• Act as an instigator in cooperation with responsible public bodies
• Raise awareness of the need for interdisciplinary initiatives
• Establish and contribute to professional networks both nationally and internationally.

The Delta Centre shall undertake developmental work as a basis for its advisory and information services. Key activities will include the gathering and dissemination of knowledge about factors that hinder or promote accessibility and participation. The Delta Centre shall have a core staff of nine full-time equivalents. The centre shall possess wide-ranging interdisciplinary competence. Its approach shall be to assist in, rather than take over, efforts to promote good accessibility and holistic solutions made by responsible persons in particular sectors as well as by other people. The centre shall describe its activities in an annual report.

The Delta Centre shall perform the roles of instigator, advisor, knowledge developer and contributor.

• Instigator: The centre shall act as an instigator in relation to the achievement of government targets for accessibility and universal design. The centre shall make use of its experience, research and project-based work to stimulate others to become engaged in these efforts and to implement change.
• Advisor: The centre shall provide advice and information based on its knowledge of examples of good practice and of projects that have generated such knowledge. The centre may also advise on sources of relevant knowledge.
• Knowledge developer: The centre shall contribute both to extending the knowledge base for universal design and to the establishment of networks. The centre may indicate areas where more knowledge is needed and may also initiate knowledge-development and research projects. The centre may itself participate in acquiring this knowledge.
• Contributor: The centre shall contribute by providing guidance, advice, examples of good practice and documented knowledge. The centre must expect to receive assignments from the Ministry in relation to the implementation of government policies for increased accessibility and universal design.

The Delta Centre must cooperate with ministries and public administrations at all levels, as well as with professional and research environments, businesses and user organisations. An objective for the work of the centre is that it should be perceived as supportive by the parties with which it interacts. Another goal for the centre is to disseminate the results of its work such that public authorities and decision-makers are encouraged to change their practices where necessary. By means of wide-ranging cooperation in all relevant fields, the Delta Centre will work towards the achievement of a society that to the greatest possible extent integrates the principles of universal design and usability in the design of products and our surrounding environment.

Organisation and status

The Delta Centre is the National Resource Centre for Participation and Accessibility. The Delta Centre comes under the authority of the Norwegian Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs (Bufdir). The Delta Centre has a general manager.

The Delta Centre shall have a User Council (for a trial period of up to two years). It is anticipated that systematic and binding cooperation with public authorities in relevant sectors will be ensured in other ways.

User Council

The nature of the tasks assigned to the Delta Centre indicates that its users' experiences and advice will be important in enabling the centre to perform its tasks in an optimal manner. A council will provide useful input to the centre's management.

The council shall have eight members, comprising three from the Norwegian Federation of Organisations of Disabled People (FFO), two from the Forum for Cooperation between Organisations of Disabled People (SAFO), two representatives from county-level councils for disabled people and two representatives from municipal-level councils for disabled people. The council members shall be appointed by the Norwegian Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs (Bufdir) in accordance with the prevailing mandate. The Delta Centre shall chair the meetings and shall undertake secretarial duties for the council. The council shall meet up to two times each year.

Forwarded from the Ministry of Children and Equality and Social Inclusion (BLD) on 16 February 2011.