Lewisham Council is seeking a chair for its new disability commission, which is due to be launched December 3.

The unpaid role will chair and facilitate the new commission’s meetings, ensure they are inclusive and accessible, and work to the social model of disability.

This comes after the borough’s former Deaf and Disabled People Organisation (DDPO), the Lewisham Disability Coalition, closed in January after coming into financial difficulty.

The former DDPO also gave advice and advocacy support – services which have now been transferred to the Advice Lewisham Partnership, a free advice line.

Lewisham Council had offered £35,000 for a third-sector organisation to take on the work – less than half of the grant it used to pay to coalition, but no group applied for the funding.

Once it starts in December, the commission will choose where to allocate the £35,000.

“The Commission is to be led by disabled people and is intended to identify barriers faced by disabled people in Lewisham and make recommendations to address them,” the job posting said.

“The Commission is also intended to have a coordinating role to ensure that disabled people meaningfully influence the design and delivery of services provided by the Council for disabled people.”

Councillor Jonathan Slater, Cabinet Member for the Community Sector, said: “The commission will play a vital role in identifying barriers faced by disabled people and working to address them. This is a fantastic opportunity and I am looking forward to welcoming a Chair to oversee such an important piece of work.”

The chair will work for two days a month and could be remunerated up to £250 per day depending on circumstances.

According to the 2011 census, 14.4 per cent of Lewisham residents had a long-term health problem or disability which either limited their daily activities a little or a lot

To find out more about the role visit the council website.