Our history
About us
About us
2025 marked 35 years since Peter Swain founded the charity Living Options Devon, now known as Disability Together.
Annually the charity now supports 10,000 Disabled and d/Deaf people, those with long term health conditions and their friends and families.
As we celebrate significant milestones, we look ahead, aware of the work still to be done and the evolving needs of those we support.
Peter was injured in a gymnastics accident in 1965. He had a BA(hons) and Law Society Part I qualification.
After establishing the Exeter City Council for Independent Living in 1982 and being appointed to the Exeter Health Authority, Peter founded Living Options Devon in 1990 and became our first director. Peter chaired the first National User and Carer Group between 1993-1997 which reported directly to the Department of Health. He was an Associate Hospital Manager with the Devon Partnership Trust and received an OBE in 1996 for services to the development of health, social care, and voluntary sector.
Peter passed away in the summer of 2021, we miss him greatly but continue to fulfill his legacy.
To mark our 35th anniversary, these videos share what the charity means to our community, how it’s making a difference and exciting plans for the future
Our Chair of Trustees, Andrew Barge, talks about his memories of founder Peter Swain, the work of the charity for disabled people and his hopes for the future and the next 35 years.
Our Community Fundraiser and Hub Host, Andrew Summer, shares what it’s like to be part of the charity, how he got involved, and what working at Living Options means to him.
Staff, volunteers and trustees gathered at Exeter Racecourse to celebrate 35 years of the charity. A chance to share memories, recognise those who have shaped our story and to look ahead to an exciting future together.
Justine Smyth, part of the charity’s Deaf-led services growth and current counsellor for Deaf people, talks about being involved with Living Options, now Disability Together.
Disability Together has significantly grown from its humble beginnings.
The charity began with just one employee and Peter as a volunteer, to now encompass a wide range of support services for disabled people, people with a long term health condition, and members of the Deaf Community across the south west.
Peter’s research in the early 1980s, along with that of those he volunteered with, centered around the extra provision for disabled people and what was available at that time by the statutory and voluntary sectors.
