Asian sixth-formers aim to improve provisions for people with disabilities in their community with a unique project involving their school, the local health authority and a voluntary group.

Asian Disability Action and Awareness in Bradford, (ADAAB), has devised a survey to establish the needs of disabled people in the Asian community which girls at Belle Vue Girls' School, Thorn Lane, will conduct.

The findings from the survey will be implemented by the health authority in a bid to improve facilities for Asian disabled people in the city.

Bary Malik, of ADAAB, said it was important that Asian women played a role in the process.

"Women are at the forefront of caring for disabled people," he said. "Whether they are disabled themselves or caring for the disabled, their views are not often heard for cultural reasons."

"Although there has been a lot of progress made within the health authority in recent years, more work needs to be done and we have to find out exactly what is needed by people in the heart of the community.

"Hopefully they will be more responsive to questions posed by young women from their own backgrounds and cultures."

He warned that numbers of Asian disabled people were rising and that projected figures showed massive increases in disabled Asian people in the next decade.

"It is quite alarming but all the research shows that disability is rising among Asian people. There are various reasons for this but the main thing is to try to find out what people need and reaffirm that it is not a taboo subject."

The survey has been devised by ADAAB and Dr Dee Kyle, director of public health in Bradford. She said: "Belle Vue Girls' School has 700 pupils- more than 98 per cent of South Asian origin.

"The project would pilot new ways of identifying some of the specific health information needs of women and girls in the South Asian community which may impact on the successful implementation of the Bradford Health Improvement Programme."

The girls, who are studying Advanced Health and Social Care, will survey people in their locality. It is hoped that 100 families will be asked about their requirements.

The group will then write a report about the findings which will be presented to the health authority later this year.

Dorelle Gregory, teacher at Belle Vue said: "The girls are from this community and as well as helping their survey is helping them develop other skills too."

Anyone who would like to take part in the survey should contact Bary Malik on (01274) 223214.