When Bradford photographer Tony O’Connell was invited to support a project involving people with disabilities taking pictures around the district, he was happy to get involved.

A year later, Tony has been moved and surprised by the new ways he has come to view people and places captured in the striking images.

Tony worked with 54 people with a range of disabilities, and a selection of their photographs has been chosen for a 2011 calendar reflecting their experiences in Bradford.

The images, capturing themes of cohesion and inclusion, were taken at a variety of events, from a war veterans’ day to a speed-dating evening.

Tony was invited by voluntary organisation Disability Support to help with the 12-month photographic project, commissioned by Bradford Council and the district’s Physical Disability and Sensory Needs service.

“I worked with 54 people with a wide range of disabilities. The aim was for them to photograph community events throughout 2010 and record their experiences of life in Bradford,” said Tony.

“The events they photographed included the St George’s Day Parade; a disco for people with learning difficulties at Northcliffe Church, Shipley; a karaoke night at the Oddfellows Arms, Shipley; a gala at Denholme; veterans’ day in Centenary Square; and an emergency services gala at the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service headquarters in Birkenshaw.

“We also involved groups which help people, including Springfield Community Gardens and Grove Resource Centre, both in Holme Wood, and organisations run by and for people with disabilities, such as Bradford Talking Media, and Keighley and Bradford People First.

“Some of the images are really powerful, and some are of a professional quality. I was particularly struck by a group of people with disabilities who are working with the police on dealing with hate crime.”

Tony worked with designer Rakesh Mistry on the project. The support they offered ranged from setting up a drop-in group to informal get-togethers. “Sometimes we’d meet ad hoc and just go out and take pictures,” he said.

“I loved working with them all – everyone ended up helping each other.

“What surprised me was how I saw things differently through their photographs – they saw things that I’d have missed.”

Every photographer who took part had an image displayed in an exhibition at an Easier Access Day held at Tong School.

Visitors voted for their favourite photographs and the most popular appear in the Community Cohesion calendar, recently launched at Disability Support’s premises in Little Germany.

Three hundred copies of the calendar were printed. Every photographer who took part received a calendar along with a certificate, and every Bradford councillor was given a copy, .

Joe Ogden, chairman of Disability Support, said: “This has been a really successful project, it took off like a rocket.

“There’s a lot of life, love, humour and colour in these photographs, showing all aspects of Bradford life. Some carers have been involved too, in total there were about 60 people taking part.

“We had about 300 photographs. All the images, and the resulting calendar, look at life from the view of someone with a disability, and show the work that they are doing in their communities.

“When people think of disability they tend to think of someone in a wheelchair, but that’s only ten per cent of what disability means.”

A limited number of Community Cohesion calendars are available to buy, priced £5, on (01274) 730363.