coming together to secure an equal future for people with disabilities martin naughton | director of...

Coming together to secure an equal future

for people with disabilities

Martin Naughton | Director of Áiseanna Tacaíochta

Coming together to secure an equal future for people with disabilities | Martin Naughton 2

Reflecting on our learning

• It’s important to reflect on past and what we’ve learned from it, so that

we can build on that into the future.

• Achieving on true equality and inclusion for people with disabilities rests

on

• Securing the values of human rights

• Working by the philosophy of Independent Living

• Ensuring active citizenship for all

• Building understanding and solidarity across society.

• We’ve seen the difference that Independent Living and Direct Payments

make in people’s lives, and we’ve witnessed how the innovation of

people with disabilities has driven those massively important changes.

We must now build on that determination together.


The future we want to build for ourselves• 68% of people who use disability services in

Ireland are dissatisfied with the level of

control they have over their own lives.1 We

have to overturn this together.

¹ Department of Health (2010) Report on Public Consultation: Efficiency and Effectiveness of Disability Services in Ireland. Dublin: Department of Health

• By giving people with disabilities more

control, independence and responsibility, we

can bring all of society together to create

strong, inclusive communities anchored by

equality and active citizenship.


The future for Áiseanna Tacaíochta (ÁT)

• It offers strong outcomes not just for the individual, but for the whole of

society. This can grow in a sustainable and dynamic way into the

future.

• We currently have 20 existing and incoming members, aiming to have

50 by the end of 2015. As our membership grows, so will our impact

across society.

• ÁT plans to play an important role in shaping

the future for people with disabilities. Our

model offers:

• Real flexibility and choice

• Personal growth and development for

our Leaders

• True cost-effectiveness and value for

money.


Key pieces of work in 2015

• Our Cost Benefit Analysis will evaluate the cost-effectiveness of our

model of Direct Payments, in both monetary and social terms.

• Continuous Action Research will result in constant improvements to our

model and generate a valuable store of information on our outcomes.

• ÁT Evaluators, coming on board in 2015, will see volunteers perform

appraisals of Leaders’ companies.

• Our new Vice President Programme is building a new network of

supporters to promote ÁT and its values, and raise funds to sustain

our important work.

• Our Human Rights Ambassadors will challenge perceptions of

disability by promoting a human rights perspective in the community,

tackling physical, attitudinal and cultural barriers at grass-roots level.


Funding for a fairer future

• As a movement, we know and

appreciate the value of the money we

receive: we will not misuse or

overspend it.

• Our expertise, our money and our

determination can build a future that

works for and includes everyone

equally.

• People with disabilities have identified

and initiated new models which secure

strong outcomes for people and society

in a hugely resourceful and cost-

effective way: this must be supported

by Government.


Seeing disability as a human rights issue• Each of us has an important role to play in ensuring that

people with disabilities enjoy access to the full set of

rights that they are entitled to.

• Seeing disability as a human rights issue enables us to

understand how people with disabilities are disabled and

disempowered as a result of being excluded and

prevented from participating fully in society.

• We will ask people across the country to “Stand Up For

Our Rights” on May 4th and 5th 2015, uniting people with

disabilities and wider society to achieve the rights and

equality that we are all entitled to.


Changing perceptions of disability

• Describing ourselves in a certain way allows both us and other people

to dilute our rights and to define ourselves by our disability alone,

rather than recognising the full, vibrant and dynamic people we are.

• The future also involves changing attitudes

and perceptions of disability, both within

the disability movement and beyond it.

• By changing the language around and the

visualisation of disability, we can all play a

role in empowering people with disabilities

as strong, active members of society with

rich life experiences and valued rights.


Changing perceptions of disability

• We are not “vulnerable”.

• We do not have “special needs”.

• We are not “service users” - we access supports.

• We do not need to be “integrated” – we want to be included.

• We did not “lose” our medical cards – they were taken from us.

People with disabilities can no longer be seen as an isolated, vulnerable

group in society; we must no longer focus on the disability but the

potential that every person has for the future and the impact that they

can make.

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Building this new future together

• At ÁT, we see ourselves as leaders of a new vision of in Ireland, as Direct

Payments change the way we think about disability and enable people

with disabilities to re-write their roles. Each of us in society has a part

to play in making independence and equality the reality for all; we must

all take this next step together to make this happen.

• We have come this far together; now, we can dream bigger and better

again.