Promoting Disability Equality in Ireland

The Role of DESSA – the Disability Equality

Specialist Support Agency

Presentation to the FRC National ForumTuesday 10th March 2009

Social Model of Disability

Restrictions imposed on disabled people are not a natural or inevitable consequence of their impairment but are a product of a social environment which fails to take into account certain people.

Goal

To change society so that disabled people can participate on an equal basis with everyone else

Delivery of strategic supports to Family Resource Centres

FRCs identify actions to include all members of FRCs identify actions to include all members of their communitiestheir communities

Challenge of InclusionChallenge of Inclusion

Premises inaccessiblePremises inaccessible Don’t know any disabled peopleDon’t know any disabled people Not our responsibility – taken care of Not our responsibility – taken care of

elsewhereelsewhere Don’t know howDon’t know how Never been asked/never considered itNever been asked/never considered it Fear of offending/doing the wrong thingFear of offending/doing the wrong thing

DESSA WorkDESSA Work

1. Capacity Building

2. Networking

3. Policy Development

Mission

DESSA will pursue the active involvement and full participation of disabled people in society by delivering strategic supports to Community Development Organisations

Community Inclusion Initiative

Research & Publications

Community Advocacy

Steps to Participation

Childcare Inclusion

Programme

Partnership Work

Training Programme

Strategies

Steps to Mainstream Participation

A series of programmes and supports designed to empower disabled people and community development practitioners with knowledge and capacity to ensure the active participation of disabled people within the community

Community Advocacy

Use the FRC model as a means of providing representative advocacy services to disabled people and their families

Disabled people will have access to a professional and effective advocacy service within their local community

Community Inclusion InitiativeCommunity Inclusion Initiative

The Community Inclusion Initiative will bring The Community Inclusion Initiative will bring together FRCs and other stakeholders in together FRCs and other stakeholders in the West Cork / South Kerry region to the West Cork / South Kerry region to develop a coherent strategic approach to develop a coherent strategic approach to the inclusion of families experiencing the inclusion of families experiencing disabilitydisability

Community Inclusion InitiativeCommunity Inclusion Initiative

A model of good practice for the inclusion of A model of good practice for the inclusion of disabled children within community based disabled children within community based childcare and play settings which childcare and play settings which contributes to the overall mainstreaming of contributes to the overall mainstreaming of disabled children within their communities disabled children within their communities

Establishment of a peer support structure for Establishment of a peer support structure for parents of disabled childrenparents of disabled children

Project BackgroundProject BackgroundJune 2007

Meeting with the Caha Centre and local parents

Family Support & Inclusion Network

2006 – 2007DESSA Childcare Inclusion Programme

92 childcare and play workers trained in Inclusive Provision

Manual of Best Practice developed

Framework for accredited Early Years Training

What we hope to achieve?What we hope to achieve?

Awareness of InclusionAwareness of Inclusion Provision of support and training enabling Provision of support and training enabling

inclusioninclusion Engagement with parentsEngagement with parents Build ways and means for communities to Build ways and means for communities to

meet disabled children and their familiesmeet disabled children and their families