In this issue:
Social Inclusion Forum
ILMI VOICE
ILMI Training
ILMI and Paralympics Ireland
ILMI in the journal.ie
Open Consultations

Social Inclusion Forum

ILMI were part of the Social Inclusion Forum dialogue facilitated by The Department of Social Protection. Paula and James gave a presentation on the social Inclusion of disabled people and the vital role of co-implementation of policy. There was a vibrant discussion from the people in the workshop with the recommended outputs for the continued need for DPOs, the importance of public sector duty for disabled people towards mainstream supports and services and the requirement that policy makers recognise, fund and utilise collective movements like DPOs. Many thanks to the organisers, Dept and workshop participants.

ILMI VOICE

This week, Nicola was delighted to bring the VOICE roadshow to Moorehaven in Tipperary town where she met with a group of young disabled people attending the Moorehaven hub.  Nicola spoke about the benefits of joining an online platform where they could make peer connections and avail of capacity building through training inputs delivered by ILMI staff and guest speakers. They discussed how a DPO (Disabled Person’s Organisation) in Tipperary might work to address the barriers in their local community.

If you are a disabled person living in Tipperary and would like to hear more about VOICE, contact Nicola on 087 7189237 or email nicolameacle@ilmi.ie

ILMI Training

In our 4th DET session, we delved into the topic of collective activism and the importance of singing from the same hymn sheet for real change to happen. The first step is stepping away from believing that disabled people are the problem. We must become social model thinkers and shake off the baggage of living in an ablest society. This means reclaiming our power, connecting with peers, and engaging in ILMI spaces and other platforms. Use the “fire in your belly” to fight for your rights and the rights of all disabled people to live fully as rights holders and Irish citizens.

Reflecting on the course, one participant noted, “It was a confidence booster, I know now what I felt wasn’t wrong, it is the system that’s wrong. I feel energised,” while another shared, “I don’t feel as isolated as before, it’s good to meet a group of people who can work together.” We are all in this together. Watch out in the coming weeks to hear more from this group.

ILMI and Paralympics Ireland

On the 21st of May the Board of Paralympics Ireland completed a one-day Disability Equality Training Workshop. Our agenda was packed and by the end of the day members of the board were “definitely thinking about the importance of the social model and the premise of being consciously aware of the language they use” across all media platforms. Topics covered included; the difference between the Medical Model of Disability, its key concepts and the language that stem from the model
And the Social Model of Disability, its key concepts and the language that stem from the model. We then explored Unconscious Bias, Ableism and Inspirational Porn.

Brilliant Noteworthy article in the Journal.ie on the lack of diversity in political representation, featuring ILMI Chairperson Des Kenny.

Des Kenny, chair of Independent Living Movement Ireland (ILMI) said that Irish MEPs are supportive of issues they raise, but the voice of disabled people is missing.

He said that MEPs in general often look at the bigger global picture when it comes to disability, but a disabled MEP would examine the minutiae of an issue impacting their community and work on its various aspects of development.

He compared this to looking at a knitting pattern and said “if you’re a disabled person you’re actually going to take to time to knit it”.

Quotas are one tool but practical support is also needed in order to empower political ambitions and remove existing barriers.

In addition to accessibility issues facing disabled people, including not being able to go to certain meetings due to their location upstairs or with difficult access, many face extra costs to run for election.

According to ILMI, this could be personal assistance service hours to perform specific tasks such as driving a car or providing guidance from door to door, and in the case of deaf candidates, sign language interpreters for meetings and canvassing.
Kenny said there is funding in place for disabled people in some other countries to participate in elections.

These funds operated in the UK in the past, with the ‘Access to Elected Office Fund’ running up to 2022 in Scotland and an ‘EnAble Fund’ worth £250,000 open from 2018 to 2020 in England.
A report on the previous version of the English fund up to 2015 found that the average value of grants paid was £4,455. Most of the funding went towards support workers and sign language interpreters.

Full article on this link

Open Consultations

Night Time Economy Accessibility Survey
This survey is being conducted on behalf of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

The purpose of the survey is to understand how disabled people experience night life in Ireland.

If the Night-Time Economy is to be truly inclusive and diverse it is imperative that we examine the current challenges for people and disabled Artists and those with the ID impairment label in order to find solutions together on how we deliver this objective.

This research, has been developed in consultation with individuals and organisations from these communities. We really appreciate and sincerely thank everyone who took the time to assist us in this regard.

This survey is open until June 10th 2024 all details on this link 

Consultations for the National LGBTI+ Inclusion Strategy
The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is developing a successor strategy to the National LGBTI+ Inclusion Strategy (2019-2021) to promote inclusion, protect rights and to improve quality of life and wellbeing for LGBTI+ people; enabling them to participate fully in Ireland’s social, economic, cultural, and political life.

As part of this process the Department wants to gather the views of members of the LGBTIQ+ community and those who engage with LGBTIQ+ issues through their own lived experience, at a local level, in a manner that will contribute most effectively to the development of a new whole of lifecycle strategy.

A series of regional consultation workshops will be facilitated by key LGBT experts – Dr Grainne Healy and Dr Kathy Walsh, in partnership with LGBT Ireland. The regional consultations are aimed at those aged 18 and over. A separate consultation process will take place with children and young people.

Please follow the relevant link to the register your interest in attending a consultation and to detail any accessibility requirements. Please note that ISL interpretation will only be available at the online consultation workshop on 2nd July.

All details on this link 

Why not explore the wealth of resources available to you on our website: from our strategic plan to our  invaluable SFC resources and our policy documents and submissions. At our core, we’re a cross-impairment disabled person’s organisation dedicated to tackling the topics that matter most. Let’s continue our journey toward inclusivity and empowerment together!  If you want to know more or sign up and get involved in our work please email info@ilmi.ie

ILMI eBulletin
ILMI eBulletin 24th of May 2024    

Sligo CoCo Disability Strategic ‘Launch’

The Cathaoirleach, ILMI, Sligo DPO and the Council’s Disability Consultative Committee launched the Sligo County Council’s Disability, Inclusion and Access Strategy 2024-2027 at County Hall on Thursday 16th May 2024. The Disability, Inclusion and Access Strategy 2024-2027 builds upon and reaffirms the Council’s commitment to adopt the Social Model of Disability which was first adopted by Sligo County Council in 2018 and introduced in the Council’s outgoing Strategy for the period 2019-2022. The Strategy and its Action Plan, that was designed and social model proofed by ILMI’s local DPO Development Officer and members of Sligo DPO, includes actions to be delivered by all sections of the Council in the role out of its services over the period 2024-2027. Sligo DPO’s Chair Mark Kupczak and ILMI’s NW based Peter Kearns will be keeping in-check with members of the local DPO that the Council’s Disability Consultative Committee has effective monitoring and evaluation mechanisms in practice over the next four years to see a genuine role-out of the Strategy’s objectives for & with Sligo county and towns disabled people.

Action Plan for Disability Services 2024-2026

Shelly Gaynor, ILMI peer mentor, was part of the DPO Network delegation at a stakeholder event for the Action Plan for Disability Services 2024-2026. The event was attended by Ministers Roderic O’Gorman and Anne Rabbitte. DPO Network chair Jacqui Browne gave an analysis of the Action Plan from a DPO Network perspective, including the need for active involvement of DPOs. Jacqui also stressed the need to name barriers to implementing Transforming Lives implementation.

This stakeholder event brought together a diverse array of stakeholders from DPOs, service provider organisations, government departments, and statutory bodies. The purpose of the gathering was to discuss the implementation of the Action Plan and to drive its reform agenda forward, focusing on enhancing capacity in specialist disability services and ensuring sustainability in service delivery. Shelly’s participation underscored ILMI and the DPO Network commitment to advocating for the needs and rights of disabled people, ensuring our voices are heard and our perspectives are central to the ongoing reform in disability services in Ireland.

Sustainable Transport Forum

ILMI’s Claire Kenny represented us at the Sustainable Transport Forum in Portlaoise. As members of the forum, ILMI actively contributes to ensuring that all public and active travel measures and projects are accessible and inclusive for everyone.

ILMI Anti-Poverty partnership in Galway

ILMI is a strong supporter of the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) and our DPO Development Officer Peter Kearns is ILMI’s EAPN Board Director rep and is supporting other community organisation reps with staff & volunteer Disability Equality Training (DET) towards their increasing dialogue with local ILMI supported DPOs. This month Peter delivered a full day of DET workshops to COPE Galway, which is an EAPN member and local Galway community development organisation that has been providing social services in Galway since the 1970s. ILMI is happy to support Galway COPE with helping us to develop a future Galway DPO, as they offer support services for individuals and families who are affected homelessness, especially women and children experiencing domestic abuse and older people in the community, and have seen a major increasing in disabled adults accessing their community development led services.

ILMI’s packed day long workshop included COPE managers and support staff of social care professionals, childcare workers, community support workers, chefs and administrative support staff. ILMI were also delighted that staff from Galway International Arts Festival (GIAF) joined the Westside Resource Centre workshops to engage with our producing support of Christian O’Reilly’s new disability play UNSPEAKABLE-CONVERSATIONS which runs at the July GIAF from July 14th to 27th. ILMI will be hosting a workshop for Galway disabled people to explore current proposed Dail recommendations favouring Assisted-Suicide and eugenics legislation, issues that are at the core of Christian’s new play with disabled actors Liz Carr & Mat Frazer, at the Westside Resource Centre on Tuesday 23rd July at 2pm – Please email Peter to register at  peterkearns@ilmi.ie.

Disability Equality Session Update

As part of our Strategic Values, ILMI is committed to creating spaces to build our collective shared analysis.

Fiona Weldon, ILMI Capacity Development Officer, has designed an online Disability Equality programme over four sessions for ILMI members to explore key ideas around disability.

In our last two Disability Equality Sessions we explored the many conflicts that Disabled People have when engaging with the Social Model of Disability. We are “forced into the trap of using the medical model of disability (what’s wrong with us) when applying or reapplying for a service or an assistive /adaptive device that we need to support us to live our life. Know that our support services – many of them “specialised” are not in the business of dismantling barriers. Services are cemented in keeping us from reaching our full potential.

Non-disabled professionals are in charge of assessing the functional capacity of a person in order to fit into the ever-changing criteria that is dependent of both the resources available and how bad a person’s impairment is to qualify for the most basic of things. We also chatted about how difficult it is to buy into the social model when Ableism is endemic in Irish society.

We had a lively discussion about the effects this has on the lives of Disabled People. It was unanimous that there needs to be a national campaign to change the narrative – SOCIETY IS THE PROBLEM, SOCIETY NEEDS TO CHANGE. DISABLED PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME RIGHTS AS NON-DISABLED PEOPLE – OUR LIVES MATTER!
We ended with a conversation about the Great Debate – using the term People with Disabilities “V” Disabled People.

What is Wrong with Using the Term – People with Disabilities

If we believe that a disability is the same as an impairment, then we might use “people with disabilities”. Meaning that the “problem” of ‘disability’ resides within the person.

If we believe that disability is separate from an impairment, then we would use “disabled people”. Meaning that the “problem” of “disability” resides within society (in the surmountable barriers that Disabled People experience when trying to participate in the ordinary rhythms of daily life).

The consequences of continuing to use “people with disabilities” allows those in “power” to avoid the reality that societal change could alter the experience of being a Disabled Person.

As a power-broker, it is much easier to continue to view “disability” as a problem of the disabled, rather than to accept that it is a problem created by the many man-made systems and structures that exclude us from taking part in the ordinary rhythms of life.

What’s Right with the term Disabled People

It clearly reflects the separation of impairment and disability. It shifts the focus from the person onto society. It allows us to reconsider “disability” as a social oppression, rather than a personal tragedy.

It also allows Disabled People to move away from having a spoiled identity, of being devalued, of being a burden on society. We need to move towards recognising our many identities (we are more than our impairments) taking into account our intersectionality and collectively strategise for change. Disability is a political issue, and using our lived experience as a driver for change is imperative.

Patient and Public Partnership network
Join the NSS’ Patient and Public Partnership network and have your say in shaping health services
What do Patient and Public Partnership (PPP) network members do?
The National Screening Service has four screening programmes. They are BreastCheck, BowelScreen, CervicalCheck and Diabetic RetinaScreen (an eye disease linked to diabetes). Working in partnership with HSE, PPPs:
More information on this link

Why not explore the wealth of resources available to you on our website: from our strategic plan to our  invaluable SFC resources and our policy documents and submissions. At our core, we’re a cross-impairment disabled person’s organisation dedicated to tackling the topics that matter most. Let’s continue our journey toward inclusivity and empowerment together!  If you want to know more or sign up and get involved in our work please email info@ilmi.ie

ILMI eBulletin 17th of May 2024    

In this Issue:
DPER Symposium “Disability Policy in Focus”
Unspeakable Conversations
#NoMagicPill

DPER Symposium “Disability Policy in Focus”

On Monday 13^th Fiona Weldon and Damien Walshe represented ILMI at the  Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform conference “Disability Policy in Focus: Knowledge Sharing Symposia for Improved Policymaking and Outcomes.”

Fiona led the ILMI presentation by asking “Is our current disability policymaking and service delivery working for those it serves?” As the symposium was tasked with how data and evidence for policy gathered, Fiona asked “what evidence do we that services are working have, where did this come from? Fiona posed the question to attendees “Do disabled people have real choice and control over the supports that they use”

Fiona then asked people “would you continue to go back to your hairdressers if they gave you a bad haircut, you might give them 1 more chance but after that…but many of us are being forced to use services that are not working and this is stripping us from expecting more, and perpetuating the belief that this is our lot in life, some of us are only surviving and not living. Why is this still ok?

Fiona pointed out what was not working is that disabled people live in a world that values and priorities the needs of non-disabled people over disabled people, this is Ableism, like Sexism, and Ageism, it needs to be called out – its rife in Irish society and is a form of discrimination. Internalised ableism is endemic as a result, disabled people are discriminating against themselves and other disabled people by holding the view that; being a disabled person is a bad thing, that it is something to be ashamed of, or something to hide.

Fiona then outlined the role of DPOs and how we can set an agenda for setting a new policy context that is based on the real needs of disabled people to live full lives.

Damien then spoke about the role of DPOs to co-create policy and to develop best practice to engage with disabled people. DPOs can provide insight into the questions that need to be answered in terms of systemic change​. DPOs, if resourced, have the mandate and values to create engagement that is often needed over a sustained time-period​. ILMI stressed that data gathering needs to focus on qualitative and not just quantitative ​and that who asks questions will often determine what answers you get. There is a world of difference between “are you happy with your service” and “if you were in direct control of the money the State spends for your services, what would you do”.

There were a number of inputs on data collection and a panel discussion in the afternoon with workshops clearly reiterating the need for active DPO development of data gathering and policy and embedding principles of Co-Creation into work.

Unspeakable Conversations at the Galway International Arts Festival 

Unspeakable Conversations by Christian O’Reilly in collaboration with Liz Carr, Mat Fraser and Olwen Fouéré
directed by Olwen Fouéré and Kellie Hughes

A Provocative Theatre Experience

World Premiere Dates & Times:
– 14–27 July, 8pm
– Previews on 14th and 16th July
– Matinees on Saturdays 20th and 27th July, 2pm
– Thursday 25th July, 2pm
(No shows on 15th and 22nd July)
Venue: The Mick Lally Theatre, Druid Lane
Tickets: €25–€30
Duration: Approximately 1 hour and 25 minutes with no interval

Synopsis:
Join us for a thought-provoking exploration of life and death dilemmas in “Unspeakable Conversations”. Inspired by a real encounter between philosopher Peter Singer and disability rights activist Harriet McBryde Johnson, this groundbreaking play challenges audiences to ponder a controversial question: Should disabled babies be euthanised within their first months of life? Experience the clash of ideologies as Liz Carr and Mat Fraser, internationally acclaimed disabled actors, bring this debate to life with humour, personal insight, and verbatim text.

Accessible Performances:
– ISL-Interpreted
– Open Captions
– Wheelchair Accessible

Cast & Credits:
Produced in association with Magic Pill Productions, Mermaid Arts Centre, and Independent Living Movement Ireland.

Origins & Development:
Originally developed with the support of The Abbey Theatre [Engine Room], Town Hall Theatre [Patron Donation Award], and National Theatre [London].
Get your tickets now for an exhilarating theatre experience that will challenge your perceptions and ignite meaningful conversations. Don’t miss this opportunity to witness theatre that transcends boundaries and leaves a lasting impact. All info on this link

#NoMagicPill

Casting Call-Out! Disabled actor sought for #NoMagicPill stage play. Are you a disabled actor with an interest in making an impact on mainstream Irish theatre – or have you always wanted to act, but never had the opportunity? Male actors with physical impairments (30+) are invited to audition to play the lead character, Martin, in #NoMagicPill inspired by the life of wheelchair-user Martin Naughton. Written by Christian O’Reilly, directed by Raymond Keane with Peter Kearns dramaturg it will tour to 4 venues in Ireland 7-23 Nov. This will be a high-profile professional production. Those auditioning will ideally have some theatre experience, but the producers are also very open to considering candidates who believe they have performance ability. First produced in 2022, and winner of the Audience Choice Award at the Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards,

is a ground-breaking production & will begin rehearsals in October. In casting disabled actors, the team would like to continue to challenge the traditional stereotype within Irish drama of depicting disabled people as either objects of pity or inspiration. #NoMagicPill aims to bring a fresh conversation and disability aesthetic to Irish theatre. Anyone who wishes to be considered to audition should send their CV, or a letter outlining their experience to date, to casting@nomagicpill.ie The deadline for expressions of interest is Thursday, May 23rd. Selected candidates will be invited to attend an audition on Wednesday 5 June at the Independent Living Movement Ireland (ILMI) office, Carmichael House, North Brunswick Street, Dublin 7.

Why not explore the wealth of resources available to you on our website: from our strategic plan to our  invaluable SFC resources and our policy documents and submissions. At our core, we’re a cross-impairment disabled person’s organisation dedicated to tackling the topics that matter most. Let’s continue our journey toward inclusivity and empowerment together!  If you want to know more or sign up and get involved in our work please email info@ilmi.ie