Perspectives on Partnership

Brian Hayes & Dermott Lowneds

Introduction

• I am Brian Hayes a member of the of the Self Advocacy Committee of the Board of Inclusion Ireland.

• The Sub Committee organised the self advocacy workshop this morning.

• The theme for today’s conference is Partnership Now! The question we have is ‘Are we equal’?

Today’s Workshops

• Are people with disabilities equal partners in making decisions that affect our lives and our choices?

• In our workshop we talked about self advocacy, relationships and how cuts to services affect our choices.

Self Advocacy

• Paul spoke about Self Advocacy

• Advocacy helps us understand our rights and this helps us fight for our rights.

• Support is important – the right support

Self Advocacy

• The right support is doing what the person wants not what the staff or family member want

• Funding

• If the government funded advocacy work then we could control the work we do and decide on the issues that are important to us.

Self Advocacy

• We want – more independent advocacy groups– a national independent advocacy group

• We need money to keep our advocacy group going

• The Government has written a lot of new policies for day services and residential services. These new policies are about what the person wants.

Self Advocacy

• Advocacy helps people with disabilities understand their rights and say what is important to them.

• If the Government puts money into advocacy it will help to roll out their policies.

Self Advocacy

• an independent national self advocacy group can work in partnership with the government and advise them on how disability policy and law affects people with disabilities on a daily basis.

Relationships

• I am Dermott a member of a member of the of the self advocacy committee of the Board of Inclusion Ireland.

• Marie and Phil talked about relationships in the workshop.

• People with disabilities have the right to a relationship no matter where they live.

Relationships

• We want to talk about relationships, the good and the bad

• We need to know how to stand up for ourselves in relationships and understand that if you are not happy you can walk away.

• Attitudes need to change towards people with extra support needs

Relationships

• Outdated law.

• Rules in disability services

• people never get a chance to fall in love.

Cuts to Services

• Adrian talked about cuts to services and how these cuts affect our choices everyday.

• Staff Cuts are effecting our friends and ourselves using disability services

• Public Accounts Committee.

• We are Not Going Away.

• We will not Be Walked over and are Citizens Of this Country Too And Should Be Treated Equally.

A Quote

I will leave you with a quote :

I have a disability yes that’s true.

But all that really means is I may have to take a slightly different path than you.

Thank you for listening

Enjoy the rest of the conference