Foreword
This Strategic Plan for the three year period 2010-2012 sets out how the National Disability Authority (NDA), the Government's expert advisory body on disability, will focus its work to guide government departments and agencies on continuing to progress the inclusion of people with disabilities in the mainstream of Irish life in the current difficult economic climate.
The plan has been prepared in accordance with the provisions of Section 9 of the National Disability Authority Act, 1999 and follows an in-depth process of consultation with key stakeholders including disability organisations and the government departments and public bodies the NDA advises.
In recent times, Ireland has moved towards a social model of disability emphasising the removal of societal barriers to achieve inclusion and full citizenship, and away from a medical model which viewed individuals as dependent. In line with this, responsibility for disability issues is recognised as an integral part of the services of every government department and the wider public service and is no longer confined to the health service.
The Government's broad-ranging National Disability Strategy, reaffirmed by the social partners in Towards 2016, sets out an agenda for every government department and public body, including detailed statutory Sectoral Plans for six key departments. It is important in this challenging economic period to safeguard and consolidate the real progress achieved to date and to continue to build on that work.
The Government has committed that disability remains a priority, that the National Disability Strategy will continue to be implemented subject to the availability of resources, and that the most vulnerable will be protected against the worst effects of the current economic recession.
The support and guidance of the NDA as the expert advisory body to Government will be crucial in enabling government departments and agencies in continuing to advance the disability agenda in difficult times.
Policies and strategies to support people living independently in the community are coming into sharper focus, with a rapidly ageing population, the HSE's work on closing institutions, and the expected refocusing of HSE-funded adult day services towards inclusion in mainstream activities. Successful supports for independent community living will involve a wide range of actors from housing and employment authorities to mainstream community and health services, and the NDA can provide expert guidance to inform the design and delivery of good practice.
As an independent body, the NDA works in partnership with departments and public bodies, bringing its expertise and learning from research, consultation and engagement with people with disabilities. This engagement supports identification of practical solutions. Established by the Government as a central national body to assist it in the co-ordination and development of policy relevant to the lives of people with disabilities, the NDA will continue to facilitate engagement on cross-departmental issues. As the independent voice on the National Disability Strategy Stakeholder Monitoring Group, the NDA will continue to contribute practical analysis and advice on implementation of this Strategy, as well as independent analysis of its impact on improving the lives of people with disabilities.
Ireland is unique in having a statutory Centre for Excellence in Universal Design which is an integral part of the National Disability Authority. The NDA's aim is to achieve an environment which is designed in a way that ensures it can be accessed, understood and used in an independent and natural way without further adaptation by people regardless of age, size, ability or disability. The remit also extends to products, services and systems for use in the environment, and to information and communications technology, further supporting the inclusion of people with disabilities in mainstream society.
The priorities and individual objectives set out in this Strategic Plan very much reflect the views of those stakeholders with whom the NDA engages. The priorities are therefore focused on:
- Support to implement the National Disability Strategy
- Advice to promote independence and the quality of daily life for people with disabilities
- Promoting an accessible environment and Universal Design
- Building NDA's capacity to deliver on it strategic goals
In setting these Strategic Priorities, the NDA aims to support achievement of real progress in realising a better life for people with disabilities. I am confident that the NDA will deliver on the objectives set out in this plan and will continue to provide a valuable service to all its stakeholders, building on the progress it has made to date and adapting and responding to future challenges.
Angela Kerins
Chairperson