Current Research Initiatives
Promoting Independent and Community Living for People with Intellectual Disabilities
The NDA is currently engaged in a multi-annual programme of work exploring independent and community living options for people with disabilities. NDA's recent work in this area has focused on policy and practice in promoting independent and community living options for people with intellectual disabilities. Future work will broaden this focus to include those with other disabilities in the course of this multi-annual programme.
The NDA Annual Conference 2009 entitled:
Promoting Independent and Community Living for People with Intellectual Disabilities
was hosted at the Croke Park Conference Centre, Dublin 3 on Tuesday 6th October 2009. Find out more about our conferencesWomen and Disability
NDA has launched a research publication entitled "Exploring the research and policy gaps: A review of literature on women and disability." The research was conducted by the Women's Education Research and Resource Centre at University College Dublin and was launched in collaboration with the National Women's Council of Ireland to mark the European Year of Equal Opportunities. NDA commissioned this review of literature on women and disability in order to explore where gender issues and disability issues intersect. The following topics are considered in the review: women, disability and poverty; personal assistance and care issues; communication difficulties of women with disabilities; disability and sexuality and reproductive freedoms and labour market attachment of women with disabilities.
NDA will be working closely with the National Women’s Council of Ireland to commission a number of key pieces of further research based on the recommendations within the report.
Read the Women and Disability Report.
Dynamics of Disability and Social Inclusion
The NDA and the Equality Authority have collaborated to commission research into the Dynamics of Disability and Social Inclusion. This research provides an important opportunity to examine in detail the impact of disability on social inclusion in Ireland and to examine how that impact changes over time. Specifically the research allows us to better understand the experience of disability over time in the areas of employment, income and social participation. By examining this dynamic we can better plan policy and programme interventions to promote return to work and training at critical points and how and when to intervene to prevent that important decline into poverty associated with disability.
Read the Disability and Social Inclusion Report.
National Disability Survey 2006
The NDA has advised and supported the Central Statistics Office in its undertaking of the 2006 post-census National Disability Survey (NDS), which will create comprehensive baseline data on disability in Ireland for the first time. The NDS research strategy was developed on the basis of the findings of an NDA pilot (link) in 2004. Results from the NDS will be available from the CSO from Autumn 2007. Contact Gerry Brady at the CSO (gerry.brady@cso.ie) and see the CSO website for further information.
MHADIE – Measuring Health and Disability in Europe
MHADIE is a 6th framework EU funded project, led by the World Health Organisation, that seeks to measure health and disability in Europe through the use of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). Find out more about MHADIE
Monitoring the National Disability Strategy
The National Disability Strategy, launched in 2004, aims to support the equal participation of people with disabilities in Irish society. The Strategy provides a legal framework for the mainstreaming of public services adopted by Government in 2000 and comprises the following elements:
- Disability Bill 2004
- Comhairle (Amendment Bill) 2004
- Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act 2004
- Sectoral Plans from six Government Departments
- Multi-annual investment programme for disability support services
A National Disability Strategy Stakeholder Monitoring Group (NDSSMG) has responsibility for monitoring the implementation and progress of the Strategy. This group comprises senior officials of the Sectoral Plans, representatives from other relevant government departments, the National Disability Authority and the Disability Stakeholder Group, which comprises six disability umbrella groups. NDA now seeks to gather data on a suite of indicators to examine progress to date on the implementation of the Strategy.
Find out more about monitoring the National Disability Strategy
Page last updated: 04/14/2010