National Disability Strategy Implementation Plan 2013-2015
The Minister for Disability, Equality, Mental Health and Older People, Ms. Kathleen Lynch, recently announced (23rd July 2013) the publication of the National Disability Strategy Implementation Plan.
The new Plan for the National Disability Strategy was prepared and agreed by the National Disability Strategy Implementation Group and submitted to Government on 23 July 2013. The publication of the Plan, a commitment in the Programme for Government, is a step towards ensuring progress is achieved in implementing the National Disability Strategy over the next three years.
The four high level goals of the plan are:
- People with disabilities are free from discrimination. They are treated as equal citizens by their fellow citizens. They are included as equals by public services which welcome and accommodate diversity.
- People with disabilities are supported to live the life they choose
- People with disabilities live ordinary lives in ordinary places, participating in the life of the community.
- People with disabilities are enabled to reach their full potential.
Each high level goal has a number of objectives which are broken down into measurable actions (There is a total of 91 actions in the plan). For example some of the actions include:
- Developing guidelines with service providers to ensure effective implementation of the provisions of mental capacity legislation in services for persons with disabilities.
- Ensuring the delivery of disability and mental health awareness training to staff, particularly frontline staff, including through NDA e-learning training module.
- Ensuring customer care charters address the needs of persons with disabilities.
- Ensuring websites are accessible to people with disabilities.
- Continuing to develop specific social welfare schemes to effectively support persons with disabilities, including into employment (being informed by published reports).
- Publication of a comprehensive employment strategy for people with disabilities
Click here to download a copy of The National Disability Strategy Implementation Plan.
