Meet two of our pilots

Meet Gordon Ryan

My name is Gordon Ryan, I am 36 years old and I have been a leader for the past twelve years with the Irish Wheelchair Association self directed service. I have been living in my own house in Baldoyle for the past 12 years with the support of my Personal Assistants. I work in the Accounts Department of the Citizens Information Board for the past seven years. I am involved with a number of
voluntary organisations, where I work to enhance the lives of people with disabilities.

As a member of CIL for the past fifteen years I have always supported the Independent Living Movement and their Philosophy. I have been involved in researching the different models of direct payments for the past few years, as I believe it is the future of Independent Living. In order to achieve a suitable way of delivering a cost effective method of direct payments it is my intention to do this with the support of Áiseanna Tacaíochta.

Currently, I have developed my “Circle of Support”. These people are highly skilled in Finance, Training, and Advocacy which will be of great benefit to me and they will support me in my own live choices. I have a number of people who are associate circle members with different sets of skills who I can call upon from time to time if I need to. Over the coming weeks my Circle and I plan to develop all the policies I will need to run my service. Also I will work on developing and implementing a training
policy for both PA’s and Circle members.

Meet Owen Collumb

I am a native of Longford and moved to Dublin in 1993. After many years living in institutional care I moved to my own house in 2001. Since 2004 I have been involved with The Centre for Independent Living and currently I am a board member of Greater Dublin Independent Living, Cheshire Ireland and Lucan Disability Action Group. I have been an advocate for direct payments and deinstitutionalisation for the last number of years.

The opportunity to be involved in the development and using a new model of managing my own service is something I think should be embraced by all in the Independent Living movement.

It is hoped that during 2011 I will setup my own company with my “Circle of Support” and once funding has been released to my company it will offer me, maximum choices in order to live an independent lifestyle and I will be in charge of my own finances. “My Circle of Support” is made up of people who have my best interest at heart and have experience of Independent Living. I would like to take this opportunity to thank each member of my Circle of Support for volunteering their own expertise and time to support me with my own life choices.

“…the opportunity to be involved in the development and using a new model of managing my own service is something that should be embraced by all in the Independent Living movement”