Sara Burke, Madeline Clarke (Genio) and many more confirmed for ÁT event on equality and Independent Living

Realising Equality through Active Participation

3rd December 2014

9.30am to 4.30pm

Davenport Hotel, Merrion Street, Dublin 2

Held to coincide with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, this event from Áiseanna Tacaíochta (ÁT) will examine the evolution and lived experience of Independent Living and Direct Payments for people with disabilities in Ireland, and the ways in which society can come together in solidarity to promote equality and active citizenship for all.

Exploring the concepts and context of Independent Living, the event is set to be a day of great insight and possibility, forging new ways to securing true inclusion and equality for everyone.  A series of engaging sessions will examine these hugely important issues from a range of perspectives – including those of individuals, families, organisations and mainstream society – and trigger robust discussion on the ways in which we can empower people with disabilities to enjoy control of their own lives in new and sustainable ways.

Sara Burke, journalist and policy analyst, will stand as our chair for the day, and while we will continue to announce our exciting range of speakers over the coming weeks, you can already look forward to hearing from:

  • Madeline Clarke | Genio
  • Pat Clarke | Disability Federation of Ireland
  • Owen Collumb | Founding member of ÁT
  • Michael Doyle | Irish Wheelchair Association
  • Martin Naughton | Founding member of ÁT
  • Johnny Ryan | ÁT Leader
  • Máiríde Woods | Writer and researcher, and ÁT Board member.

At ÁT, our work revolves around achieving real equality, choice and independence for people with disabilities.  We were the first and remain the main organisation in Ireland to facilitate Direct Payments to people with disabilities, enabling them to take control of their own services, their own budgets and, ultimately, their own lives.  Our goal is to make Independent Living accessible to everyone and to establish it as a right for people with disabilities.

We are challenging society to move towards a more fair, equal and inclusive future for all.  Everything we do is underpinned by the values of human rights and Independent Living, and your attendance at this event will represent another step forward to making this the reality for all.

The event is open to everyone, and will be particularly valuable to

  • People with disabilities and their families
  • Disability organisations and wider community groups
  • Those working in the health sector
  • Government and agency representatives
  • Social entrepreneurs and philanthropists
  • Members of mainstream society interested in strengthening their communities

Registration for this event will open at the end of this week.  In the meantime, for more information, please contact Aisling Whelan on 01 525 0120 or by emailing aislingwdisabilityoptions.irl@gmail.com.

All media queries can be directed to Orlaith Grehan on 086 183 1502 or at orlaithatnetwork@gmail.com.

Eventbrite - Realising Equality through Active Participation

Image by stockimages used with courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net.