Disability Federation of Ireland Newsletter August 2007

How disability organisations work together and how we work with the statutory and wider voluntary sectors will be one of the key factors in determining whether or not people with disabilities gain access to mainstream community life as committed to in the National Disability Strategy (NDS) and Towards 2016.

There has been a growing practice of joint working in the provision of supports and services to people with disabilities, but this practice will need to be built upon if mainstream living is to become a reality for people with disabilities.

The NDS and Towards 2016 contain a wide range of commitments to enhance the provision of services and supports to people with disabilities. To assist organisations to understand the implications of these commitments DFI is compiling an easy to read guide to the NDS and Towards 2016 which we will be publishing in the autumn.
Given the centrality of joint working to the provision of mainstream services to people with disabilities our forthcoming Conference, "We Can't Opt Out of the Future" on 21st & 22nd November, will address the issues of joint working and the opportunities and challenges it poses for organisations.

Finally we will launch our Estimates and Budget 2008 campaign to members of the Oireachtas and media on 3rd October 2007 in the Mansion House, Dublin. A key message to the new Government in our submission will be that the NDS cannot to progressed without investment in the current under resourcing of the health related services provided by disability organisations.

John Dolan
CEO