Background
Recent decades have witnessed significant changes in the provision of services for people with intellectual disability from long-stay institutions to community settings. However, this change does by no means provide a guarantee that people with intellectual disabilities are actively participating or successfully engaging in activities with others who are not paid to support them in the community. A challenge facing many service providers is to find ways of empowering and enabling people with intellectual disability to participate in a meaningful way in their community.
In April 2005, the National Federation set up a Community Participation & Inclusion Sub-Committee to explore, identify and develop strategies for promoting inclusive communities and increase the participation of people with intellectual disabilities within their communities.
Terms of Reference of Sub-Committee
The Community Participation & Inclusion Sub-Committee has the following functions:
- To advise the Board of the National Federation of Voluntary Bodies on the barriers, incentives and solutions to community participation and inclusion issues identified by the Sub-Committee and from research.
- To advocate, promote and expand the horizons of social inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities to enable people to live full and active lives of their choice.
- To identify, support and advance the development of ‘best practice’ policies in advocacy, community participation and inclusion within the National Federation Member Organisations.
- To develop strategies to provide opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities to be active members of their own communities.
Members of the Sub-Committee
A number of new members joined the sub-committee in September 2007. The following people attend meetings of the sub-committee:
Yvonne Bohane, Kildare (Chairperson until May 2008)
Richard Collins, Clare (Chairperson from May 2008)
Karen Brennan, Kildare
Mary Carty, Waterford
Roisin Deery, Meath
Theresa Doyle, Kildare
Catherine Devine, Dublin
Ann Finlay, Kildare
Veronica Freeney, Kildare
Mary Gavin, Dublin
Martine Healy, Meath
Brian Hogan, Clare
Angela Hynes, Cork
Rosemary Kearns, Galway
Aine Kerr, Dublin
Mary Lannon, Dublin
Grainne Lee, Kildare
Kareena McGeeney, Kildare
Joe McGrath, Clare
Mary Lucey Pender, Dublin
Claire Maher, Tipperary (co-chair for one meeting in 2008)
Ann Marie McDermott, Kildare
Noreen McGarry, Mayo
Lorraine McNicholas Dublin
Ann O’Callaghan, Cork
Eileen O’Keeffe, Cork
Tricia Shelley, Tipperary
Joan Skeffington, Tipperary
Derek Watson, Kilkenny
Brian Donohoe, Galway
Breda Casey, Galway
Further Information
Further information on the work of the Community Participation & Inclusion Sub-Committee is available from Brian Donohoe or Breda Casey, National Federation of Voluntary Bodies, Telephone 091-792316.