Today, Wednesday 3rd December, we are marking International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which coincides with the European Parliament’s third annual Disability Rights Week.
The aims of the day are to promote the rights and wellbeing of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development, and to increase awareness of the their lives – along with the people who support and care for them – in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.
These objectives aligns closely with our own organisational values and that’s why we have been on the road in recent months, listening to the individuals who use our intellectual disability and autism services.
In workshops and discussion groups, using a suite of innovative methods, we asked them to tell us all about the things that matter to their lives. Their experiences and insights, ideas and opinions have proved absolutely crucial in helping us shape our new strategic plan.
They also informed our response, submitted last week, to the Department of Health’s Learning Disability Service Model consultation. You can read that document, entitled Our Voice Matters, here.
Be sure to check out our celebration video below.