In January 2003, Inclusion Ireland with the assistance of a grant from Comhairle employed its first Advocacy Officer (Liza Kelly) to commence work on the project ‘My Voice My Choice’.

The following is a brief overview of the work carried out under the Self Advocacy Project ‘My Voice My Choice’:

The project commenced in 2003 with the following aims:

1. To research, develop and promote self-advocacy for people with an intellectual disability in Ireland.
2. To liaise with people with an intellectual disability, parents and service providers to ascertain their views and needs around self-advocacy.
3. To act as a resource to Inclusion Ireland members, people with an intellectual disability, parents and service providers in relation to self-advocacy.
4. To develop local, regional and national links with self-advocates and self-advocacy groups.
5. To highlight the importance of self-advocacy at a National Level.
6. To develop accessible material for people with an intellectual disability.

Outcomes to date:

1. Increased awareness of self-advocacy at all levels
2. Increased awareness of rights and responsibilities among people with an intellectual disability.
3. Training provided to self-advocates, parents and service providers
4. Individual Advocacy support provided to people with an intellectual disability who have found themselves in difficult situations
5. 2 very successful National Self-Advocacy Conferences
6. ‘My Voice My Choice’ multimedia Advocacy Information Pack 2005
7. Increase in self-advocacy groups throughout the country
8. Increase in self-advocates participation in Inclusion Europe
9. Increase in people with an intellectual disability being consulted by National bodies.
10. Increase in participation of people with an intellectual disability at National and other conferences, in consultations and in other events.

Further information from Liza Kelly: liza@inclusionireland.ie

Other Advocacy Projects
Following on from the success of the Self Advocacy Project ‘My Voice My Choice’, Inclusion Ireland was once again successful in its application to the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs under the Federation and Networks Scheme in August 2003. This grant enabled Inclusion Ireland to continue and develop its advocacy work over a period of two years.

The Advocacy Sub-Committee, appointed by Inclusion Ireland to manage the project, agreed to use the funding from the Federation and Networks Scheme to employ a second Advocacy Officer (Ian Redmond) who would pay particular attention to the needs of those with more severe intellectual disability who may lack capacity to speak on their own behalf. The following is a brief overview of the work carried out as a result of the grant received from the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: