DPAC Northern Ireland

Open letter to the NI Executive: The Draft Disability Strategy is a massive disappointment, work with us to deliver a Strategy that will make a difference.

Dear Executive Ministers, 

The undersigned agree that the Northern Ireland Executive’s draft Disability Strategy does nothing to make Deaf and Disabled people’s lives better and will not progress our rights in any way. We are calling for an urgent rethink and significant revisions to the final Strategy.

Northern Ireland has been without a Disability Strategy for over a decade during which we have experienced austerity, the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis. Deaf and Disabled people are amongst those most impacted by these changes, making pre-existing discrimination and inequalities significantly worse.

The Disability Strategy was an opportunity for our Executive to work with

Deaf and Disabled people to demonstrate a real ambition and commitment to reduce the barriers we encounter daily and improve our lives. Instead, the draft Strategy, largely developed ignoring coproduction, lacks the strategic and resource commitments required to deliver change. The promise of an action plan, at an unspecified date, does little to reassure Deaf and Disabled people who feel disillusioned and devalued by the draft Strategy.

We are urging the Executive to rethink this approach and to engage in an urgent dialogue with Deaf and Disabled people to develop a Disability Strategy with commitments and an action plan containing measurable and time bound targets to address the barriers issues we face. We are asking for specific resources to be devoted to delivering the Strategy. Finally, we are asking that the Strategy do more to embed coproduction with Deaf and Disabled people at all stages of development and delivery.

We are committed to dialogue and working with you to improve the

lives of Deaf and Disabled people and progressing our rights. We believe that the current draft Strategy fails completely in this regard. In many ways we believe no Strategy is better than this Strategy. 

Deaf and Disabled people and their families, friends and allies deserve so much better.

Yours sincerely,

Members of the Expert Advisory Panel and Co-Design Group

June Best (Co Chair of Disability Strategy Co Design Group)
Bronagh Byrne (Disability Strategy Expert Advisory Panel member)
Dermot Devlin (Disability Strategy Co Design Group member)
Tony O’Reilly (Disability Strategy Expert Advisory Panel member and Co Design Group member)

Organisations

The Inclusive Mobility and Transport Advisory Committee (Imtac)
Disabled People Against Cuts Northern Ireland (DPAC NI)
My Way Access
North West Forum of People with Disabilities

Individuals

Diane Campbell
Jonathan Mitchell
Moira Heap

Please sign and share the link widely. We want Executive Ministers to receive a clear message that the Draft Disability Strategy is woefully inadequate and they must work with Deaf and Disabled people to produce something that will improve our lives. Sign here.