Independent Living
Enable Ireland Living Options Report
For many adults living with a disability, the provision of practical and financial support for independent living options has emerged as a significant barrier to social inclusion and independence. In support of this, Enable Ireland undertook a Living Options Report in 2005 to survey of needs of adult service users for supported living and/or residential services and to assist the Board of Enable Ireland to decide the future role of the organisation in meeting people’s accommodation needs.
The report involved widespread consultation through focus groups of service users, parents/carer, frontline staff and management/board interviews, and meeting with other disability service providers to learn from their experiences.
The report recommended that:
- A range of living options should be developed to accommodate the different needs of adult service users either in partnership with other agencies or by Enable Ireland.
- Effective lobbying is needed to ensure flexibility in funding arrangements.
- Direct funding for supported living services should be promoted.
- Enable Ireland should provide training and support to service users to experience a range of living options.
- Preparation for independent living should begin in children’s services to prepare children and their families to have more control on their lives in the move to adulthood
- Non centre based personal assistance services need to be developed in partnership with other agencies
- Far greater at home supports need to be developed in the areas of grant application, pa and home help services and assistive technology.
Since the initial report we moved from the recognition of a general desire for more independent living options to identifying specific individual requirements for 126 of our adult service users. Substantial funding will be required into the future in order to realise these proposals and to ensure that independent living becomes a reality rather then an aspiration for these individuals.
