People with Disabilities in Ireland
4th Floor Jervis House
Jervis Street
Dublin 1
Telephone: 01 87 21 74 4
Fax: 01 87 21 77 1
Email: info@pwdi.ie
The International Conference took place in Dublin Castle on Tuesday, September 2. The Conference, which was officially opened by President Mary McAleese, was organised by PwDI as part of its programme to mark 2003, European Year of People with Disabilities.
The conference was the outcome of four regional seminars which were held last October and November in Carrick-on-Shannon, Kilkenny, Carrickmacross and Cork.
Goal of the conference was to inform the content and context of future policy development. The needs and aspirations of young people with disabilities should be built into a realistic framework.
The regional seminars sought to find out what are the key issues and concerns of young people with disabilities. The seminars wanted to explore their needs, aspirations and true potential about education, employment, leisure and recreation.
The International Conference explored policy options for empowering young people with disabilities. It also identified concise and detailed policy recommendations. These will help to strengthen, link and co-ordinate local, national and international programmes that serve young people with disabilities.
Speakers included the Minister for Justice, Equality & Law Reform, Michael McDowell TD, the President of the Irish Human Rights Commission, Dr Maurice Manning, the Director of the National Disability Authority, Claire O'Connor and Tanja Schule, Project Manager of the EU Anti-Discrimination Campaign 'For Diversity. Against Discrimination'.
Four young Irish people and one young man from Slovenia who have a disability also addressed the Conference. They were Anna Shinnors (Kildare), Jane McDermott (Louth), Brian Aylward (Cork), Alan Duffy (Kildare) and Miroslav Nedeljkovic (Slovenia).
Read more about the regional Youth - Beyond Disability seminars here.