Inspire hails budgetary measures promoting inclusion of disabled persons

Inspire Foundation and Empower Cooperative welcomed the new budgetary measures on employment and residential care for persons with a disability.

The two organisations said the new measures would ensure that the inclusion of vulnerable people continues to progress in the right direction, increasing quality of life, independence and social inclusion.

“The setting up of the fund for inclusive employment is an excellent vehicle for the inclusion of people currently excluded from the workplace, due to lack of resources, expertise and funding.”

They added that “it is critical that the rest of the stakeholders are involved in the next steps to ensure that long term sustainability and collaboration continues thereon.”

Inspire and Empower expressed hope that the new foundation, NGOs working in the sector, the ETC, the Employers Association and the private sector “all see this as a common mission, to enable people with hidden potential to become involved in socio-economic activities for the holistic wellbeing of our society.”

They said the momentum that the sector is gaining, through recent EU funded-supported apprenticeships, the supported employment initiatives of Empower and others, and the sharing of expertise and experience between Inspire and the ETC is a clear and positive way forward for maximum impact.

“We are keen to see how the residential provision for persons with disability will map out. Whilst we are proponents of the model of small unit supported living in the community, we also realise that there is a huge demand for residential care for persons with complex needs, particularly those with ageing parents.”

Pointing out that there are too many inactive and disengaged people, the two organisations said “we need to ensure they get access to useful and meaningful activities with immediate effect. This needs considerable investment, re-organisation and restructuring.”