Barnardo’s NI welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Executive’s draft Disability Strategy. Our response is informed by our work supporting children and young people with disabilities, as well as their families and carers, through a range of services that provide group work supports, home visits, capacity building workshops, and short-term respite breaks.
A robust Disability Strategy is integral to supporting d/Deaf and disabled people to live full and enriching lives, with public services built and maintained in collaboration with those with lived experience at the centre. Barnardo’s NI calls for an ambitious Strategy with a rights-based approach that has defined priorities across all departments and public services, including a costed action plan, clear accountability and monitoring, in-built lived experience for d/Deaf and disabled people - particularly children and young people - and alignment between stated outcomes.