The DFI Podcast

This is the first in a series of episodes we're doing following how people with lived experience of disability are helping to shape the future of adult day services through the Voices Together subgroup, a key part of the HSE’s New Directions monitoring system.

In this episode you’ll hear from:

• Robin Wynne, a lived experience advocate
• Martina Lanigan, HSE National Disability Team for Access and Integration
• Bernadette Frain, Leader of Count Me In for Western Care Association.

We discuss the ways co-production is changing how services are evaluated, delivered, and improved, not just for people with disabilities, but with them.

The conversation hopes to shine a light on what happens when the people who use services are at the centre of designing them.

Welcome to Episode Eight of The DFI Podcast, the monthly podcast from the Disability Federation of Ireland (DFI). 

In this episode we have our final analysis of Budget 2024 and what it meant for disabled people and the disability sector.

DFI's Director of Advocacy and Inclusion Dr Emer Begley and Senior Policy Advocate Fleachta Phelan gave their analysis to Brenda Drumm, Communications Manager with DFI.

You can find our full Budget analysis on our website.

If you would like to get in touch with us about the podcast email brendadrumm@disability-federation.ie. You can find out more about the DFI on our website www.disability-federation.ie. 

ENDS

Welcome to Episode Seven of The DFI Podcast, the monthly podcast from the Disability Federation of Ireland (DFI). 

In this episode we have an interview with the Ombudsman who has just begun his second year in office.

The role of the Ombudsman is to investigate complaints from people who feel they have been unfairly treated by certain providers of public services.

DFI's Communications Manager Brenda Drumm met with the Ombudsman Ger Deering in his office in Earlsfort Terrace in Dublin and spoke to him about about the role of the Ombudsman, the common complaints received about disability, an update on the Wasted Lives report from 2021, the Disability Act and also the reasonable accommodations his office makes for persons with disabilities who wish to make a complaint.  

If you would like to get in touch with us about the podcast email brendadrumm@disability-federation.ie. You can find out more about the DFI on our website www.disability-federation.ie. 

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Welcome to Episode Six of The DFI Podcast, the monthly podcast from the Disability Federation of Ireland (DFI). 

In this episode we are focusing on the recruitment and retention crisis in the disability sector.

Disability organisations providing services, under contract from the HSE, right across the country are gravely worried with yet another postponement of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) talks between trade unions and the government.

Disability organisations were relying on a positive outcome from those talks to reassure them that essential services will continue to be provided to disabled people.  

The non-reversal of deep cuts to pay and services during the Recession, which ended in 2013, is not news to government. This situation has been festering for over a decade and it is compounded by a crisis where staff are leaving to simply move to the HSE and elsewhere to get the government agreed pay and conditions. Consequently, services to disabled people are being further restricted and downgraded on a daily basis for some time.

DFI's Communications Manager Brenda Drumm spoke to DFI CEO John Dolan about this issue and about the DFI's related email campaign to TDs and Senators, asking them to take action.

She also spoke to Mags Rodgers of the Neurological Alliance of Ireland and to Kath Wall from the Board of Donegal Centre for Independent Living. Donna Russell who has been using the Donegal CIL service for 18 years also spoke to Brenda along with personal assistant with Donegal CIL Stephanie Bonner.

If you would like to get in touch with us about the podcast email brendadrumm@disability-federation.ie. You can find out more about the DFI on our website www.disability-federation.ie. 

This podcast episode was produced with the support of TTM Healthcare Solutions www.ttmhealthcare.ie. 

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Welcome to Episode Five of The DFI Podcast, the monthly podcast from the Disability Federation of Ireland (DFI). 

In this episode we are looking at the DFI's Pre-Budget Submission which was launched on 29 June.

DFI is calling on the government to close the gap and to invest in people with disabilities in Budget 2024. DFI outlines the high levels of poverty and exclusion that people with disabilities continue to live with. This is despite the growth of the domestic economy and strong finances.

DFI is calling for a range of interwoven measures in Budget 2024 to ensure disabled people have an equal opportunity to live independently in the community, with choices equal to others.

On this episode of the podcast you will hear from members of the DFI team – John Dolan, CEO; Dr Emer Begley, Director of Advocacy and Inclusion and Fleachta Phelan, Senior Policy Advocate.

The most important people at the centre of all DFI’s Advocacy work on Budget 2024 are people with disabilities. You will also hear from Disability activists and advocates Carolyn Akintola from Dublin and Michael Meere from Clare who were with us in DFI to launch the Pre-Budget Submission. If you would like to get in touch with us about the podcast email brendadrumm@disability-federation.ie. You can find out more about the DFI on our website www.disability-federation.ie. 

This podcast episode was produced with the support of TTM Healthcare Solutions www.ttmhealthcare.ie. 

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Welcome to Episode Four of The DFI Podcast, the monthly podcast from the Disability Federation of Ireland (DFI). 

In this episode we are looking at the Fifth European Parliament of Persons with Disabilities which took place in the hemicycle of the European Parliament in Brussels on 23 May 2023.

The European Parliament of Persons with Disabilities is event which takes place every five years with this latest one gathering more than 600 disability advocates from across the EU including a delegation of 12 from Ireland led by our CEO John Dolan.

On this episode of the podcast you will hear from John Dolan, Pat Clarke, Vice Chair of the European Disability Forum as well as from Senator Martin Conway.

Later on you will be hearing from self-advocates: James Cawley, Fintan Bray, Paul Alford, Jeanne McDonagh and Lorraine Duffy who share their thoughts on the Disability Parliament and on the ongoing issues for them in their daily lives.

If you would like to get in touch with us about the podcast email brendadrumm@disability-federation.ie. You can find out more about the DFI on our website www.disability-federation.ie. 

This podcast episode was produced with the support of TTM Healthcare Solutions www.ttmhealthcare.ie. 

ENDS

Welcome to Episode Three of The DFI Podcast, the monthly podcast from the Disability Federation of Ireland (DFI). 

In this episode we are looking at the issue of self-advocacy and highlighting why the lived experience will always be central to the work that we do.

We hear from self-advocate Dympna Minaguchi on her self advocacy work after a life-changing diagnosis.  We also hear from Aine O’Sullivan, Community Development Officer with DFI about our self-advocacy programme and about a recent Mental Health Programme she delivered in Cork.

Self-advocate Andrew Roche was on that programme with Áine and he will be chatting to me about his experience and sharing some of his own story.

Finally we will hear from Ber Grogan from DFI Member Organisation Mental Health Reform on the role of the lived experience of self -advocates in their work.

Get in Touch

If you would like to get in touch with us about the podcast email brendadrumm@disability-federation.ie. You can find out more about the DFI on our website www.disability-federation.ie. 

Our Sponsors

This podcast episode was produced with the support of TTM Healthcare Solutions www.ttmhealthcare.ie. 

ENDS

Welcome to Episode Two of The DFI Podcast, the new podcast from the Disability Federation of Ireland (DFI). 

In this episode we are looking at the issue of Access and Accessibility. We hear from activists Gary Kearney, Bernard and Sophia Mulvany and from Sean O’Kelly.

A little caveat as well – this is a huge issue, bigger than these two interviews, bigger than one episode of a podcast so we will definitely be coming back to this again later on in the series.

If you would like to get in touch with us about the podcast email brendadrumm@disability-federation.ie. You can find out more about the DFI on our website www.disability-federation.ie. 

This podcast episode was produced with the support of TTM Healthcare Solutions www.ttmhealthcare.ie. 

ENDS

Welcome to Episode One of The DFI Podcast, the new podcast from the Disability Federation of Ireland (DFI). 

In this episode we are looking at the extra costs associated with disability. We hear from John McDonald, Co Manager of DFI member organisation Waterford Centre for Independent Living about the challenges of providing their services to disabled people as well as the extra costs of having a disability.

We also hear from self-advocate Leigh Gath on the excessive costs she faced when having a vehicle adapted for her use. 

DFI's senior policy advocate Fleachta Phelan gives an overview of some of the stats and the figures we have on the Cost of Disability. 

If you would like to get in touch with us about the podcast email brendadrumm@disability-federation.ie. You can find out more about the DFI on our website www.disability-federation.ie. 

This podcast episode was produced with the support of TTM Healthcare Solutions www.ttmhealthcare.ie.