A Story About The National Platform of Self-advocates

My name is Brian Carroll. I am a proud board member of The National Platform of Self-Advocates. Our mission is to help people with intellectual disabilities understand their rights and how laws can improve their lives. We create easy-to-read resources like guides and videos to help everyone learn these rights. We are the national voice for people with intellectual disabilities, ensuring people like us are heard in decisions that affect us.

Our story began in 2011, when a group of people with intellectual disabilities got together to talk about setting up a self-advocacy organisation. We wanted a space where we could speak for ourselves and make sure our voices were included in decisions that impact our lives. A steering group was elected to lead the way. This was the start of the National Platform of Self-Advocates.

In 2012, Genio gave us a grant, allowing us to set up as an official organisation. In 2015, we were awarded another grant by Atlantic Philanthropies, which helped us grow. With this funding, we got an office at the Carmichael Centre in Dublin, which became our base.

Since 2020, Rethink Ireland have awarded us 2 grants. These grants have allowed us to develop our organisation. We have set up as a limited company, strengthened our team, and continued our work advocating for the rights of people with intellectual disabilities.

Today, we are proud to be a strong Disabled Persons Organisation. We confidently participate at national levels to influence policies and laws. We have become an organisation that people come to, to learn about advocacy.

Our work is guided by the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which ensures people with disabilities are included in every part of society. We want to be a recognised voice in public decision-making at all levels of government, from local to national.

Thanks to the financial and non-financial support we’ve received over the years, we’ve grown into a powerful organisation. We’re making sure that people with intellectual disabilities are included, respected, and given the same rights as everyone else. We’re building a more inclusive country, a country where we can all live, work, and thrive.