John Sherwin, CEO: We learned a lot in the focus group meetings. We also conducted two different types of analysis. The first was an analysis of our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, also called a “SWOT analysis”. We also completed a “PESTE analysis”, this means looking at other factors that impacts on the work of IDS including political, economic, social, technological and environmental. What did we learn from this work?

Elaine Grehan, Advocacy Manager: We confirmed that IDS is an advocacy organisation, we campaign for change and focus on ensuring Deaf people have equal rights and access to state services, education and employment opportunities. How will we achieve rights for Deaf people? Our Strategic Plan has 3 key areas of focus, they are called “pillars”.

Brian Crean, Further Education and Training Course Manager: There are 3 overall areas of focus for our strategic plan, they are

• Campaigning for Deaf rights and Advocates of Irish Sign Language (ISL)
• Advancing education and training opportunities
• Public and community engagement

Each of these areas, called “pillars” breaks down into smaller activities, goals and tasks that we can work on over the next 3 years.
You can learn more details about our Strategic Plan on our website, it is available in ISL and English and we invite you to watch the videos and learn about our plans for the next 3 years.

IDS is at an important point in its development, although we are moving past the necessity for remote working and services during the Covid-19 pandemic, we are now learning how to embrace that technology, innovation and change so that we can reach more Deaf people in all parts of Ireland with our support and services.

To develop this strategy, we used a ‘strengths-based approach’, this means that we examined what are the strengths in the Irish Deaf Society and how can we focus on using them to achieve the most over the next 3 years. The Mantra Strategy process and framework involved a number of key stages that can be summarised as: an internal review, an external review, stakeholder engagement and an ISL survey. These stages are described in more detail later in this document.

We conducted an analysis of our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, also called a “SWOT analysis”. We also completed a “PESTE analysis”, this means looking at other factors that impacts on the work of IDS including political, economic, social, technological and environmental. This enabled us to highlight the strengths and weaknesses and identify where there are opportunities and challenges for IDS.

A key part of the project was stakeholder engagement, this took two forms. The first was workshop meetings with the Board, management team, National Council organisations and open meetings in local communities around Ireland. The second was a fully accessible survey in ISL that allowed participants to answer questions in either ISL or English. This innovative survey helped us to achieve quality feedback from Deaf people throughout the country.

The stakeholder engagement sessions had a focus on examining the core purpose of IDS, looking at what we want to achieve for Deaf people in Ireland, what is our mission, what are our goals and if they needed to be updated.

This inclusive, accessible, consultation confirmed that, at its core, IDS is an advocacy organisation, a change maker with a focus on ensuring Deaf people have equal rights and access to state services, education and employment opportunities.

To achieve this IDS will work to be the leading voice on the implementation of the ISL Act and it will build on the existing advocacy and FET services for Deaf people and reinvigorate our community by developing plans for more communication and engagement with Deaf people and groups throughout Ireland.

Our strategic pillars to deliver on equality and access are:

• Campaigning for Deaf rights and Advocates of Irish Sign Language (ISL)
• Advancing education and training opportunities
• Public and community engagement

These pillars are our high level ambitions and will be supported by making sure that IDS is an effective organisation, with good governance, financially sustainable and with the capacity to deliver on our strategy.

Each of these pillars breaks down into smaller activities called strands, goals and tasks. In this way we can take a very large ambition and break it down into smaller tasks that we can work on over the next 3 years. These are described in more detail later in this document.

These pillars will be underpinned by organisational effectiveness, good governance, financial sustainability and capacity to deliver.

This exciting process of developing a strategic plan has really shown that IDS has a real ambition and passion for achieving equality for Deaf people. We have huge pride in the accomplishments of the organisation, especially the passing and commencement of the ISL Act.  We hope that this plan will build on the past accomplishments and help us to achieve more over the next 3 years.  This strategy maps out how the IDS can keep its core values and at the same time, develop, grow and reach more of our community with our services and support.

We would like to say a special thanks Lisa-Nicole and Suzanne from Mantra Strategy who worked tirelessly and with huge enthusiasm to guide us through the accessible ISL consultations, analysis and development of strategic pillars, strands and goals.

There are no exact statistics on the size of the Deaf community in Ireland, but it is estimated that 5,000 people communicate in Irish Sign Language (ISL) as their primary language together with a community of an estimated 40,000 including family, friends and those working in the Deaf community.

IDS is recognised as a Disabled Persons Organisation (DPO) under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). We are members of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) and the European Union of the Deaf (EUD). We have consulted with international Deaf representative bodies in relation to several societal issues that impact on Deaf people.

IDS leads the ISL Act Cross Community Group - a group of National organisations and service providers working in the Deaf community. IDS  consult with this group in relation to topics relating to Deaf people including the ISL Act and the Census. This group members who?

• Bridge Interpreting,
• Centre for Deaf Studies (CDS) TCD,
• Chime,
• Council of ISL Interpreters of Ireland (CISLI),
• Council of ISL Teachers (CISLT),
• Greenbow LGBTQ+,
• Irish Deaf Research Network (IDRN),
• Irish Deaf Youth Association (IDYA),
• National Deaf Women of Ireland (NDWI),
• Sign Language Interpreting Service (SLIS).

Our mission is to promote equality and rights for Deaf people in Ireland.

Full access to society through empowerment and mobilisation of the Deaf community is a key focus and goal.  This is important in the context of both Irish and International law and human rights.

We believe When Deaf people in Ireland have an awareness of their identity and rights, they can celebrate their culture, advocate for the recognition of ISL and overcome discrimination barriers.

Our core values are centered on ISL, Human Rights, Education, Social Inclusion, Equal Opportunities, Quality Living conditions, Families, Empowerment and Social and Political partnership and they support their mission and values through a broad range of advocacy programmes and support services including:

IDS Advocacy Service: The IDS Advocacy Service is a unique Deaf-led confidential service established in 2004 and provides support and information for Deaf people through their first and preferred language of ISL. The Service aims to empower Deaf people to recognise discrimination and to promote equality and inclusion. The service bridges the gap that exists for Deaf people in accessing public and private services and information which often exclude and isolate Deaf people.

Further Education and Training (FET): The IDS FET Department provides education to Deaf adults in ISL in a range of accredited and unaccredited courses with certification by QQI. These courses range from hobbies and crafts to IT and practical work related and employment preparation skills. IDS provides courses in ISL to hearing people at QQI levels 3 and 4.

Note: The text above is from the translation script, for formal English text please refer to the print document.

It became clear that these strategic pillars would need to be resourced through research and capacity building.

Our focus groups clearly highlighted the importance of establishing leadership opportunities for Deaf individuals. This includes building a sustainable Deaf-led organization that prioritises both current and new community members, with a well-defined plan to engage and support them.

Everything that the IDS represents is centred around a drive to promote, support and advocate on behalf of the Deaf community. We have developed three core strategic pillars to support this.

Within each pillar, there are multiple areas of focus and organizational goals planned over a three-year period. This approach aims to strike a balance between being realistic about the organization's capacity while maintaining progress and momentum during that time.

Pillars: 

1. Campaiging for Deaf Rights and Advocates of ISL
2. Advancing Educational and Training Opportunites
3. Public and Community Engagement

Note: The text above is from the translation script, for formal English text please refer to the print document.

The strategic goals under Pillar 1 are:

1.1 ISL Act Implementation and Review

1.2 Access to key public services

1.3 Advocates of ISL

Pillar 2 – Advancing Education and Training Opportunities 

It was widely agreed by stakeholders that education holds the key to providing people with greater access to equal opportunities, employment and their rights.  Education and Training remains a core focus for the future strategy of IDS.  We will campaign for the goals outlined in the Deaf Education Paper, work to further develop and promote the FET programmes and to facilitate and support opportunities for employment.

The strategic goals under Pillar 2 are:

2.1 Campaign to achieve the goals set out in the Deaf Education paper

2.2 Development of Further Education and Training programmes

2.3 Initiatives, support and guidance to provide educational and career pathways for Deaf people

Pillar 3 – Public and Community Engagement

This pillar focuses on the sustainability of the organisation in terms of its own leadership succession, greater inclusion of all people with an interest in Deaf people and culture and the engagement of the community and the wider public. This is about extending our reach, bringing the community together more, virtually and in person, engaging and welcoming parents, educators and other and allies into the work of IDS, and educating and informing the public about key issues, where appropriate.

The strategic goals under pillar 3 are:

3.1 Expand, promote and resource the personal Advocacy service

3.2 IDS member and Deaf community engagement including activities, information and services

3.3 Plan, develop and promote Deaf leadership and youth engagement

3.4 Engagement with parents of Deaf children

3.5 Engagement of allies that support IDS mission

Note: The text above is from the translation script, for formal English text please refer to the print document.

Strand 1.2 Access to key Public services 

• Publish policy paper on all key issues
• Develop team of policy representatives
• DAT for all Gov funded public service organisations
• Campaign for an ISL Officer in all healthcare settings
• Develop proposal for Deaf CAMHS in Ireland
• Campaign for better access to media (ISL and subtitles)
• Increase access to news and public interest information for Deaf community

Strand 1.3 Advocates of ISL

• Establish a permanent Deaf-led ISL advisory committee to support Article 3 of the ISL Act
• Development of paper for benefits of ISL for all (the general population)
• Feasability study for ISL dictionary of English vocabulary

Note: The text above is from the translation script, for formal English text please refer to the print document.

Strand 2.2 Development of Further Education and Training programmes 

• Develop ISL QQI level 5 and 6 accredited courses
• Develop employer engagement process for course development
• Implement Quality Assurance Procedures
• Provide CPD training courses for Deaf teaching staff
• Develop awareness and referral between IDS FET and ETB sector
• Engagement with learners to investigate and clarify results of survey

Strand 2.3 Initiatives, support and guidance to provide educational and career pathways for Deaf people

• Establish permanent Deaf Career Service
• FET collaborations with other FET providers

Note: The text above is from the translation script, for formal English text please refer to the print document.

Strand 3.2 IDS Member and Deaf community engagement including activities, information and services 

• Develop and expand Roadshow
• Develop community strategy for Diversity, Equality and Inclusion
• Develop membership offering
• Develop plan to expand ISL Awareness week
• Develop programme of online events connecting with online communities
• Develop Social media strategy
• Develop website content strategy
• Engagement with local Government and representatives

Strand 3.3 Plan, development and promote Deaf Leadership and youth engagement 

• Succession planning for board
• Building capacity and pathways to leadership opportunities
• Develop strategy to engage with Deaf youth communities
• Develop collaborations with parenting organisations
• Increase parent membership of IDS
• Establish Family Support Group

Strand 3.4 Engagement with parents of Deaf children

• Awareness campaign including Deaf Awareness Training
• Develop collaborations with parenting organisations
• Increase parent membership of IDS
• Establish Family Support Group

Strand 3.5 Engagement of allies that support IDS mission  

• Stakeholder mapping
• Develop stakeholder engagement plan

Note: The text above is from the translation script, for formal English text please refer to the print document.

We consider youth engagement and succession planning as urgent priorities, and fostering leadership opportunities is crucial for long-term sustainability

Additional funding from the state and unrestricted funding through public fundraising and retail income will be necessary.

We have outlined the key recommendations for investment priorities, funding phasing, and timing to align with operational targets. In the first year (2023), our main focus will be building capacity within the IDS team, developing work plans, and familiarizing stakeholders with the strategy. IDS will publish operational plans for each year, providing detailed goals for that 12-month period.

Investment  with Detail and Supporting  which pillar

Investment by Resources:

• Research and Policy Officer role - Pillar 1
• Information Officer roles - Pillar 3
• Community and Outreach Officer role - Pillar 3
• Retail and Fundraising Manager roles - All  pillars
• Finance support role  - All pillars
• Communications Officer role - All pillars
• FET Course Management Assistant - Pillar 2

Investment by Funding/Planning:

• Campaigns – phased in line with operational plan , Pillar 1 and 3
• Policy Papers on all topics of interest , Pillar 1
• Research – areas to be agreed and phased , Pillar 1
• Regional Outreach  , Pillar 3
• Development of ISL Act awareness training , Pillar 1
• Development of new FET modules , Pillar 3
• Expansion/rollout of Deaf Awareness Training , All pillars

What’s next ?

The existing IDS personal Advocacy services and FET programmes of work will continue with additional resources allocated in each of those areas as part of the strategic plan.

In addition, the support services for the IDS will be strengthened with additional resources in Finance, Communications and in Retail/ Fundraising to enable sustainability.

Much of 2023 will focus on building the team, on-boarding, developing work-plans, publishing the strategic plan and socialising it within the Deaf community

Note: The text above is from the translation script, for formal English text please refer to the print document.

Belief what? IDS founded on belief that Deaf people should have equal rights

Purpose what? At its core, IDS is about advocating for ISL and basic rights, creating community and enabling change.

Envisioned future what? IDS strategic thrust is to Strengthen, Focus, Build and Collaborate.

IDS is National Advocacy Organisation with DPO status. IDS is Deaf-led with voluntary board.

IDS established in 1981, IDS has long history of advocacy and research which led to the passing of the ISL Act 2017 and its full commencement in 2020.

IDS is well known in the Deaf community, also by other DPO’S and relevant government bodies, it is relatively unknown in terms of the public and wider community.

IDS’s audience who? approximately 5,000 Deaf people in Ireland who prefer ISL.  A key demographic we recognise we need to engage with more is the younger members of the community.

Over the recent years, as a trend towards mainstream school and advanced technology, the way Deaf people socialise and communicate has also changed. This has created barriers to engagement where IDS need to adapt its service and information delivery methods.

Our core focus is campaigning for equality and rights, this work led us to identify huge gaps in State provisions of accessible services and education.

Even with not enough resources for years, The IDS team has developed services in personal advocacy, education, and training to try address gaps in rights.

While our online presence, website, and social media channels are regularly updated, we recognise the potential for additional online resources and outreach for the Deaf community, aligning with our strategic goals.

IDS currently operates two charity retail units which have good potential for both a stable unrestricted income stream and a community outreach infrastructure.

Summary of key points of overall Internal reviews

IDS Size and Scale: €1.4 Million turnover 19 staff

IDS History: >40 years (Set up in 1981)

IDS Mission: Deaf Led organisation - seeks to promote and achieve equality and rights of Deaf People in Ireland

IDS Values: Enable Equal Participation, Promote ISL, Advance the rights of Deaf, Promote its role as a DPO

IDS Products: Annual membership, FET Courses, Advocacy Services, ISL Translation Services

IDS numbers of Reach: 150 members, 22k reached on social, 14k FB Followers, 8k Twitter followers

IDS Brand Awareness: Strong amongst Deaf in 35+ age cohort, limited public awareness

IDS Funding Model: 50% state grants (SOLAS/POBAL), 50% Other income (shops/FET fees, membership

Now talk about S.W.O.T analysis key points for IDS

IDS Strengths what?–

• Uniquely Deaf led
• Lived experience
• Passionate staff team
• Instrumental role in ISL Act
• Proud history of successful lobbying for rights
• High standard FET
• Strong personal advocacy services.

IDS Weakness what?

• Lack of clarity on direction and remit
• Resourcing and capacity challenges
• Measuring impact is difficult

IDS Opportunities what?

• Champions of ISL
• Regional outreach
• Advocacy services and community development
• Add membership and revenue
• Clearly measured deliverables for communication to members strengthen national council engagement as enabler

IDS Threats what?

• Losing relevance as an organisation
• Cost of living crisis
• Membership reducing
• Failure to reach many Deaf people

Now talk about External review:

The project team completed an external review to consider the broader landscape and environment surrounding the IDS.

This included but was not limited to, national and international research and legislation, horizon scanning and comparator review.

For a full breakdown of the PESTE see the last part of the videos.

The key findings from our external review were:

• The Government’s approach to legislation affecting persons with disabilities has been prone to gaps and delays
• The scope of the ISL Act could be more ambitious
• The IDS advocacy/campaigning structure needs to evolve to have greater influence over policy and politics
• The European Disability Forum's Human Rights Report, 'Right to Work' Report (2023) indicates an EU employment average for people with disabilities is 51.3% but Ireland is the worst performing Member State at 32.6%
• The gap between the employment of persons with disabilities and the employment of persons without disabilities is known as the disability employment gap
• The EU average for this gap is 24.4%, but the worst-performing Member State is Ireland at nearly 38.6%.  The reason for employment gaps includes insufficient provision of reasonable accommodation, excessive bureaucracy to access reasonable accommodation, structural discrimination and bias suffered and lack of access to inclusive and quality education
• There is a strong economic underpinning to concerns in Deaf community around mental health
• Funding of ISL interpretation in public bodies is key to securing the rights of Deaf people
• The UNCRPD calls for support for the specific cultural & linguistic identity of the Deaf community
• In education, online resources can be used to supplement English-language documents and not used to replace direct ISL instruction, and they must be in accessible formats
• The UNCRPD calls for meaningful engagement with Disabled Persons Organisations (DPOs) in Article 4.3 and general comment 7
• It is critical that the Government recognises the need to fully resource DPO’s and engage in a meaningful way on all matters of interest

Note: The text above is from the translation script, for formal English text please refer to the print document.

To make the engagement as accessible as possible, an ISL survey using the VideoAsk platform was developed, and the IDS invited and encouraged the Deaf community to respond to the survey so that they could input directly into the strategic planning process.

Advocacy team worked closely with Mantra Strategy, and travelled to 5 separate locations around the country to faciliate regional stakeholder engagement sessions where they held a workshop to understand what Deaf people would like to see included in the strategic plan.

These workshops were held across the country in Galway, Limerick, Cork and Kildare, as well as the National Council meeting in Portlaoise.

A total of 112 participants attended over 5 sessions.

The wider stakeholder process also included a varied selection of stakeholders from a range of funding, academic, research, other Deaf and DPO organisations, parents, teachers, learners, and other interested parties and consisted of:

• 24 x 1:1 interviews
• 4 x group interviews
• 3 x Board workshops
• 3 x management team workshops
• 1 x ISL and text survey with 376 responses

Before the engagement process, to make sure of valuable stakeholder input, our team developed guiding questions for the engagement process. These questions include:

• What is the core purpose of IDS?
• What actions do Deaf people want to see from IDS?
• Where can the biggest impact be made?
• What are the key opportunities for improvement and growth?

The 1:1 meetings explored thoughts, feelings, ideas, and reactions from different perspectives about the identity and purpose of IDS now and the challenges and possibilities in the future.

All stakeholders were offered a confidential space to give feedback and put forward ideas for the organisation.

Throughout the stakeholder engagement process, we gained a deep insight into what is important to IDS Stakeholders, what the possibilities are, the main areas of concern and the key priorities for the organisation.

Note: The text above is from the translation script, for formal English text please refer to the print document.

It should be noted that in some cases the respondents did not answer the specific questions but used the opportunity to give examples of their experience of being Deaf and of the issues arising for them.

In terms of the satisfaction scores for campaigning, advocacy and FET services, it is important to note that this was a general survey not specifically directed at those availing of these services and the large percentage of passive responses would indicate that many were unaware of the details of the services.

The key insight from this is that more specific promotion, engagement and measurement in this area would be beneficial.

IDS met with Stakeholders to find out their Insights. This is overview of their insights in question of What, Wish, What if and Future Focus

What?

• Excellent work done around ISL Act, but now what?
• Identity / direction somewhat lost since ISL Act
• Strength in Deaf led/lived experience of Board and staff
• Need for new blood / succession planning – same faces around a long time

Wish?

• Hearing allies were leveraged more
• Clear policy development on key issues and plan for lobbying focus
• Need for data / research to campaign on key issues
• Better succession planning and development for future IDS Leadership

What if?

• Need for succession planning at leadership level
• IDS were more open and less diffiuclt to work with
• IDS had better relationships with other organisaitons and state
• IDS were champions of ISL

Future focus

• Regional outreach
• DAT for public service employees
• Collaborate with / leverage hearing allies in deaf community
• Clear plan to advocate / lobby on key issues (when identified)

IDS had Regional Sessions and here’s the insights IDS collected by questions

What should we be campaigning for?

Answers:

• Access to public services
• Regional outreach
• Better media access
• More interpreters
• Deaf awareness training DAT for all

How should we communicate with you?

Answers:

• ISL (video by email)
• One way text (WhatsApp)
• Regional roadshows

Who we are not reaching?

Answers:

• Youth / children
• Deaf + (additional needs)
• Parents of Deaf Children
• Elderly Deaf
• Isolated geographically

Future focus:

• Regional outreach
• DAT for all public services employees
• More Deaf news / information
• Better Awareness
• Stronger campaigning – ISL Act Compliance

Now talk about overview of Survey Insights

Survey active from 22th August 2022 to 31^st October 2022

• 376 individual responses
• 67% identified as being Deaf
• 57% listed ISL as preferred language
• 90% of respondents said they felt the IDS Board kept Deaf people at the heart of their decisions
• Most would like to see better access to public services
• Most would like to see more and better standard of ISL on TV
• Call for more interpreters to be made available
• Call for deaf awareness training for all healthcare settings

Note: The satisfaction percentage comes from the NPS questions in relation to campaigning, advocacy and FET services.  NPS is Net Promotor Score means a loyalty or satisfaction measurement calculated by asking questions that gives overall scoring by answers from 0-10.

Overall NPS (loyalty) score was +7 – question was “how likely would you be to recommend membership of IDS to family and friends?”.

Very positive about IDS role in the ISL Act but asking what next?

Overview of Survey insights in Positive and Negative

Positive

• Positive feedback on both the personal advocacy and FET service from those who use them
• Request for more hobby / leisure type clubs for Deaf
• Most happy with level of consulting but would welcome more Deaf news and more subtitles
• Positive about IDS role in ISL Act but many questioning what next for IDS?

Negative

• Not all Deaf people aware of IDS services
• Almost all felt that access to interpreter was lacking in key services (health/legal/banking/insurance/utilities)
• Social media presence and website could be better
• Regional outreach could be improved
• Some concern for needs of elderly deaf going forward

Note: The text above is from the translation script, for formal English text please refer to the print document.

IDS met with Stakeholders to find out their Insights. This is overview of their insights in question of What, Wish, What if and Future Focus

This focus on rights, equal opportunities, ISL advocacy, provision of high standard personal advocacy and FET services to the Deaf community and the need for public and community engagement has helped to shape the 3 strategic pillars:

• Campaigning for Deaf rights and Advocates of Irish Sign Language (ISL)
• Advancing education and training opportunities
• Public and community engagement

These pillars will be underpinned by organisational effectiveness, good governance, financial sustainability and capacity to deliver.

The operationalising of the strategy on a phased basis will require investment and we have included high-level resourcing and funding recommendations to help guide the IDS over the next 3 years.

It is envisioned that the current structure needs additional resources to make strategy successful and to build on the considerable momentum and engagement that has been evident throughout the stakeholder engagement process.

We would like to extend our gratitude to the IDS Board, CEO, management, staff teams, Mantra Strategy and to all the stakeholders who took the time to attend a workshop and/or complete the survey.

Note: The text above is from the translation script, for formal English text please refer to the print document.

Now talk about Political factors:

The Government’s approach to legislation affecting persons with disabilities has been prone to gaps and delays. Ireland signed the UNCRPD in March 2017, ratified in 2018, Ireland is the last EU member to ratify.

The ISL Act became law in December 2017 but started implementation in December 2020. The first review was completed in 2021 but has not yet been published. This review is both too late and too early as it conducted after the three-year period allocated, but before enough data can be gathered.

The scope of the ISL Act can be more ambitious. While it says public bodies must provide ISL interpreters, there is no obligations for private entities and services similar to public bodies e.g mental health service and tertiary education to provide ISL interpreters.

People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (Deaf) face disadvantages in access to the public sphere, with limited media resources and an uneven playing field in political participation.

Deaf or HOH individuals face challenges in accessing public sphere and participating in society. They have limited media resources, and face barriers in political participation.

This affects the community’s capacity to advocate for itself.

Further to this, public consultations with the Deaf community have been characterised as “lip service”, not providing the resources necessary for meaningful participation. The result is a substantial gap between legislation and international standards.

The IDS advocacy structure needs to evolve to have greater influence over policy and politics. Currently the main public affairs function rests with the policy officer, a role which yet has no funding.

The advocacy officer role can evolve in a more externally facing capacity, while the communications officer role can grow with a stronger media relations remit.

The UNCRPD calls for meaningful engagement with Disabled Persons Organisations (DPOs) in Article 4.3 and general comment 7.  It is critical that the Government recognises the need to fully resource DPO’s and engage in a meaningful way on all matters of interest.

Economic factors:

The European Disability Forum's Human Rights Report, 'Right to Work' Report (2023) indicates an EU employment average for people with disabilities is 51.3% but Ireland is the worst performing Member State at 32.6%. The gap between the employment of persons with disabilities and the employment of persons without disabilities is known as the disability employment gap. The EU average for this gap is 24.4%, but the worst-performing Member State is Ireland at nearly 38.6%.

The reason for employment gaps includes insufficient provision of reasonable accommodation, excessive bureaucracy to access reasonable accommodation, structural discrimination and bias suffered and lack of access to inclusive and quality education.

Within the workforce, there are structural inequalities and cognitive biases. People with disabilities are underrepresented in professional roles and overrepresented in manual and unskilled roles, with reports demonstrating low expectations for career advancement.

Corrective measures often focus on addressing immediate issues rather than tackling underlying systemic issues or structural problems.

The ISL Act does not mention jobs or employment. Grant aid for community & leisure facilities which does not account for ISL interpretation fails to have the desired equalising effect.

There is a strong economic underpinning to concerns in the Deaf community around mental health. Economic strain during a cost-of-living crisis exacerbates mental health difficulties, yet the HSE is not sufficiently resourced with interpretation and support staff to take referrals from people who are Deaf.

Funding of ISL interpretation in public bodies is key to securing the rights of people who are Deaf, whether in education, judicial, medical or other settings.

Social factors:

The UNCRPD calls for support for the specific cultural & linguistic identity of the Deaf community. This entails supportive public services with ISL interpretation, and an education system resourced with ISL-qualified teachers.

Cultural outlook plays an important role in addressing mental health and educational needs. People who are Deaf must have their autonomy and self-determination respected, in contrast to the paternalism sometimes displayed towards persons with disabilities. Furthermore, training for teachers should cultivate an understanding of deaf culture & experience

Early intervention to avoid language deprivation, and delays in emotional & cognitive development, are important to enabling deaf people to access other rights such as community participation and an active social and educational life. Social supports, events and tutoring can enable families to engage with a wider circle and facilitate a more supportive and rounded learning environment.

The effective use of data is important for the attainment of social rights according to an individual’s personal circumstances. For example, while national statistics capture the hearing status of those in tertiary education they do not clearly identify students accessing education in ISL, an important piece of information to adequately deliver for those students.

Our review pointed to public bodies failing to use accredited ISL interpreters. Worryingly, in a healthcare setting, there are accounts of clinicians using a Deaf person’s family members for interpretation. This represents a significant violation of the patient’s autonomy and right to privacy. With the present legislation, it is worth enquiring if there are particular loopholes that enable this to occur, such as the patronage or governance model of hospitals.

An important government service called for in the ISL Act 2017 is the establishment financial supports for Deaf people to book interpreters for social, educational and cultural events and services (including medical) and other activities. At the time of writing this Strategy the “voucher scheme” to address this part of the Act has not progressed past a limited pilot and does not have a clear commitment to an ongoing, adequately resourced service.

Technological factors:

The use of technological innovation can occasionally be presented as a quick fix for certain policy solutions, but any such move must be done in consultation with the Deaf community.

The ISL Act allows public bodies to meet their requirements for the provision of ISL interpretation through remote or web-based system if the ISL user agrees. Given the variance of literacy levels, this may not be optimal for all ISL users and it is important that alternatives can be sourced in a timely manner.

In education, online resources can be used to supplement English-language documents. However, they cannot be used to replace direct ISL instruction, and they must be in accessible formats.

Statistics and data collection form the underpinning for policy development and improved legislation. There are substantial ethical considerations when dealing with the Deaf community and persons with disabilities.

Researchers have a responsibility to not use statistics as a blunt instrument, and to incorporate qualitative insights that help meet particular needs. As such, categorisation based on hearing status alone must be augmented to look at ISL usage, and participation in education and the labour market among this community, who anecdotally are more disadvantaged.

These data should be publicly accessible to persons with disabilities so that they can advocate on their own behalf

Environmental factors:

The UNCRPD states that disability is an evolving (changing) concept, which results from the interaction between persons with disabilities and attitudinal and environmental barriers that hinder (prevents) their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.

And legislative interventions should be focus on eliminating those barriers and enabling people to live a full life defined by their abilities.

Practically (in practice), creating the appropriate environment means extending regulation on accessibility to private enterprises, not just public bodies only.

In mental health services, it means one-to-one contact with clinicians, and training of professional who are not used to addressing the crossover of mental health challenges and a Deaf context.

It also entails avoiding the additional distress caused by longer stays in hospital and a lack of community services for a community already at higher risk of marginalisation.

Support for early years development is hugely important to outcomes for children who are Deaf.

Language deprivation among deaf children is the same as for hearing, with the resulting developmental issues and the potential to cause further disabilities.

A home tuition scheme for families of deaf children and an inclusive education model can go some way to developing a child’s potential and respecting their dignity.

Note: The text above is from the translation script, for formal English text please refer to the print document.