Policy and Legislation

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National Disability Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021
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Takes an all Government approach in setting out 114 actions that aim to support people with a disability to live the life they want to live.
Alongside other actions the Strategy commits to ongoing support in implementing the National Housing Strategy for People with a Disability and to developing design guidance to inform appropriate housing design for people with a disability.
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Disability Act 2005
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The Disability Act is designed to advance and underpin the participation of people with disabilities in society by supporting the provision of disability specific services and improving access to mainstream public services. It places significant obligations on public bodies to make buildings and services accessible to people with disabilities, provides for sectoral plans in key service areas, requires public bodies to take positive actions to employ people with disabilities and provides for the establishment of a Centre for Excellence in Universal Design.1
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UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
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The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (also called the CRPD) provides the framework to promote, protect and ensure the rights of all people with disabilities and promotes equal rights in all areas of life.
Ireland signed the UNCPRD in March 2007 and it was ratified by Government on 7th March 2018.
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National Housing Strategy for People with a Disability 2011-2016
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The National Housing Strategy for People with Disabilities (2011-2016) has been re-affirmed in the rebuilding Ireland Action Plan For Housing and Homelessness and extended to 2020, to continue to progress its aims to ensure access for people with disabilities to the full range of housing options which will allow them live independently in their own homes and communities where appropriate.
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The Building Control Act 2007
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Refer to section 2 of this toolkit
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The Building Regulations, Technical Guidance Part M 2010
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Refer to section 2 of this toolkit.
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Code of Practice for Fire Safety in New and Existing Community Dwellings, October 2016.
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Includes guidance on Residential (Dwellings) Purpose group 1 (d) - community dwelling houses with a maximum of 8 bedrooms and an upper limit of six residents which would be used by a) Children, b) People with mental health issues, c) People with intellectual disability and d) People with physical disability.
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The City and the Disabled, Declaration, Barcelona, 1995
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Supports the rights of people with disabilities to participate as equal citizens and was endorsed by many local authorities with accompanying consultation procedures and implementation plans. To date 101 councils have adopted the Declaration in Ireland.
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The Equal Status Act 2000
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Prohibits discrimination on nine specific grounds and requires service providers to provide reasonable accommodation to people with disabilities in the provision of goods and services.
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National Positive Ageing Strategy
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Is a commitment in the Programme for Government and was published in April 2013.  The Strategy is a high-level document outlining Ireland’s vision for ageing and older people and the national goals and objectives required to promote positive ageing.  It is an over-arching cross-departmental policy that will be the blueprint for age related policy and service delivery across Government in the years ahead.

REFERENCES AND WEBSITES