ILMI Launches Visionary Strategic Plan for Inclusive Ireland

ILMI Launches Visionary Strategic Plan for Inclusive Ireland, Minister Anne Rabbitte TD to Formally Unveil

Independent Living Movement Ireland (ILMI) proudly launches a groundbreaking strategic plan, solidifying its commitment to championing the rights and inclusion of disabled people nationwide. The plan, embodying ILMI’s core values of human rights, collective empowerment, and social justice, will be formally unveiled by Minister Anne Rabbitte TD.

Minister Anne Rabbitte TD states, “I am honoured to formally launch ILMI’s visionary strategic plan, which reflects a steadfast commitment to human rights, collective empowerment, and social justice. ILMI’s dedication to creating an inclusive Ireland aligns with our national goals for the empowerment and well-being of disabled people. This strategic plan is a testament to the organisation’s vital role in shaping policies that foster freedom, choice, and control. I commend ILMI for their impactful work and look forward to witnessing the positive transformations this plan will bring to the lives of disabled people across Ireland.”

As a national cross-impairment Disabled Persons Organisation (DPO), ILMI’s vision is centered on creating an Ireland where disabled people enjoy freedom, choice, and control over all aspects of our lives. The strategic plan, a testament to these values, sets the stage for transformative change within the organisation.

The plan outlines ILMI’s strategy to build local structures and actively contribute to policy development and implementation at both local and national levels. Emphasising investment in disabled people, the plan supports activists in working collectively to ensure the authentic collective voice of disabled people shapes a more inclusive Ireland.

Over the last plan, ILMI firmly established itself as a national DPO, leading pioneering projects and creating spaces for peer engagement, collective policy development, and strategic political campaigns. The organisation’s recognition by decision-makers is a testament to its impactful work, with a particular focus on peer mentoring, support, and fostering collective spaces.

Des Kenny, ILMI’s Chairperson, says, “This Strategic Plan has its origins in the noble tradition of disabled people being actively engaged in our own activism for four decades now. The power of collective advocacy within a DPO is unparalleled. It transforms the conversation from ‘I think’ to ‘we think,’ providing evidence of how inclusion must be resourced: mapping the inclusion landscape to real, meaningful change.”

Damien Walshe, CEO of ILMI, expresses gratitude to the organisation’s members, staff, and board for their commitment to developing the plan. Acknowledging the expertise of Values Lab in crafting a robust values-led plan, Walshe adds, “In the lifetime of our last plan, we achieved much, raising expectations to deliver more. I am looking forward to realising the objectives in this plan with the board, members, staff, and allies of ILMI.”

Join ILMI in working towards a better future for all disabled people in Ireland.