About The DPO Network
The DPO Network is led and informed by the active and collective participation of disabled people based on their lived experience, expertise and analysis. It provides a unique opportunity for a genuinely cross-societal analysis of the issues faced by disabled people.
The DPO Network is committed to the human rights and social model of disability which says that the exclusion, inequality, and discrimination that disabled people experience is not the consequence of impairment alone but a result of the economic, cultural, social, and political barriers which are created and persist in society.
DPO Network Members
The five DPO member organisations are:
AsIAm
As I Am is the national advocacy organisation for Ireland’s autism community. Established in 2014, they work to create a society in which every autistic person is accepted 'As They Are' - Equal, Valued and Respected, and for an inclusive society for autistic people that is accessible, accepting and affirming. They provide a range of supports informed by the community and deliver training and accreditation programmes for businesses, community organisations and services to become autism-friendly.
Disabled Women Ireland
Disabled Women Ireland (DWI) is the only dedicated organisation advocating for the rights of self-identified women, girls and non-binary/genderqueer/gender non-confirming disabled people in Ireland. It is a cross disability organisation whose members have a diverse range of impairments and intersecting identities. DWI believes the only way to achieve real change is to advocate from an inter-sectional feminist approach.
ILMI
Independent Living Movement Ireland (ILMI) is a national representative organisation that promotes the philosophy of independent living and works to build an inclusive society. It is underpinned by the belief that policy decisions that impact on the lives of disabled people have to be directly influenced by those whose lives are directly affected. Established as a Centre for Independent Living in 1992, it seeks to remove societal barriers that prevent active equal participation of disabled people, challenge the denial of people’s rights and promote the philosophy of independent living.
Irish Deaf Society
The Irish Deaf Society is the only national Deaf-led representative organisation of the Deaf, and it serves the interests and welfare of the Deaf community. It provides a number of education, personal and social services to Deaf adults and their families. IDS are members of the World Federation of the Deaf and the European Union of the Deaf and consult with national, regional and international Deaf organisations and representative bodies in relation to societal issues that impact Deaf people.
The National Platform of Self Advocates
The National Platform of Self Advocates is led and managed by people with intellectual disabilities. The focus of the organisation is to advocate for policy change to ensure human rights for people with intellectual disabilities. It is a membership organisation highlighting the need to respect and facilitate communication differences, and the need for support for people to live independently.