As today is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we want to highlight some of our ongoing projects and previous research that look at the experiences of those living with a disability in Ireland #DisabilityDay #IDPD

Earlier this year, the project Evaluation of the School Inclusion Model was launched, which aims to evaluate the Special Needs Assistant (SNA) scheme and the pilot of the School Inclusion Model (SIM). https://www.esri.ie/current-research/evaluation-of-the-school-inclusion-model

The evaluation will document the fidelity of the SIM pilot implementation across schools, which aims to provide a continuum of services within an inclusive school context to identify and meet the care needs of students. More details: https://www.esri.ie/current-research/evaluation-of-the-school-inclusion-model

‘Mapping and Tracking Students with Special Educational Needs after they leave School’ will track the experiences of young people with special educational needs/disabilities from second-level education through the transition into subsequent pathways. https://www.esri.ie/current-research/mapping-and-tracking-students-with-special-educational-needs-after-they-leave

In 2019, the ESRI launched a project funded by the National Disability Authority to create, improve and enhance knowledge on disability matters in a range of policy areas:  https://www.esri.ie/current-research/joint-research-programme-on-the-experiences-of-persons-with-disabilities-across

A 2019 report found that 20% of families with an adult with a disability have unmet needs for childcare, with 82% of those families reporting unaffordability as a reason for their unmet needs: https://www.esri.ie/current-research/joint-research-programme-on-the-experiences-of-persons-with-disabilities-across

The odds of unmet need vs. met need for professional home care are three times more likely for working-age families where an adult has a disability than it was for older adults in need of home care: https://www.esri.ie/news/new-research-examines-unmet-needs-for-childcare-and-home-care

In 2018, the ESRI launched a report that found people with disabilities experienced higher levels of discrimination compared to those without. A conference presenting the findings can be watched here: https://www.esri.ie/publications/disability-and-discrimination-in-ireland-evidence-from-the-qnhs-equality-modules-2004