For the last 14 years RehabCare has had a body for service users to articulate their views at the highest level. The National RehabCare Advocacy Council (NRAC) was founded to give the thousands who use its services a voice.
It was founded on the principle that those who use the services should have a say in their own care – a principle that might seem self-evident today but was not always so.
In order to run for election, a person must be nominated by their local centre. Often elections take place locally to identify a centre’s nominee.
Then before the vote, each candidate has the chance to speak about the things that they hope to achieve through membership of the committee.
After the election, members of NRAC put forward issues they would like the NRAC national committee to work on over the next two years and these will form the work plan of the new committee.
Earlier this year the elections for NRAC took place at the Aisling Hotel in Dublin.
Hundreds of service users and their carers took part. Each candidate put their name forward, made a short speech and the voting was done by secret ballot.
Local NRAC committees are elected in many RehabCare services and are an opportunity for people to meet and talk about things that are coming up in the centre and issues that affect them, such as those relating to accessibility in the local community.
At national level, a national committee is elected to represent NRAC. People stand for election in four RehabCare regions. There are 12 people on the committee, three from each region. The NRAC national committee is elected for a two-year term.
It meets every four to six weeks to discuss issues of importance to people using RehabCare’s services, including awareness of disability issues, employment for people with disabilities, or reviewing documents such as new policies.
RehabCare director Laura Keane said they used many different fora to consult those who use their services, but NRAC was the best. “These are the one group that are able to address issues and raise issues and work towards reviewing our practices and make sure they are practices that they want,” she said.
“It is really starting to improve in recent years. We use that forum more and more. For us as a national organisation supporting 3,000 people with disabilities, you want to make sure that you are keeping in touch with the people you want to serve by having a forum where people can come together, share issues and raise issues that they want to work on. From that perspective it is really, really good.”
She also said it was good for those are elected to NRAC. “It gives people confidence, a voice and a chance to participate in a group with their peers and they are able to articulate their needs as a group and around the services that they would receive.”
Fiona Friel (34), who has a mild intellectual disability, has used Rehab services in Lifford, Co Donegal, for the last 10 years. She was re-elected to NRAC having been originally elected to the local committee two years ago.
She said: “I wanted to have a voice with people for disabilities and myself. I’m on the board of management committee. I like doing things for other people with disabilities.”
She was involved in the drawing up of anti-bullying policies and a charter of rights. She travels to NRAC meetings in Dublin on her own, leaving early in the morning from Lifford and getting back late at night. “That’s a big step for me,” she said.
Loretta Gillespie, community services manager in Lifford RehabCare, said: “You have to hand it Fiona. She was not always able to take on a commitment like that in the past. From her first involvement in the local committee, Fiona has progressed more than 100 per cent. NRAC has given her a load of confidence.”
At the NRAC national meeting recently, the Dáil’s youngest TD, Simon Harris, spoke of his experiences advocating on behalf of his brother Adam, who is autistic.
He argued passionately for the voices of people with disabilities to be heard and for them to have a say in their own care.
“There is a massive opportunity to finally reform disability services in this country and you must be a part of it. You are the advocates,” he said.
“Nobody knows better than you. Don’t let any expert make you feel they know best. You know best. You’re living your life, you’re experiencing challenges, you know what works and frankly you know what is a waste of time.”
