Introducing the Coalition of Disabled Persons Organisations (DPOs) in Ireland

A group of Disabled Persons Organisations (DPOs) have formed a coalition to develop Ireland’s first shadow report to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in Ireland.

The Irish Government is due to submit its first report to the United Nations on its progress implementing the CRPD. It is usual and expected practice for civil society groups to submit a shadow report or a number of shadow reports to the UN at the same time, outlining areas where the State has failed or needs to do better.

The DPO Coalition has come together specifically to lead this work.

DPOs are rights-focused organisations that are led, directed and governed by persons with disabilities.ii A clear majority of their membership are persons with disabilities themselves. DPOs can be either individual organisations or umbrella/coalition organisations. Their focus can be cross disability or on a single impairment. iii The decision to create a coalition is based on the following observations:

• There is currently no umbrella group or national coalition of DPOs in Ireland
• There is inadequate representation of DPOs in current consultative and participative structures
• There is inadequate funding of DPOs in Ireland
• The State has no strategy for realising DPOs participation in CRPD implementation.

The DPO Coalition is committed to the human and social rights model of disability. iv Membership of the DPO Coalition is open to all current rights-based national DPOs in Ireland. The current members of the DPO Coalition are:

• As I Am - Ireland's National Autism Advocacy Organisation.
• Independent Living Movement Ireland (ILMI)
• Irish Deaf Society (IDS)
• National Platform of Self Advocates – Ireland’s only DPO run by people with learning disabilities
• Voice of Vision Impairment (VVI)
• Dr. Rosaleen McDonagh

The coalition aims to communicate with, include, and invite participation from all current rights based national DPOs in Ireland. This is an opportunity to raise concerns about how progress is being made on the CRPD. We are committed to full human and civil rights for all citizens including disabled people.