We are delighted to invite you to Speaking up for ourselves – MDI self-advocacy workshop and community catch-up.

Aims of the workshop:

· To explore what advocacy, activism and lobbying means

· To understand the resources, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (UNCRPD), available to advocates to lobby for change for disabled communities

· To engage in learning about the Irish political system and how to achieve change within it.

Participants will:

• Discuss activism, advocacy and lobbying

• Understand the Irish political system and who their public representatives are

• Evaluate different ways to communicate on matters that they are interested in

• Plan the different stages of organising a campaign

• Assess the importance of including partners, allies and other stakeholders in a campaign

• Be aware of the need to protect their mental and physical health and prevent campaign exhaustion

• Have the opportunity to engage in reflection on what worked and didn’t work.

Speakers: Mary Quirke (Career Confidence Ltd) and Dr Vivian Rath (www.vivianrath.com).

Mary Quirke is a qualified career guidance counsellor and inclusion consultant with over 25 years’ experience and is currently engaged in private practice (Careerconfidence.ie). Mary completed a Ph.D. in September 2023 focused on Inclusion, Universal Design (UD), Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Disability Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and authored the publication “Adopting a UDL Attitude across Higher Education. Understanding & Practicing Inclusion

Mary has most recently engaged in research exploring the experience of women with ADHD and empowerment, employability and career guidance with the Irish Deaf Society (IDS) and career guidance with The Guide Dogs of Ireland. Mary has considerable experience in advocacy roles across education and employment and continues to engaged nationally and internationally, sharing her learning across the various media platforms.

Dr Vivian Rath is a disability and human rights activist, expert in belonging and voice, and

an award-winning equality, diversity, and inclusion advocate. Vivian has spoken to international leaders including President Macron, in the EU Parliament, the Oireachtas, on Irish national tv and radio shows including Tommy Tiernan & RTE Ray D’arcy Show.

Vivian and Mary have presented many disability rights workshops all across the Ireland and the EU. Working with organisations such as AsIAm, AHEAD and the Irish Deaf Society to support their members to develop their self-advocacy skills.

Booking ends: 23:00 on 29 March

Soup and Sandwiches will be provided after the event.