This event will bring together leading practitioners, researchers and academics from health, social care and legal fields who are supporting parents with disabilities from across Ireland and the UK.
Key aims of the event are to:
Discuss the evidence base for supporting parents with disabilities,
Draw out the experiences of practitioners on the ground,
Identify ‘gaps’ for clinical research and make recommendations for interdisciplinary research practice.
Disability policy in Ireland, as illustrated in successive National Disability Inclusion Strategies, is progressive and supportive of persons with disabilities. However, there is scope for improvement. One area in need of further development is that of supporting parents with disabilities. There is a lack of dedicated supports and services for parents with disabilities. Professionals are often unsure how to proceed when supporting parents with disabilities. Parents with disabilities are over-represented in family court and have a higher rate of having their children removed from their care, often without access to dedicated parenting supports. It is imperative to support parents with disabilities and their families. In recognition of the importance of this challenge, this event is being organised to bring together a variety of perspectives with a view to informing a research agenda and enhancing practice.