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FINAL TEXT 27 MARCH 2006 National Council on Ageing and Older People National Disability Authority Proceedings of the Seminar: The Interface Between Ageing and Disability February 2006, Burlington Hotel Dublin Editor: Dr Wendy Cox Seminar Proceedings: The Interface between Ageing and Disability CONTENTS Introduction OPENING SESSION: AGEING AND DISABILITY Chair: Cllr Eibhlin Byrne, Chair, National Council on Ageing and Older People Introduction to the Joint NCAOP/NDA Initiative Patricia Conboy Mapping Issues for Policy and Practice in the Irish Setting Shari McDaid Adopting a Life Course Approach to Ageing and Disability Dr Mark Priestley 16 Discussion (1) 23 SECOND SESSION: AGEING WITH A DISABILITY AND DISABILITY IN OLD AGE – PARTICIPANT EXPERIENCES Chair: Cllr Eibhlin Byrne, Chair, National Council on Ageing and Older People Reports from small group discussions 24 THIRD SESSION: PANEL FORUM Chair: Siobhan Barron, Acting Director, National Disability Authority Ageing and Physical Disability Dr Ken Mulpeter 39 Ageing and Intellectual Disability Dr Mary McCarron 42 Ageing and Mental Health Dr Margo Wrigley 49 Older People with Disabilities and Assistive Technology Gerry Ellis 54 Discussion (2) 58 CLOSING REMARKS Siobhan Barron, Acting Director, National Disability Authority 60 Bob Carroll, Director, National Council on Ageing and Older People 62 Speakers and Chairs 64 Seminar Participants 66 Seminar Proceedings: The Interface between Ageing and Disability Introduction On February 2006, the National Council on Ageing and Older People and the National Disability Authority jointly hosted a half-day seminar in the Burlington Hotel, Dublin, entitled The Interface Between Ageing and Disability Representatives of ageing and disability organisations, statutory and non-statutory service planners and providers, experts on ageing and on disability, people with disabilities and older people were all invited to participate The seminar was an important step in a three-stage project undertaken jointly by the two agencies It set out: • To share the findings of a joint discussion paper, based on a review of the literature, on the interface between ageing and disability; • To provide a framework to enable seminar participants to discuss the findings in the light of their own experience of policy and practice responses to people ageing with a disability or affected by disability in old age; • To facilitate participants’ feedback in order to inform the development of a draft policy position paper by the NCAOP and NDA on ageing and disability Seminar Proceedings The seminar proceedings follow the format of the seminar, and include as far as possible the complete texts of presentations made to the meeting The seminar was organised in three sessions: Opening session The opening plenary session provided an overall context and focus for the work of the seminar It was addressed by three speakers involved in policy and research on the interface between ageing and disability: • The rationale for the joint project between the NCAOP and the NDA was set out by Patricia Conboy, Policy Officer with NCAOP • The two agencies’ joint analysis of the current position and central issues involved in ageing and disability in Ireland, was outlined by Shari McDaid, NDA’s Policy and Public Affairs Advisor, in a presentation based on ‘Ageing and Disability: a Discussion Paper’ • The life course approach to ageing and disability and its relevance to Irish policy and practice was presented by Dr Mark Priestley of the University of Leeds Seminar Proceedings: The Interface between Ageing and Disability Second session In the second session of the seminar, participants formed four small groups for workshop discussions based on their own experiences, which were then summarised in brief oral reports to the plenary The questions put to these groups were: Are there policy and practice areas that you want to identify as of concern for people ageing with a disability, or who experience disability in old age? What specific issues arise in those areas? Specifically in terms of health and social care services, what issues arise in responding to people who are ageing with a disability, or who experience disability in old age? Third session In the third session of the seminar, a set of short panel presentations from four expert practitioners provided a range of perspectives on issues arising at the interface between ageing and disability, and their implications for policy Their presentations focused on: • ageing and physical disability (Dr Ken Mulpeter) • ageing and intellectual disability (Dr Mary McCarron) • ageing and mental health (Dr Margo Wrigley) • assistive technology for older people with disabilities (Gerry Ellis) Closing session Following a short general discussion, the Directors of the National Disability Authority and the National Council on Ageing and Older People responded to the presentations and discussions, and contributed closing remarks Appendices A list of seminar participants, and details of the chairs and speakers for each session, are appended Seminar Proceedings: The Interface between Ageing and Disability OPENING SESSION AGEING AND DISABILITY Chair: Cllr Eibhlin Byrne Seminar Proceedings: The Interface between Ageing and Disability Opening of the Seminar Cllr Eibhlin Byrne, Chairperson, National Council on Ageing and Older People It is widely acknowledged that a society which plans to grow old can afford to grow old, and it is this notion of planning and policy which is central to our discussions this morning Disability and ageing are realities for our society, each unique but interwoven Clear policies reflecting the realities of peoples’ lives, rather than the categorisations of the health services, need to be developed The audience gathered here is well placed to direct and to provide for these policies We begin with Patricia Conboy, who will set the context for our discussions and will talk about the joint initiative between the National Disability Authority and the National Council on Ageing and Older People Seminar Proceedings: The Interface between Ageing and Disability Introduction to the Interface between Ageing and Disability Patricia Conboy, Policy Officer, NCAOP Introduction This short presentation outlines the rationale for the coming together of the National Council on Ageing and Older People with the National Disability Authority, to work on what we have called The Interface between Disability and Ageing It will briefly sketch six points These will be further developed by Shari McDaid in the presentation which follows An age friendly, disability friendly, person-centred society In 2005, the National Council on Ageing and Older People published a position paper, called An Age Friendly Society, in which we argued that a society that is age friendly must also be disability friendly Ultimately, a society which is both age friendly and disability friendly is person-centred, that is, designed to respond to the needs of individuals rather than to the labels that are assigned to them Census 2002 The findings of Census 2002 indicate to us why an age friendly society must be a disability friendly society, because it shows that 11 per cent of the Irish population is aged 65 years and over Of that 11 per cent, more than one third experience disability as defined by the Census, and the overall findings demonstrate the increasing occurrence of impairment as people age The Census findings flag to us a reality and a requirement for strategic planning and action, in terms of the sheer numbers of people whose needs relate to both ageing and disability Common and divergent interests; developing new approaches The Census findings also suggested to the National Council and the National Disability Authority that there may be areas of common interest between the ageing and disability sectors, though we recognise that there will also be areas of divergence between us So we have come together to begin to map out those areas of common and divergent interest, and to develop recommended approaches to policy and practice, in the interests of people with disability and people who are ageing The Irish context All of this represents a considerable challenge in the Irish context where: • There are two population groups, those with early onset disability who are ageing, and older people who experience the late onset of disability; Seminar Proceedings: The Interface between Ageing and Disability • The Irish health and social services categorise older people and people with disabilities as two distinct client groups; • Ireland is currently experiencing great movement in terms of policy, legislation, funding and service development initiatives, which carry different implications for people on the basis of how they are categorised administratively, and not necessarily on the basis of their needs as individuals, be they older people or people with disabilities The joint project To meet this challenge, the National Council and the National Disability Authority have undertaken a joint project in three stages: • The first was a literature review on the interface between ageing and disability Its findings have been incorporated into the Discussion Paper Ageing and Disability, and they form the basis for Shari McDaid’s presentation today • The second is today’s seminar, at which we hope to hear the views of people in the ageing and disability sectors in relation to these findings, and to ensure that our joint work on policy and planning will be informed by the issues and concerns of people ‘on the ground’ with direct experience of the realities • Following the seminar, the third stage will be the development of a joint policy position paper, in draft and final versions, that will set out the shared recommendations of the National Council on Ageing and Older People and the National Disability Authority on policy approaches to ageing and disability in the Irish setting Situating the project Finally, in order to situate the joint project, I want to indicate again the scale of the challenge, by referring to the experience of the Council in developing a position statement on the age friendly society We identified the barriers to the creation of such a society, including: • Ageism as a form of discrimination affecting older people; • The lack of a statutory basis for policy on older people; • Inappropriate concepts and models of older age, such as the deficit model and heroic model; • Inadequacies in information systems for planning purposes; • A range of policy issues, for example the provision of services on the basis of eligibility rather than entitlement In a parallel way, the National Disability Authority has addressed barriers to the participation of people with disabilities in Irish society, similarly highlighting issues of discrimination, inappropriate models and concepts, and specific issues of policy and practice Seminar Proceedings: The Interface between Ageing and Disability So we have two sectors that have worked mainly in parallel Perspectives, concepts, models, language have differed Our task now is to forge from those diverse perspectives the common goals and ultimately new models that will be more responsive to the needs of people ageing with a disability and/or experiencing the onset of disability in old age That is what you, through your participation in this seminar, are helping us to this morning Seminar Proceedings: The Interface between Ageing and Disability Mapping Issues for Policy and Practice in the Irish Setting Shari McDaid, Policy and Public Affairs Advisor, National Disability Authority [Note: the presentation was illustrated by a series of visual images, which are not included here Some of them are referred to in the text.] This presentation is based on the Discussion Paper on Ageing and Disability which you have before you this morning The Discussion Paper is very much a joint piece of work, and I want to thank Patricia for all her assistance in its development I have chosen to begin my presentation with a picture of a man and a woman breaking ground because I think we are breaking new ground here today, in the way that people from the ageing and disability sectors are getting together to discuss our common and divergent issues This is a new start We have statistics which show that a substantial number of older people are disabled, and that the numbers of older people are increasing But the question is how we respond? Currently there is widespread discussion of a ‘demographic timebomb’ This discussion presents the ageing population as a problem However, we would like to shift the debate, to see the growing ageing population as a positive achievement, the harvest of our society, and something to celebrate In order to that, we need to re-think ageing, disability and dependency and to see how we can respond positively to an ageing population What the data tells us about older people with disabilities To begin talking about ageing and disability, it will be helpful to describe the kinds of disabilities we are concerned with • The largest group of older people with disabilities are those with mobility difficulties 70 per cent of older people with disabilities experience restriction in physical activity • Older people also have a high rate of sensory impairment, with 30 per cent experiencing some difficulty hearing, seeing or speaking • Older people can also develop intellectual impairments such as difficulty learning, remembering or concentrating • According to figures in the UK, older people experience significant rates of mental health difficulties • Finally, older people are more likely to have more than one type of disability Of disabled people over age 65, about two thirds experience more than one kind of disability or restriction, and the incidence of multiple restrictions rises with age Seminar Proceedings: The Interface between Ageing and Disability Developing residential care services For residential care, there must be a proper needs assessment, rather than simple grouping by age There should be a range of settings to respond to people’s individual problems, and the type and number of places that are required should be based on guidelines which are readily available and which have stood the test of time If an Irish database were available, it would help enormously with planning these services Conclusion Mental health disorders, as I hope I have illustrated, are extremely common in later life They may be very disabling but they are also very treatable The responses are there if they can be made available However, I would emphasise the following three points: • • • First, appropriate responses are in danger of being lost in the Care Group system; second, ageism undoubtedly limits effectiveness, and it does so in both directions; and finally, inadequate resourcing remains a major problem 53 Seminar Proceedings: The Interface between Ageing and Disability Older People with Disabilities and Assistive Technology Gerry Ellis, Usability and Accessibility Consultant, Feel The BenefIT Introduction My contribution today relates primarily to the role that technology can play in facilitating older people and people with disabilities to play a full part in their societies and in living their lives independently Other speakers have highlighted the fact that demographics dictate that older people are becoming an increasing proportion of the population Thus, I will only include one statistic: A Strategy for Equality, the report of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities estimated ‘that half of all people with disabilities in the Republic are aged 60 and over’ It is, therefore, obvious that the interface between ageing and disability is both porous and becoming ever more significant The role of technology People with disabilities are frequently unintentionally excluded from many aspects of society because of inaccessible transport, physical environments or paper-based information Because of this, people with disabilities can gain disproportionately if they can use electronic alternatives This includes obvious areas such as employment and e-commerce, but also such areas as using household devices, television and lifelong learning An area of particular importance is accessing public information such as exchanging information with government web sites Technology, however, can be a twin-bladed sword, as it can create barriers that did not previously exist As more and more products and services are delivered electronically rather than in more traditional methods, it is becoming increasingly important to be able to access them electronically If they are not designed in a way that is accessible, new barriers are erected to people with disabilities, including older people, which would not otherwise exist Design for All Design for All is an approach to designing products and services that includes the needs of the maximum number of potential users without alteration This relates to all products and services including transport, buildings etc., but can be of particular use in the area of information technology It is an approach to design of products and services which tries to include the needs of the maximum number of users without having to alter that product or service Design for All includes the idea that people with disability, older people and other potential users should be involved right from the design stage through the testing phases of a product or service, to ensure that their needs are included It is too late 54 Seminar Proceedings: The Interface between Ageing and Disability finding out after a product is developed and is being tested that it is inaccessible It also recognises that it costs little to include the needs of older people and people with disabilities at the design stage, but accessibility is expensive to retrofit Public bodies The use of Design for All criteria is particularly important for public bodies They cannot choose their customers, including people with disabilities and older people Public bodies see opportunities to save money by delivering products and services electronically rather than by using more traditional, labour-intensive methods They will never realise those savings if they ignore the needs of a large number of their potential customers, such as older people and people with disabilities, for whom they will have to continue to provide the labour-intensive services So they also gain if their products and services are accessible Policy areas of concern As technology becomes increasingly pervasive in all areas of our lives, both inside and outside the home, the areas of policy that are of concern are extraordinarily wide Yet they must be influenced now, as decisions taken today will affect people for many years to come This paper can only touch on a small number of the more important areas of concern These include: European Directives on Public Procurement Two European Directives are due to come into force throughout Europe at the end of this month, and cover every cent that is spent by public bodies They allow for the needs of people with disabilities to be taken into account by public bodies when awarding public contracts It is vital that these Directives are transposed into Irish legislation in such a way as to ensure that they will make a real and positive difference for people with disabilities and older people They must then be implemented and policed, and it will be up to us to make sure that that is the case Design for All Every effort must be made to ensure that Design for All criteria are utilised when developing technology products and services, be they in the public or private sector Locally, this involves education of designers and developers, promotion of the benefits and, in some cases, enforcement However, it must also include promoting such criteria amongst the developers of standards at a European and world level The inclusion of such criteria in mainstream products and services offers the best opportunity to improve the penetration of accessibility and it will also reduce costs It should be noted that the main Standards bodies in Europe have already started adopting Design for All in their standards Building Regulations It is pointless having accessible technology if one cannot get into a building or use all the facilities provided inside Thus, the existing Part M of the Building 55 Seminar Proceedings: The Interface between Ageing and Disability Regulations must be enforced Much recent research has shown that this is currently far from the case These regulations are currently being reviewed They must recognise various strategies used by people with disabilities and older people These not just include physical needs such as those using electronic scooters and their like, but also those using assistive technologies and aids to independent living such as Personal Assistants and guide dogs Sectoral Plans Under the recent Disability Act, six Departments have produced draft Sectoral Plans as part of the government’s disability strategy These are currently the subject of consultation It is very important that we influence them to ensure the maximum benefit to people with disabilities and older people For instance, the Plan from the Department of Communications, the Marine and Natural Resources says nothing about communications Nor does it mention the agencies under its remit such as ESB, Bord Gáis, etc Organisations of people with disabilities and older people must make their voices heard to influence these Plans Health and social services concerns Again, as this is such a wide area, this paper can only touch on some of the more important areas These include: Quality assurance It is vital that the quality of all services is monitored and enforced This includes ensuring that standards such as those developed by the National Standards for Disability Services Project in the NDA take specific account of the needs of older people These standards must be adapted and enforced by service providers Coordination of lobbying It is difficult for any service provider or public organisation to prioritise needs when they receive a plethora of different submissions on a wide variety of subjects from myriad groups of consumers at varying times It would be particularly useful if consumer organisations of people with disabilities and older people would come together on a regular basis to prioritise needs and make joint submissions This would in no way prevent any organisation making an individual submission outside of this process Coordination of delivery It is vital that services that are delivered by public bodies under the aegis of different Government Departments and by private bodies are co-ordinated This involves representatives of these Departments and private bodies working together to agree priorities and harmonise standards They must also ensure that these standards are implemented and adhered to 56 Seminar Proceedings: The Interface between Ageing and Disability Person-centred approach Nobody would disagree with the idea of placing the person at the centre of service delivery However, for this to be truly effective funding should follow the person, not the service provider Once consumers have control of the funding, they can then choose which is their preferred provider This is sure to improve competition and standards of service This also requires that advocacy services are made available because many older people with disabilities would not be used to making those choices without this support Conclusions Older people are not only an increasingly large proportion of the population, but a large number of them have a variety of disabilities They can gain disproportionately from access to technologies, as they often not have access to alternatives that are available to other members of society However, if technologies used in the home and elsewhere are inaccessible, they will become an increasing and unnecessary barrier Interventions are required to ensure that products and services designed now will be accessible to older people over the next number of years These include the areas of education of designers and developers, promotion of the benefits and, in some cases, enforcement Coordination of lobbying, harmonisation of standards at a national, European and international level and a person-centred approach to delivery are all key requirements These are big demands, but our Constitution and the ideals of our Republic assert equality for all citizens Increasingly, this means equality in access to information and communication technologies Action now to ensure the accessibility to ICTs will allow older people to contribute to their societies and allow them to better enjoy their later years All of society will gain 57 Seminar Proceedings: The Interface between Ageing and Disability Discussion (2) Following the panel presentations, comments and questions to the panellists were invited from the floor, and a short exchange of views took place, focusing on three main areas: questions of terminology which had been used in the presentations; the difficulties associated with chronological age boundaries; and the need for advocacy services for older people with disabilities Terminology In response to an objection from a participant to his use of the term ‘bed blocker’, Dr Mulpeter clarified that he had referred to the expression precisely to highlight the fact that the people referred to were in fact disabled people who could not go home The use of the term ‘successful ageing’ was queried by a participant who pointed out how, in contrast to the expressions ‘positive ageing’ and ‘active ageing’, it can imply failure for some older people, and thus exclude them Dr McCarron responded that the use of the term in the medical profession had now been expanded to include the sense of ‘active aging’ and was not used solely in relation to levels of physical and mental health One participant queried Dr Mulpeter’s use of the concept of ‘marketing’, commenting that it would be unwise to depend on the market to provide the services that older people and people with disability need, as these services would inevitably turn out to be minimal Dr Mulpeter agreed and clarified his point that resources should be made available to individuals in order for them to make their own choices Chronological age barriers It was noted that the age limit of 65 had been raised several times in the presentations, and was central to the issues NCAOP and NDA were exploring, and to their concern for person-centred services A number of concerns were raised from the floor, in the context of the HSE’s move to consultant-led services, in which consultants increasingly tend to practice one specialism: • Who screens the patient and decides what service they will receive? Will it be the receptionist, or will consultants themselves decide? • Are consultants complicit in discrimination if they use the 65 year cut-off because they are strapped for resources? • How will care for older people with multiple health problems be organised, and who will take overall responsibility? Panellists agreed that there were difficulties for the groups who were the subject of the seminar, in the way medical care is evolving Mr Ellis reminded the seminar that one of the reasons for the age 65 boundary was that a range of services developed in the 1980s and 1990s using EU money 58 Seminar Proceedings: The Interface between Ageing and Disability and aimed specifically at people who would be enabled to take up or return to employment after receiving the service This inevitably meant discrimination against people who were not likely to be employed because they were already past normal working age Dr Wrigley agreed that the age limit was a barrier to providing the most appropriate care for each person, but pointed out the practical difficulties in current circumstances of trying to ignore cut-off points in providing medical care This could often mean displacement of one patient by another if additional resources were not available Moreover, while she agreed that there is a gap in relation to people under 65 with dementia, and that her service would be best placed to work in this area with organisation like the Alzheimer Society of Ireland, she also emphasised that the needs of younger and older people are different Her approach was to highlight the issues, including the need for greater resources Advocacy services for older people with disabilities The panel were asked by a speaker from the Alzheimer Society to outline priorities for the development of advocacy services Dr Mulpeter responded that the vital thing was to facilitate the older persons or disabled persons to speak for themselves, however difficult this might be This would deliver a much stronger message than organisations speaking for them Dr McCarron suggested that it was important to look at other fields where advocacy services have already developed strongly, and learn from their experiences 59 Seminar Proceedings: The Interface between Ageing and Disability Closing Remarks Siobhan Barron, Acting Director, National Disability Authority I would like to take this opportunity to underscore the National Disability Authority’s commitment to the area of ageing and disability 42 per cent of disabled people are aged over 65, and the NDA considers the time is ripe to work with the National Council on Ageing and Older People on ageing and disability as a key area of our work for the future The discussion this morning has been very valuable, and the proceedings of this seminar will inform our policy development on ageing and disability There are a number of developments in the external environment that can impact positively on older people with disabilities and on those who acquire disabilities later in life The Government’s National Disability Strategy affirms its commitment to disability policy in a number of important ways: • Provisions of the Disability Act 2005: Part of the Act provides for an independent assessment of need in relation to health services, and people will have an individual service statement and access to a complaints and appeal mechanism • Accessibility of public buildings and services: Part of the Act imposes a new duty on public bodies to make public buildings accessible by 31st December 2015, and as far as practicable to make their services and information accessible to people with disabilities This section includes access to a complaints process with right of appeal to the Ombudsman These developments will be of benefit to disabled people of all ages • Sectoral Plans from Government Departments: under the National Disability Strategy, six Government Departments are required to produce Sectoral Plans and programmes of action about their services for people with disabilities These are now published in draft form, will be finalised in consultation with the sector, and are due to go before the Oireachtas by the end of July There is a good opportunity now to inform Departments about how their Plans could benefit older people with disabilities • Design for All: the Act establishes a Centre for Excellence in Universal Design (or ‘design for all’) within the National Disability Authority to promote accessibility in design • Accessible public broadcasting: the Act also provides for the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland to make rules so that broadcasts can be more accessible to people with hearing and vision impairments These will cover such matters as providing subtitling, audio description and sign language 60 Seminar Proceedings: The Interface between Ageing and Disability • A National Disability Survey: for the first time in Ireland there will be a National Disability Survey in 2006 This is built on to the National Census, and will be a unique opportunity to get a comprehensive picture of the numbers of people with disabilities It will provide us with important data across social, economic and other aspects of people’s lives, to assist in planning of services and policies • Public transport: significant commitments have been made towards accessible public transport in the Transport 21 strategy • Review of Part M of the Building Regulations: this has recently been announced by Government So there are a lot of important developments, which are all happening fairly soon, and there is a real chance for change The National Disability Strategy and the other Government policies will need to take account of the needs of an older population with disabilities, and today’s seminar has been a significant contribution in informing us on the key issues that need to be addressed The National Disability Authority is well positioned, given its statutory role, to advise the Minister on disability policy and to support the development of an inclusive society for people with disabilities of all ages It has significant expertise in the areas of research, guidelines and policy, for example in relation to accessibility and person-centred planning We recognise that there are specific issues for older people with disabilities which require attention, and we are committed to utilising our expertise to advise on the development of policies which will enable the social inclusion and independence of older people with disabilities One of the core values underpinning the NDA’s work is that of partnership, and we look forward to working in partnership with the NCAOP on developing a joint draft policy position paper which can be used as a basis for advising Government on ageing and disability policy Acknowledgements I would like to take the opportunity to thank the staff of the NCAOP for organising this seminar, and enabling our participation In particular I would like to thank Dr Mark Priestley, Dr Ken Mulpeter, Dr Mary McCarron, Dr Margo Wrigley and Mr Gerry Ellis for sharing their expertise with us Our thanks also go to Councillor Eibhlin Byrne, Chairperson, Bob Carroll, Director, and Patricia Conboy, Policy Officer, at the NCAOP for their commitment during the development of this project I would also like to thank Shari McDaid for her contribution and dedication to this project, and to the other staff of the NDA who have supported the workshop Finally, I would like to thank you all for your thoughtful contributions to this morning’s discussion 61 Seminar Proceedings: The Interface between Ageing and Disability Closing Remarks Bob Carroll, Director, National Council on Ageing and Older People First of all, I want to thank everyone for their contributions to a very important enterprise in this joint work to put together a policy paper based on the common interests of the ageing and disability sectors I would like to point out a number of things highlighted in the discussions, which I think are particularly important At the beginning we said that there is currently a flow of policy, legislative, funding and service development initiatives under way which carry different implications for people on the basis of how they are categorised administratively, rather than on the basis of need We have to get over that, and I think that in our work together we can contribute to overcoming that hurdle Clearly there are differences of need for people with different impairments, and those with early and late onset disability But while these differences call for different responses, they not necessarily call for different organisational structures Services should only be organised, funded and available on the basis of assessed need which takes the whole person into account To otherwise risks jeopardising equity, consistency and justice, which must be at the heart of society's response to the needs of those who are old or who are disabled I would like to take up Mark Priestley's helpful points on the life course approach to age and disability His distinction between the individual biographical way of thinking about the life course and the structural normative way of thinking about it is most useful The life course perspective is critical in protecting the individual from negative societal attitudes, particularly ageism, and especially at times when services and care are being negotiated and mediated We need to hold on to that My final point refers to the whole way we talk about ageing, including the difficulties associated with the term ‘successful ageing’ As an alternative, I will offer the definition of an age friendly society, which is also a disability friendly society, as the National Council on Ageing and Older People put it forward recently in its position paper, The Age Friendly Society: A society for all ages is the foundation for an age friendly society In such a society the interdependence of generations and individuals is emphasised, diversity is recognised, the identity, values and beliefs of the individual are protected and social cohesion is fostered through the adoption of socially inclusive policies and priorities In a society for all ages, the generations are valued equally, and intergenerational solidarity is part of the social contract In such a society, a life course perspective is adopted by all authorities, there is consistency and equity in the treatment of all citizens and risks are pooled between and within generations (NCAOP 2005, p.27) 62 Seminar Proceedings: The Interface between Ageing and Disability Our position paper went on to consider the issue, which has been raised here today, of social constructs of ageing It states: A truly age friendly society will not impose any social construct of ageing on its individual older citizens To so would risk alienating those for whom those constructs have no relevance or meaning and who may feel threatened by a perceived moral selectivity or burdened by norms set by others In contrast, an age friendly society will be person-centred and will seek to accommodate the perspective of the individual older person as far as it can be ascertained, as well as respecting the older person’s lived experience of ageing (NCAOP 2005, p.28) This will be true also for individuals with disabilities in a disability friendly society The National Council on Ageing and Older People is particularly concerned to further explore with older people with disabilities the meaning for them of independence, dependence and interdependence, and the barriers faced by those with early onset disability or with late onset disability in achieving a good quality of life despite their illness or disability Thank you 63 Seminar Proceedings: The Interface between Ageing and Disability Speakers and Chairs Eibhlin Byrne Councillor Eibhlin Byrne is the Chairperson of the National Council on Ageing and Older People Patricia Conboy Patricia Conboy is Policy Officer with the National Council on Ageing and Older People Shari McDaid Shari McDaid is Policy and Public Affairs Advisor with the National Disability Authority Mark Priestley Dr Mark Priestley is a Reader in the Centre for Disability Studies in the University of Leeds and currently Pro-Dean for Research in the Faculty of Education, Social Sciences and Law From 1999 to 2002 he held a personal ESRC Research Fellowship for a three-year programme of research under the title Disability, Social Policy and the Life Course He is also administrator of the international discussion group, which he founded in December 1994 as a focus for global debate on disability research issues Mark contributes to taught courses in disability studies, social policy and research methods He was formerly a lecturer in Rehabilitation Work with Visually Impaired People and an independent trainer with social services and health sector staff His current research interests include the implementation of direct payments policies in the UK, and comparative and European disability policies Siobhan Barron Siobhan Barron is Acting Director of the National Disability Authority Ken Mulpeter Dr Ken Mulpeter is a Consultant Geriatrician at Letterkenny General Hospital, and is Chair of the Irish Society of Physicians in Geriatric Medicine (ISPGM) 64 Seminar Proceedings: The Interface between Ageing and Disability Mary McCarron Dr Mary McCarron is an international expert in the field of intellectual disability and dementia, and has played lead roles in assessing symptoms of dementia, developing specialist clinic services, and consulting on day-to-day care management She is a Lecturer and Acting Director of Research at the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Trinity College, and is the Policy and Service Advisor on Dementia Care for the Daughters of Charity Service Dr McCarron also provides a variety of consultation services to governmental and voluntary providers and to umbrella agencies Margo Wrigley Dr Margo Wrigley is Consultant Psychiatrist and Clinical Director, Psychiatry of Old Age at St Vincent’s Hospital Fairview, and at the Mater Misericordiae Hospital Gerry Ellis Gerry Ellis is a consultant in the area of Accessibility and Usability under the company name of ‘Feel the BenefIT’ He is blind and works as a software engineer with a major bank in Dublin He holds a degree in Economics from University College Dublin and is a Fellow of the Irish Computer Society He has been active at a local, national and international level in organisations involved with the inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of society for over 20 years Bob Carroll Bob Carroll is Director of the National Council on Ageing and Older People 65 Seminar Proceedings: The Interface between Ageing and Disability Seminar Participants Ms Siobhan Barron Ms Martina Baxter Acting Director, National Disability Authority Office Manager, FADE - Fingal Awareness of Disability and Equality Mr Brendan Broderick Cllr Éibhlin Byrne Mr Gerard Byrne Ms Maureen Caffrey CEO, Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary Chairperson, National Council on Ageing and Older People National Council for the Blind of Ireland Area Coordinator of Services for Older People HSE North Eastern Area Ms Mary Cannon Ms Avril Carey Mr Bob Carroll Ms Carmel Clarke Strategy Implementation Officer, HSE Dublin North East Occupational Therapist, HSE East Coast Area Director, National Council on Ageing and Older People Activities Coordinator, Dublin Centre for Independent Living Mr Oliver Clery Ms Patricia Conboy Member, National Council on Ageing and Older People Policy Officer, National Council on Ageing and Older People Ms Janet Convery Ms Mimi Copty Ms Liza Costello Mr Michael Costello Dr Wendy Cox Ms Aideen Delaney Ms Sarah Delaney Ms Cliona Doherty Ms Michelle Donnelly Mr Brian Dowling Ms Eleanor Edmond Mr Gerry Ellis Ms Lisa Farrelly Mr David Fennell Ms Mo Flynn Ms Maria Fox Mr Matthew Gibbs Mr Seamus Greene Ms Elaine Grehan Ms Maeve Halpin Ms Maria Hayes Director of Services for Older People, HSE East Coast Area Project Director, Irish College of General Practitioners DISCUSSION GROUP RAPPORTEUR Access Committee, Irish Hard of Hearing CONFERENCE RAPPORTEUR Instructor/Supervisor, EVE Limited DISCUSSION GROUP FACILITATOR Research Officer, Rehab Group DISCUSSION GROUP RAPPORTEUR Department of Health and Children Advocacy Manager, Alzheimer Society of Ireland Consultant, Feel the BenefIT SEO Services for Older People, HSE Dublin North East Manager, Cheshire Community Services National Care Group Manager, Health Service Executive Regional Support Officer, Disability Federation of Ireland Senior Social Worker, St James's Hospital Director, National Parents and Siblings Alliance Deaf Forward Coordinator, Irish Deaf Society Development Officer, Care Local Assistive Living Coordinator, FADE - Fingal Awareness of Disability and Equality Mr John Heuston Ms Karen Holmes Ms Orla Joyce Ms Samantha Kenny Ms Geraldine Keohane Dr Marie Laffoy SEMINAR ORGANISER Services Coordinator, Post Polio Support Group Legal Researcher, The Law Reform Commission SEMINAR ORGANISER Director of Nursing, Montenotte Care Centre Assistant National Director Population Health, Strategic Planning and Evaluation, Health Service Executive Ms Joyce Lee Ms Julie Ling Senior Occupational Therapist, HSE East Coast Area Nurse Adviser, Services for Older People and Palliative Care Department of Health and Children Mr Gerald Luke Ms Brege McCarrick Dr Mary McCarron Ms Rosarie McCarthy Mr Gerry McCreanor Dublin Centre for Independent Living Disability Coordinator, HSE Midland Area School of Nursing and Midwifery, Trinity College DISCUSSION GROUP RAPPORTEUR Services Manager, HSE Western Area 66 Seminar Proceedings: The Interface between Ageing and Disability Ms Olga McDaid Ms Shari McDaid Mr Tony McEvoy Ms Grainne McGettrick Ms Joan McGovern Ms Breda McHugh Mr Tony McQuinn Mr Paul Maher Ms Sarah Marsh Ms Joanna Marsden DISCUSSION GROUP FACILITATOR Public and Policy Affairs Advisor, National Disability Authority Resident at St Patrick's Cheshire Home Policy Officer, Alzheimer Society of Ireland Service Planning Coordinator, HSE Western Area Care of Older Person, Irish Nurses Organisation Senior Manager, Comhairle Education and Training, Age and Opportunity Senior Social Worker, Irish Association of Social Workers Information and Publications Coordinator, Irish Wheelchair Association Ms Marion Meany Director of Services for People with Disabilities HSE South Western Area Ms Kate Meehan Keyworker for Adults with Physical Disability, HSE North Western Mr Barry Moriarty Mr Tom Moulder Ms Geraldine Mullarkey Dr Ken Mulpeter SEO, HSE Dublin / Mid-Leinster Region Information Officer, Dublin Centre for Independent Living Choice Project Officer, HSE North Western Area Consultant Geriatrician, Letterkenny General Hospital and Chair, Irish Society of Physicians in Geriatric Medicine Ms Geraldine Murphy Mr Jim Murphy Mr Michael Murphy Ms Rosemarie Nolan Mr Maurice O'Connell Ms Christine O'Kelly Manager of Services for Older People, HSE Northern Area Director, Services for Older People, HSE Dublin North East Member, NCAOP Care of Older Persons, Irish Nurses Organisation Alzheimer Society of Ireland Development Officer, Older Women's Network (OWN Ireland) Ms Aine O'Riordan Ms Joyce Ormsby Dr Mark Priestley Ms Sinead Quill Ms Louise Richardson Mr James Rickard Ms Patricia Rickard-Clarke Physiotherapy Manager, HSE Dublin North Central LHO Coordinator, HSE Northern Area Centre for Disability Studies, University of Leeds DISCUSSION GROUP RAPPORTEUR CEO, Older Women's Network (OWN Ireland) Diversity Development Officer, Rehab Group Commissioner, The Law Reform Commission Ms Michelle Rogers SEMINAR ORGANISER Ms Hilary Scanlon Care Group Coordinator, HSE Southern Area Ms Louise Shaarin Irish Deaf Society Ms Sheila Simmons Irish Association of Older People (IAOP) Dr David Stratton Head of Policy and Research, Age Action Ireland Ms Regina Ward SEMINAR ORGANISER Mr Austin Waters Project Manager, HSE North Eastern Area Ms Marion Wilkinson DISCUSSION GROUP FACILITATOR Dr Margo Wrigley Dept of Old Age Psychiatry, Mater Hospital, Dublin assistants from St Patrick's Cheshire Home 67