Ms Barbara O'Connell:

Many of them are in residential care because there are no services available. Nobody understands rehabilitation will help them. It reduces the burden on the care giver and gives people back power over their own lives. It helps them to have a meaningful life. It reduces the number of hospital admissions and many people actually go back to work. It might not be the same job, but it is somewhere where they can make a valuable contribution. It is a cost saver and not unlike the mental health argument. The people concerned are not sick and do not have a progressive condition. Sometimes what people see is the wheelchair user, but all of the people concerned are the walking wounded. They look perfectly fine and given the right supports and with the right management, they can make a major recovery.