Dr. Rosaleen McDonagh:

The attitude of the State and how it does business needs to change. Employment, or any other area of our lives, cannot be a silo. At the moment, from childhood to employment there seems to be various strands of policy that do not join up. The fundamental reason we are here is the ratification of the UNCRPD, which acknowledges independent living. If a person does not live in a safe, comfortable way with supports, then how can he or she access education or employment opportunities? I would add that in my experience, we cannot continue this paternal attitude to disabled people whereby we preface every policy or statement with "supported". That should be a built-in reality and we must treat people as independent, autonomous agents of their own lives.