Mr. Patrick Flanagan:

It is very important that disabled people would be afforded more opportunities to explore self-employment and entrepreneurship. They are some of the most creative and innovative people you could meet. That is the case for many reasons, not least the different ways in which we have to adapt and navigate society and our daily lives in order to be able to live independently and to be able to live the lives we choose to lead.

Reference was made to the person who became a nurse. With regard to employers, the first point that is essential is that disability equality training is provided, not disability awareness training. We see that as being important in addressing attitudes that should not still but do prevail in society.

The wage subsidy scheme is a very negative one that focuses on what people cannot do and deficiencies and inefficiencies. It is not inefficiency; it is a different way of working. People do different things. With regard to employer confidence, in any situation, whether it is a business, health or building expert, we are asking them to suddenly be an expert in disability. They will never be an expert in disability unless they have either a disability themselves or the lived experience of it. We consider that supports such as the wage subsidy scheme, assistive technology and reasonable accommodations are essential and that they are provided through and to disabled persons themselves, and that they are empowered and they are made the experts in what they need. There is no onus on employers to have to know what to ask or what to provide. All they need to do is say: "What do you need, what do you have and how can we facilitate that?" If I have all the accommodations I need, the medical supports I need and I have confidence that I will not lose supports, if somebody wants to offer me a job, I can turn around straight away and say, that is fine, I can start on a particular day and I need the employer to be prepared to accept that I am bringing X, Y and Z with me, and the employer may need to provide one or two things in addition. If they are already provided and I can access them, then the employer will not have the issue of delays in accessing grants or having to retrospectively apply for funding. Putting the disabled person at the centre and at the start of everything that we do would lead to great strides being made in terms of beginning to address a number of issues that are being raised.