National Disability Strategies

The National Disability Authority (NDA) works to support the implementation of national disability strategies through our continued independent advice to, and direct engagement with, the departments and agencies concerned.

We also contribute through relevant working, steering and advisory groups and through our research and data gathering to inform our policy advice.

On this page

UNCRPD Implementation Plan

As the National Disability Inclusion Strategy comes to an end at the end of 2022, our attention is turning to the development of a successor strategy which will focus on the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). The NDA continues to work with the National Disability Inclusion Strategy Steering Group to commence the development of this successor strategy.

Cover of National Disability Inclusion Strategy

National Disability Inclusion Strategy 2017-2022

We conduct an annual independent assessment of the progress of the National Disability Inclusion Strategy.

Comprehensive Employment Strategy

We conduct an annual independent assessment of the progress of the Comprehensive Employment Strategy.

National Housing Strategy for Disabled People

Read more about this strategy on our housing page.

Strategies and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD)

Although the National Disability Inclusion Strategy is the current vehicle for implementing the UNCRPD in Ireland it was developed before Ireland ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in 2018.

We have carried out a comprehensive piece of work, tracking current legislation, policies, initiatives and practices against the Articles contained in the UNCRPD, to understand the potential for realising those rights through existing policy.

In November 2021, Ireland submitted its first state party report to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The report describes what Ireland is doing to protect and enhance the rights of people with disabilities. The work done under the National Disability Inclusion Strategy and Comprehensive Employment Strategy feature in this report.

The current National Disability Inclusion Strategy (2017-2022) is coming to an end soon and work is beginning on the development of a successor strategy that will be rooted in UNCRPD. We will support the development of this strategy and the design of a monitoring mechanism.

Previous Disability Strategies

We provide an overview of some of the older disability strategies and key reports.

Autism Innovation Strategy

We made a submission to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth on the Autism Innovation Strategy