Disability Awareness, Rights & Equality

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Disability Awareness, Rights & Equality

Are You Bridging the Divide?

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Welcome...

What is Disability Awareness Training? It simply means giving people the knowledge required to carry out a job or task, separating good practice from poor. It is no longer enough for staff to know that discrimination is unlawful or where the accessible toilet is located. You and your staff must be aware of the broader needs of a range of people with different disabilities, and the appropriate language and etiquette to communicate with them.

Photo: Three staff members huddled together.

For example, how often do you:

Challenge others who tell derogatory jokes about people with disabilities?
Accept and reinforce the fact that not everyone has to act or look a certain way to be successful or valuable?
Take responsibility for helping new people feel welcome and accepted?
Empower people with disabilities, assigning responsibility to them as often as to others?
Disregard physical characteristics when making decisions about competence or ability?
Get to know people with disabilities?

The training sessions presented by Frances Finucane Butler are interactive, and encourage participants to share their experiences of disability. Using a range of experiential methods, Frances guides participants as they gain insight into a whole range of challenging disability issues, something which other 'packaged' training sources may not provide.

Training is customised to meet the needs of the client organisation. A typical session will include group activities, exercises, digital slides, video presentations and open floor discussions. To facilitate different schedules, training can be adjusted to a half-day session but a minimum of one-day is recommended. Download PDF Brochure.

"My goal is to empower people to develop their environmental and attitudinal awareness which will assist in providing the best access for people with disabilities, make sound decisions and identify any negativity or barriers which may cause a person with a disability to be isolated or segregated."

Frances Finucane Butler’s Approved Training Programmes have been placed on the FÁS / EI National Register of Trainers. The registration number of Frances Finucane Butler is 902223 and the registration expiry date is 27/04/2008.

If you would like more information on any of the training services referred to on this website, you may click here for a contact form.

Evening Echo - 04/05/2005
Disability Bill is a 'farce' says trainer (PDF)
article by Edel O'Connell.

RTE News - 08/02/2005
Call for Government to abandon Disability Bill
report by Jennifer O'Connell.

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