Minister for Disabilities announces €2m Digital and Assistive Technologies fund to enhance participation and independence of people with disabilities

Minister of State for Disabilities, Anne Rabbitte, has announced a call for projects under a new once-off €2 million Digital and Assistive Technology Fund, which aims to enrich the participation and independence of people with disabilities.

The fund will be managed by the National Clinical Programme for People with Disability (NCPPD) and Disability Operations areas of the HSE, who will assess projects to ensure they meet the objectives of the fund:

• to improve access to digital and assistive technologies (DAT) for people with disabilities, improving independence and participation and reducing social isolation

• to facilitate a person with disability and their service provider led approach to delivering more accessible and efficient digital and assistive technology services in the disability sector

• to initiate broad systems strengthening, greater interoperability and sharing of DAT resources across organisations providing services to people with disability.

Speaking of the fund, Minister Rabbitte said:

"I am delighted to be able to launch this fund today, which I think will aid many people with disabilities to participate in society and claim their rights as equal citizens through the use of digital and assistive technologies (DAT).

"Assistive technologies can range from wheelchairs, a magnifying glass for someone with a visual impairment, a smartphone app, or a smart speaker. The Irish government has ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), and an important part of this is right of people to access DAT.

"This fund however is also about creating broader systems strengthening, greater interoperability and sharing of resources across organisations," concluded Minister Rabbitte.

The HSE will now contact all HSE and HSE funded agencies who have the knowledge of service user DAT needs and unmet needs. These agencies will work with the NCPPD, in accordance with the specific terms and conditions of this project of engaging in joint working and co-designing systems improvements with service users and other service providers.

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