INCARE

On Tuesday, August 25th 1992 in Jurys' Hotel Dublin, a packed press reception (Click here to have a look at the Visitors' List of the launch of INCARE) heard details of an exciting new living alternative which would have far reaching consequences for the life quality of many people with disabilities in Ireland.

INCARE was the trading name of the company which intended starting Ireland's first Center for Independent Living. Through INCARE people with disabilities were able to employ their own personal assistants which enabled them to live independently in the community of their choice. An interesting article on INCARE appeared in the Irish Times at the time: Click here to read that article

Initially INCARE set up an action research programme to cater for 15 people with severe physical disabilities and 35 Personal Care Attendants (PCAs). The scheme was highly successful and the demand for personal assistants exceeded the resources available.The programme allowed for the realisation of one of the ideas of Independent Living.

In 1994, when the INCARE pilot scheme looked in danger of failing due to a lack of funding, the CIL fought hard to persuade the government of the day to supply the extra funds needed to survive ( Read a CIL Press Release of the time and a speech by Brendan Howlin, Minister fro Health of the day). The spirit of the scheme perhaps could be summed quite simply by a statement made by Mr. Martin Naughton to a newspaper at the time of the funding crisis: "We're talking about the difference between living and existing."

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INCARE

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