Creating inclusive environments in education & employment for people with disabilities.

Lived Experience Consultation

As part of the WIDE Framework project, we are opening a series of consultations (a discussion where you will share your views) to help us shape the framework output.

This consultation seeks to better understand the experiences of disabled people who are looking for work and disabled people who are currently employed. This learning will be used to help further develop a national framework (a set of structured principles and actions) for employers to hire and promote more people with disabilities and to create workplaces where they can succeed.

How do I get involved?

If you are interested in being a part of the consultation as a person who identifies as having a disability, we would like you to express your interest by 13:00 on Wed 17th July by completing the form below.

You will be informed by email no later than 25th July as to whether you have been selected or not.

Please note, this is an expression of interest to participate in this consultation. Participants will be selected according to the criteria we have set out below. We aim to ensure we have a diverse range of participants, therefore, not all who complete this expression of interest form, will be selected.

When are the Consultations?

We will have two consultations, one online and one in-person. You only have to attend one of the consultations and you will be asked to indicate your preference when completing the Expression of Interest Form. The consultations will take place on the following dates and times:

Online - Wednesday 28th August at 6.30pm
In-Person in Dublin City Centre - Friday 30th August at 11.30am

Who should Participate?

We are committed to transparency regarding the selection of participants. Our guiding selection criteria is as follows;

Disabled people over the age of 18
Disabled people who are looking for work or disabled employees
Disabled people who represent a range of disabilities
Disabled people who represent varied educational attainment levels (school leavers, further education, higher education graduates)
Disabled people who represent a range of intersectional identities (ethnicity, LGBTQ+, religion, socio-economic status etc.)
Disabled people representing a broad geographical spread

Compensation

AHEAD values disabled people’s time and input when participating in research and sharing their lived experience. If you are selected to be part of the consultation, you will be compensated for your contributions at the consultation with a gift voucher of €150.

This sum has been calculated as approximately 10 hours of total time given at the rate of the current Irish living wage (€14.80). This is deemed to be the average time a participant will contribute and cover reading materials in advance, travel time, and attendance at the consultation and the final information session.

AHEAD will also cover vouched travel costs if you are attending the in-person consultation.