The Social Policy Context

It is the belief of Acquired Brain Injury Ireland that there must be ABI specific services due to the highly individualised nature of the disability. Current health policy in Ireland does not recognise people with ABI as a distinctive group. Experience to date of current services is that there are huge gaps in provision of appropriate community support services for this particular group and that people with ABI are inappropriately responded to; including their being placed in residential institutions for older people and in acute hospitals.

The services being developed by Acquired Brain Injury Ireland very much reflect the policy framework put forward by the Department of Health and Children in the 2001 Health Strategy 'Quality and Fairness'. The Strategy places key emphasis on the principles of equity, people-centeredness, quality and accountability. In terms of people with disabilities the strategy refers to the "use of disability support services developed specifically to meet the needs of people with different types of disability".