ABOUT
Lucan Disability Action Group was established in October 2000, to address the needs of people with a disability in the Lucan area, by eight members of the local community.
They felt there was a need to have an organisation in place that would focus on the issues and needs of people with disabilities in the greater Lucan and Dublin area.
Joe T. Mooney spearheaded this group and continued to lead it with enthusiasm and great vision until his untimely death in 2015.
Through the knowledge and personal experience of its members, Lucan Disability Action Group, is acutely aware of the difficulties faced by people with a disability in counteracting the marginalization, exclusion and disempowerment, which many people with a disability have experienced. LDAG members are also aware of the issues in relation to unemployment and marginalisation in general, as 70% of Irish people with a disability are unemployed.
Charitable Purpose
The main object for which the organisation is established is the empowerment of persons with physical and sensory disabilities through promoting the development of an appropriate range of personal assistance services aimed at removing attitudinal and material restrictions that unnecessarily limit the lives of such persons. For the particular development of the main object, the company has the following objects:
- To promote and develop the concept of independent living for persons with physical and sensory disabilities and in particular to engage in action research programmes aimed at developing services that achieve inclusion in society
- Educate and train both personal assistants and people with disabilities in the acquisition of positive attitudes and skills pertinent to the realisation of efficient services
- Educate and train both personal assistants and people with disabilities in the acquisition of positive attitudes and skills pertinent to the realisation of efficient services
- Provide a flexible, customer focused, accessible transport service for people with disabilities, whether sensory or physical and older people with mobility difficulties.
History of LDAG
2001
In 2001 LDAG began providing Personal Assistants for Third level students with disabilities. The service began with one student at UCD and today provides the service for over a hundred students attending DCU, DIT, DCFE, IT Blanchardstown, NCAD, NUIM, and UCD. This programme has received recognition, including winner of the 2005 Irish Times Living Dublin Awards in Third Level Education Category.
2002
2006
The FÁS Social Economy Programme was ‘re-invented’ in 2006 as A Community Services Programme funded by the Department for Community, Rural and Gaeltact Affairs, administered by Pobal. LDAG has been approved for funding under this scheme through 2009. This funding provides a portion of wages for a manager and some employees, as well as partial funding towards overheads.
2007
At the end of 2006, LDAG was awarded a grant from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform to purchase a third van and in 2007 a partial grant for a fourth van and a replacement car for the Fiat Doblo.
2008
In 2008 and 2009 funds were received from: The bank of Scotland, Ireland, Abbott Laboratories and Advanced Medical Optics which allowed LDAG to increase its fleet to 7 vans.
2009
In late 2009 funding for a third accessible car for borrowing has been awarded by The National Lottery fund, increasing the car ‘borrowing’ fleet to three, which will be purchased early 2010.
2020
While LDAG began with eight members to address disability needs for the Lucan area, today it has a membership of 500+ people with disabilities from all parts of Dublin.
LDAG provides services to people in Lucan, Palmerstown, Clondalkin, Tallaght, Ballyfermot, Drimnagh, Kimmage, Greenhills, Rathcoole, Finglas, Castleknock, Blanchardstown, Chapelizod, Leixlip, Celbridge, Maynooth, Kilcock, Naas, Howth and Wicklow Town.
