The VOICES Group is a national self-advocacy group within Camphill Communities of Ireland. It is made up of Community Members representing Camphill communities across the country and plays a vital role in ensuring that the experiences, views, and perspectives of people with intellectual disabilities are heard.
VOICES provides a platform for Community Members to speak about the issues that matter most to them, advocate for change, and influence decisions that affect their lives. Through this group, Community Members have a direct channel to communicate with Camphill leadership and the Board of Directors, ensuring their voices are part of shaping the future of Camphill.
The group’s guiding message reflects its purpose and vision:
“Our Say + Our Voice = Our Choice.”
This powerful statement represents the belief that when people are supported to speak up, share their experiences, and participate fully in discussions, they can influence real change in their own lives and in society.
The VOICES Group began in the early 2000s when representatives from Camphill communities came together to discuss issues that were important to them.
Each community selected two members to represent their community, creating a national forum where Community Members could speak openly, share experiences, and bring forward ideas for improving life within CCOI.
Since then, VOICES Group has grown into a strong and respected self-advocacy network within Camphill Communities of Ireland.
The group continues to meet regularly, identify key issues affecting Community Members, and work collaboratively with CCOI leadership to promote inclusion, dignity, and equality.
A central part of the VOICES Group’s work is its annual goal-setting process. Each year, VOICES Group members come together to decide on a shared goal they wish to achieve in the year ahead, ensuring that their work is always driven by the priorities and lived experiences of Community Members.
This approach ensures the group remains focused, purposeful, and committed to creating real and meaningful change.
“Caring for our elders is not just about providing medical support, but about honoring their stories and ensuring they feel valued every single day.”
In 2024, the VOICES Group reached an important milestone when they hosted their first ever national VOICES Conference, organised and led entirely by Community Members.
The conference brought together Community Members from across Camphill Communities of Ireland to explore a central theme: Human Rights.
Community Members stood proudly to share their stories, perspectives, and hopes for the future. Through presentations, discussions, and creative projects, they spoke about what human rights mean in their everyday lives.
Communities from across the country contributed projects inspired by the theme of human rights, including: Art , Film , Poetry, Storytelling
These powerful contributions came from communities including Dingle, Kyle, Callan, and The Water Garden, demonstrating the creativity and leadership of Community Members across CCOI.
One particularly moving moment came when Ronan Lawlor from Camphill Dunshane shared his poem “My Voice Matters.” His words captured the spirit of the conference — a celebration of self-advocacy, dignity, and the importance of being heard.
The conference also welcomed guest speakers who joined the conversation about rights, advocacy, and inclusion, including:
The event was hosted by VOICES member Liam Dermody, with VOICES members leading the conference from start to finish.
The work of the VOICES Group continues to grow and evolve. Recent developments include:
These steps strengthen the role of Community Members in decision-making and ensure their voices are part of important conversations across the organisation.
In 2025, VOICES Group members identified an important issue affecting many people with disabilities: access to financial services.
Community Members shared experiences suggesting that navigating financial institutions can sometimes present challenges, including communication barriers and difficulties accessing appropriate support.
In response, VOICES Group designed a Financial Services Questionnaire, created entirely by Community Members. The aim is to gather real experiences from people with disabilities to better understand whether barriers exist and how services could be improved.
This project has now reached an exciting new stage. A leading Irish third-level academic institution has offered to collaborate with VOICES Group to carry out professional research and analysis of the questionnaire results. This project is ongoing and Voices Group hope to have data towards the end of 2026.
This partnership will provide:
If barriers or gaps are identified, VOICES Group will be able to bring this evidence to financial institutions and policymakers to help improve accessibility and support for people with disabilities across Ireland. This initiative represents a powerful opportunity to turn lived experience into research, and research into meaningful change.
To contact Voices Group, please email: voices@camphill.ie
The VOICES Group empowers Community Members across Camphill Communities of Ireland to speak up, share their experiences, and influence meaningful change.
Be part of a growing self-advocacy network where your voice matters, your perspective is valued, and your ideas help shape a more inclusive future.
If you would like to connect with the VOICES Group or learn more about their work, we would love to hear from you.
