I see Ian Birrell is to leave The Independent. I was wondering where Ian is moving on to?
Ian combined being deputy-editor of a national newspaper with being Dad to a profoundly disabled daughter. He wrote of his daughter in his column, speaking for all parents of all disabled children, not least, in 2005, of David Cameron, whose son Ivan has sadly since died. ("How a disabled child changed my politics - and those of David Cameron") In person, Ian is a powerful speaker on the subject as he memorably demonstrated at our national conference in 2006.
Ian returned to the same subject early in 2009, shortly after the death of Ivan Cameron "Iona and Ivan - a tale of two children and two families".
I would make these two articles compulsory reading for everyone working with disabled children and young people, or planning on doing so. I would make them compulsory reading for everyone in public service who works with their families. I would make them compulsory for every politician, local and national, who legislates on services and provision. In fact, I'd probably make them learn them by heart before they could do anything else.
Thanks and best wishes, Ian, wherever you you going next, to you and your family.
