ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author presents a life of Joe in Scarriff. Work for Joe is an extremely important part of his life and he sees the salary earned from it as essential for independence. However, not all of Joe's work is paid. Previous work in disability-specific workplaces earned a minimal amount of money, as did the more rewarding work in the coffee shop. Although he is not paid for his research and self-advocacy involvement, he considers both of them work, making a clear distinction between these jobs and his later account of volunteering. Joe is a member of the Clare Inclusive Research Group Self Advocacy Network which Rob supports. An independent national self-advocacy platform was established in Ireland. Before this, self-advocacy existed only in service settings or as part of a wider advocacy organization that included parents.
