South Kerry scheme shows we must engage, enrich, and empower to end isolation

It is an irony, and a challenge, in a world where communications become more and more efficient and more accessible, that isolation and loneliness are holding more and more lives — possibly millions — in an unbreakable half-Nelson.

That isolation, or even marginalisation, is sharper for those unable to play a full part in society. Even the mildest disability, if it limits a person’s capacity to lead an independent life, can push an individual outside the ebb and flow of companionship, especially workplace companionship.