With more than 70 commitments in the field of disability contained in the programme for government, spread across three of the document’s 162 pages in a stand-alone section, the issue gets more attention than tourism, infrastructure or social housing.
“This government is committed to advancing the rights and improving the lives of people with disabilities,” it says.
It promises to “deliver a step change in disability services” by working “in partnership with disabled people and their representative organisations in co-designing improvements ... and prioritising what measures are most important to them”.
Other commitments include to help disabled children get therapies; protect the disabled from abuse; attract and retain staff in disability services; support disabled people through education and into employment; support people with autism; enable more disabled people to live independently; improve access to transport; improve rehabilitation and respite services; address disproportionately high poverty among disabled people; and increase participation in sports.
But what does it all mean and will any of it improve the lives of the 22 per cent of us who have a disability or disabling condition?
Views are mixed among disabled people and their allies as to whether it promises progress, with some critical of the “regressive” tone of the document.
“It’s vague and non-specific,” says Senator Tom Clonan, a disability activist . “I see [the incoming government] say they will consult disabled and their representatives, but whom will they consult? I’d fear they mean service providers. The is only groups they should talk to are disabled people themselves, and genuinely disabled persons’ organisations.”
One such is Independent Living Movement Ireland, run by and for disabled people with its main aim that “disabled people achieve independent living, choice and control over their lives and full participation in society as equal citizens”.
Its chairman Des Kenny says in many aspects “the programme reads like a regression”. He says it is too weighted towards services, therapies and care, with too little ambition to realise disabled people’s right to live independently.
“In it, we as disabled people, including disabled children, are reduced to objects of services, special schools and care. Our hard-fought rights for self-determination and inclusion in society are not fully reflected in it,” he says. “We want what everyone else takes for granted – the chance to live our lives in our communities, go to the same schools, have jobs, live in our homes and to have public services designed to meet all our needs.
“We recognise the role that many family members play in providing supports to their partners, siblings and children but when we think about investing in our lives we need to see personalised budgets and supports ... that resource us to live in our family homes, or have our own homes.”
Elaine Teague is chief executive of the Disability Federation of Ireland – a representative body of 120 member organisations “working with people with disabilities to implement the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and ensure their equal participation in society”. She worries about programme’s “the lack of detail”.
“What do the commitments mean? How will implementation be measured? It’s what gets measured, gets done. There’s a lot on inclusion, services, transport, but what is the benchmark?” she asks.
There are some commitments that give her optimism, including those promising to implement and fund strategies by the previous administration, such as the National Disability Strategy which runs to 2030, and the Action Plan for Disability Services 2024-2026.
She cites a greater awareness of disabled people’s rights as prompting the greater focus on disability, and “political learning” from the ill-fated family and care referendums last March, and the viral clip of Fine Gael leader Simon Harris apparently rebuffing disability-services worker Charlotte Fallon in Kanturk, Co Cork, in November.
Asked her thoughts on commitments to those working in disability services, Ms Fallon describes them as “vague”.
“However, I’m very happy we have been acknowledged, and they are willing to work with us. Please God, they will follow through on their promise.
“I haven’t heard from Simon Harris or any of his party members since our last chat, and the offer still stands if he’d like to come visit and meet our residents [in St Joseph’s Foundation] and hard-working staff and maybe discuss further what we could achieve with the new government and what improvements could be made.”
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to our Inside Politics podcast for the best political chat and analysis
