Disability in Ireland

Housing

‘I’ve all but lost hope of ever being a renter or owning my home’ — how the housing crisis is affecting people with disabilities. (2024, Irish Independent)

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How people live with intellectual disability has changed: “Increased life expectancy for those with an intellectual disability is a huge success story but there is a lack of preparedness for addressing the needs of this older population and the fears of their ageing parents and carers” (2023, Irish Examiner)

Disability Identity in Older Age? Exploring Social Processes that Influence Disability Identification with Ageing (2023, Disability Studies Quarterly)

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‘All I want is to go outside’: Man trapped at home for years while waiting for electric wheelchair. (2024, The Irish Times)

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Impact

Professional and Family Carers’ Perspectives on the COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Impact on Supported Decision-Making with Adults with Intellectual Disabilities: A Qualitative Online Survey. (2023, Disabilities)

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Disability Pride: It took me time to accept my disability, but I now feel proud of who I am. (2024, The Journal)

Coalition of disability groups set for mass protest outside Dáil against plans to reform welfare payments. (2023, The Irish Times)

New grassroots organisation aims to change perceptions of disability with 'radical' events (2022, Irish Examiner)

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Climate action must be inclusive, say disability campaigners. (2023, RTE)

Climate actions must not undermine rights of people with disabilities, committee warned. (2023, The Irish Times)

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Sign Languages

Ireland's first sign language café opens in Dublin (2023, Irish Examiner)

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Artificial Intelligence

Can we use AI to tackle internet accessibility? “We visited Vision Ireland and its spin-out IA Labs, which is looking at AI as a way to make the internet more accessible for people with visual impairments.” (2023, Silicon Republic)

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Online Accessibility

Six out of 10 Irish businesses ‘not prepared’ for European Accessibility Act. (2024, The Irish Times)

Major Irish websites inaccessible “Three-quarters of the country’s top 100 websites are technically inaccessible to 600,000 people with disabilities, according to new research from the National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI).” (2023, Irish Independent)

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Overview

Government must not forget disabled people in this cost of living crisis (2022, The Journal.ie)

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Social Protection

People with disabilities shouldn’t have to choose between a relationship and their benefits ‘I’m so excited about getting married, but it means I could lose all my disability allowance’ (2023, Irish Independent)

Each annual budget brings fear. The disability sector is always a target. (2022, The Irish Times)

Data accessed in Rehab disability group cyberattack (2022, Irish Times)

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Deaf People’s Retrospective Views and Lived Experiences of Ableism and Discrimination in Education: A Qualitative Study Informed by Critical Disability Studies:

“The themes are: denial of opportunities to learn and use Irish Sign Language (ISL); ableist barriers to accessing incidental learning; deaf teachers; and the ableism of low expectations. The findings demonstrate that attitudinal barriers to accessing ISL in the classroom negatively impacted on deaf people’s social and educational lives.” (2024, SJDR)

Children with disabilities waiting years for vital services access to disability services is full of “constant worry, uncertainty, inadequate support and endless struggle”. (2023, Irish Examiner)

Special classes not best option for students with disabilities:

“Although special classes have been in existence in Ireland since the mid-1970s, their numbers have increased dramatically over the last decade from more than 500 in 2011 to over 2,000 this year. These developments have taken place in the context of research, by the Economic and Social Research Institute and more recently the Department of Education and Skills (DES) Inspectorate, which show little evidence that students in these classes benefit from such placements.” (2022, Irish Times)

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Graduates with disabilities are less likely to be employed – and are paid less. (2023, Independent.ie)

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More harm, more barriers, more silence: intimate partner abuse leaves disabled women feeling hurt, disbelieved and isolated, new research finds:

“abusive partners, often in the position of a carer, weaponise women’s disabilities including withholding medication, denying basic care and mobility needs, using impairments to portray the woman as an unfit parent and inflicting verbal and physical abuse that targets their disability.” (2024, RTE)

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Ireland places disability and rehabilitation at the heart of its health system reform (2022, WHO Europe)

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A tribute to Selina Bonnie from ILMI “As a professional, academic and activist, Selina has been actively involved in the practical realisation of disabled people’s rights in Ireland and beyond.” (2024, ILMI)

Maeve McCormack Nolan obituary: Celebrated artist and disability advocate. (2022, Irish Times)

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Overview

Concern over future safeguarding incidents at disability services raised in Donegal review (2022, The Irish Times)

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Conditions in Institutions

We will regret treatment of young people with disabilities in nursing homes, warns the Ombudsman. (2024, Irish Examiner)

Regulator warned disability services provider over ‘unsafe environment’ in residential homes. (2022, Irish Times)

Ireland is tarnished by its use of prisons to house the unwanted and mentally ill (2022, The Journal)

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Access to Justice: A Baseline Study of Article 13 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. A picture of “barrier layered upon barrier”:

“Despite legislative and policy developments in recent years, and the commitment of many people working in and with the justice system, it remains a system where at times those responsible for implementing justice are unaware of their role and its limits, and where disabled people find themselves unsupported, faced with opaque processes and limited legal representation. In some cases, they are denied justice altogether.” (2024, Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission)

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Profile of Sinéad Burke:

“In Ireland there are so many systemic issues that need to be solved for people with disabilities – the lack of independent living options, opportunities for employment and financial independence, access to school and education places – we’re always busy fixing yesterday. While this is incredibly necessary work, we have no mechanism in place to deal with tomorrow, five years’ time or 10 years’ time.” (Jan, The Irish Times)

I moved from all I know: “Jennifer McShane moved to London when it became too expensive and difficult to live in Dublin.” (2022, Irish Times)

I've Used A Wheelchair Since I Was 19. Why Don't I Need It In My Dreams? Is it denial, long-term memory of previous ways of mobilizing or mirroring what we see? It can take years for our dreams to catch-up with how our bodies change. (2022, Huffington Post)

Does Representation Miss the Point When it Comes to Creating Body Diversity in Fashion?

"Looking back on my relationship with my body—and perhaps more importantly, the world’s perception of it—it makes sense that I gravitated towards the fashion industry. Even in my teenage years, I knew that clothes could be used as a vehicle to create change. [...] It was also disappointing that such efforts were needed for people to see me the way I wanted to be seen." (2022, Vogue)

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Overview

'Shameful': Ombudsman slams ten-year delay by Govt to provide disabled people transport supports. (2023, The Journal)

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Air Travel

Woman asked to remove breast prosthesis at security in Dublin airport (2024, BBC)

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Appeals, Statements and Opinion

Disabled Women Ireland Statement on supporting disabled people arriving from Ukraine (2022, DWI)

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