Following the Care referendum vote, several disability rights groups in Ireland held a rally on O’Connell Street in Dublin today, March 12.
In the leadup to the referendums, many disability rights activists opposed the Care amendment on the grounds that it included ableist language and severely limited care options for disabled people. Today, participants advocated for disabled voices to be included in all policies impacting the disabled community going forward.
Most notably, disability rights groups are calling on the Government to “Scrap the Green Paper” on Disability Reform. The Scrap The Green Paper coalition is made up of disability rights organisations who object to the Irish government’s Green Paper on Disability Reform, an initiative that would require roughly 84% of recipients to engage with Intreo (the Irish public employment service) for training and employment.
Most speeches heard at the Dublin rally focused on this initiative, which proposes that all recipients of disability payments are medically re-assessed into tiers based on their projected capacity to work.
Several groups participated in today’s rally including Neuro Pride Ireland, Access For All Ireland, Disability Power Ireland, Disabled Women Ireland, Chronic Collective, and Praxis Artist Union.
Notable politicians and disability rights activists spoke at the event including Dr Tom Clonan, Dr Margaret Kennedy, Sinn Féin’s Disability Spokesperson Pauline Tully, Blezzing Dada, and Maryam Madani.
Senator Tom Clonan said that, in relation to the referendum, no party would have endorsed sexist, racist, or homophobic language, but five political parties lobbied for ableist language in the constitution. Activists hope the public feels mobilised to advocate for disability rights after the Care vote.
Daniella Bella from Neuro Pride Ireland said: “The government has ignored the disability matters committee evidence on what disabled people need when drafting this Green Paper, just as they ignored disabled concerns about the referendums at the weekend.”
Others emphasised that the Green Paper initiative fails to improve workplace accessibility or provide any accommodations that would remove societal barriers to those seeking employment, such as disability equality training for employers.
According to activists, the Green Paper has caused great distress within the disability community, but it remains in place with the consultation deadline extended until July 31.
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Secretary of Disabled Women Ireland, Gillian Kearns said: “The disabled community’s fears of the implications of this Green Paper are seemingly vindicated following the Taoiseach’s comments on the care referendum last week.
“Are we truly to believe that a government that believes that it’s not the State’s responsibility to provide care is putting forward a paper with our best interests at heart? Or is it more likely that we are in fact right in our concerns?”
Tara Carroll from Chronic Collective said: “We are so so so tired. The government doesn’t recognise that it is society and the system that disables us. We live in systems that disempower us. This Green Paper amplifies this imbalance. They want us to bow to these changes, but we won’t. We can’t. Because if we do, we won’t survive this.”
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