Dr. Amie Lajoie:

It is quite bleak. The pandemic was an incredibly difficult time for all of us to be isolated at home but it was particularly difficult for certain people who could not even get out for a walk which we were all trying to do. Part of the difficulty with the State's approach to people with disabilities is that one-dimensional lens. It is about not understanding that this is a diverse group of people with many different needs. The issue is quite nuanced. The requirements for inclusion in the disabled drivers and disabled passengers scheme and the focus on the primary medical certificate only focus on really restricted physical disabilities so it is a really outdated model. With the introduction of the human rights legislation and the work of advocacy and support groups for people with disabilities in Ireland, we must combat that. It is something we talk about within our services. It includes proper language for discussing people with disabilities, making sure we using the right terminology and being sensitive to all of these things. There is no reason not to do it. All of us could be doing better.