Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 3 October 2023

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth

Autism Spectrum Disorder Bill 2017: Discussion

Nem Kearns:

That is quite all right. I just wanted to add to the conversation and provide a bit of a broader context. It goes back to what I was saying about there being a concern that, while we would greatly welcome a strategy to address the specific inequalities autistic people face across society, this will be overmedicalised and will concentrate on the idea of autistic people as recipients of services and medical care. While that is incredibly important and is an important part of the conversation, it does not capture our full lives. We are not just patients; we are service users. We are full, equal human beings. Many more people have spoken earlier today and, indeed, over the past decade about the lack of provision of services and the lack of resources within the system to meet the needs. As important as it is that the services are there, it is equally important that they are the appropriate and correct services and that those services meet fundamental human rights levels or criteria. It is very important those services are, not as a buzzword but in fact, person centred, that the will and preferences of the individual receiving services is at the centre. It should not be taken into consideration but central to the services they receive. It is also essential the services they receive are fully compliant with all aspects of the UNCRPD. I would very much like that to be fully embedded in this conversation. That interlinking is a concern with this Bill and its proposed provisions. This should all be fundamentally part of how we ensure the implementation of all disabled people's equal human rights and equal rights under the UNCRPD. I am worried that aspect of the conversation is often forgotten about or sidelined. I would like to see it very central, as would the members I represent.

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