Ms Joan Carthy:

There is also an issue regarding attitudes. If we see someone with a disability trying to get into political life, the sense is that the person will work in the disability space within politics and that there is not much more to him or her. This point is important. Yes, we can be very strong advocates for disability, but there is so much more to our lives than just disability. We might have an interest in, or knowledge of, all sorts of different things. Getting that point across to people who will be voting, that there is more to disabled people than their disability, is very important.