Ms Claire Hayes:

I think the Chair, Vice Chairman and committee for the invitation to speak on aligning education with the UNCRPD. In the interests of inclusion and accessibility, I will give a visual description of myself. I am a white woman with short blond hair. I am wearing glasses, a red jumper and a white shirt today and I am sitting in front of a green virtual background. I am the co-ordinator of towards work, a person-focused initiative that works to support any person with a disability on his or her journey towards employment, self-employment and further education. We are part of the Open Doors initiative, a not-for-profit that supports marginalised members of our society by working to create equitable opportunities in employment and education.

The Open Doors initiative is a collective of more than 100 organisations, companies and NGOs that work with Government Departments to create pathways to education and employment for marginalised people. Since Open Doors began in 2019, we have helped in excess of 16,800 people with a 600% increase in 2020 despite Covid. We work alongside employers and educators to ensure we are creating inclusive employment opportunities and equitable education environments. People we help onto pathways to work and education are there on merit. They have the skills and capabilities to do the work and actively take part in academic life. They are, however, experiencing barriers that their non-disabled peers are not facing. The UNCRPD makes it clear that there is a right to an inclusive education system at all levels.

The need for change that will hugely impact people with disabilities in education and employment is highlighted regularly and often. In Ireland, one in seven people is living with a disability. Some 70% of people with a disability aged between 20 and 64 acquired their disability after the age of 16. It is likely that many of us will acquire a disability at some point in our working lives. Disability is a part of life. However, the barriers facing the disabled community should not be. We must stop placing the onus of resolution on the shoulders of those with a disability and start considering how our structures, systems and procedures are disabling our young people, colleagues and peers.

Of people with a disability who are aged between 15 and 50, 13.7% had not progressed any higher than primary level education. This is in comparison with 4.2% of the general population. People with a disability are less likely to complete third-level education, with 37% educated to this level compared with 53.4% of the general population aged between 15 and 50.

Research shows that people with disabilities have far fewer employment opportunities when compared to their non-disabled peers. In Ireland, a person is half as likely to be in employment if he or she has a disability in comparison to a non-disabled peer. This need for change is why the Open Doors initiative and its projects, Towards Work and Employers for Change, exist. We are here to create pathways to education and employment for marginalised people, while educating and empowering educators and employers. Open Doors launched the Towards Work project last September. It was launched by the Minister of State with responsibility for disability, Deputy Rabbitte, and is supported by the Dormant Accounts Fund and Pobal.

Since our launch, we have engaged with more than 300 participants at different stages of their journey toward employment and further education. This has been in the context of online training sessions and providing individual support as well as our bespoke mentorship programme. The mentorship programme offers individuals a unique opportunity to meet with a mentor who has the skill set to support them on their journey towards further education and employment. As part of this, the participant has the opportunity to set his or her goals and seek advice and support from a trained mentor whether that be for work or education.

We were delighted to be able to support Technological University, TU, Dublin deliver a bespoke module on self-employment for people with a disability. This was the first of its kind and was led by Professor Thomas Cooney. A total of 20 students took part in this course and were brought through the process of developing their business plan. Each student was matched with a mentor from the local enterprise office, LEO. From this course, we anticipate that six students will go on to start their own business. Self-employment is rarely explored as an option for those with a disability.

We have seen how a lack of access to education creates barriers for people with disabilities. This module on self-employment facilitated by TU Dublin created an opportunity for people to access further education and explore the area of entrepreneurship. This is an example of how removing barriers to further education can open up and create pathways for people with disabilities. When we discuss employment in the disabled community, we rarely view the employer as being the party with a disability. Education is a vital tool in changing this.

Further education should open doors for all; it should not create more barriers. Our experience and feedback from participants has shown that a lack of access to information on supports and grants can create barriers. When we take a one-size-fits-all approach to our supports, we inadvertently exclude many. More thought also needs to be put into the accessibility of education environments, including transport, remote study offerings, access to clubs and societies, lecture theatres, libraries and other venues. Where we lack accessibility, we cannot promote real inclusion.

Finally, we must acknowledge and consider the intersectionality between marginalised groups. We have one example of a young migrant we helped who has a disability and who was experiencing homelessness. We assisted this person with education and welfare grants through a huge effort. The rules and regulations created by a well-meaning system can sometimes mean that these students slip through the cracks and do not continue in further education or are no longer supported on their journey.

A fear of losing welfare supports and income holds many potential students back. In this instance, we have seen individuals lose welfare supports due to choosing full-time education. Being forced to choose between welfare support and further education places puts individuals at risk of poverty. The Open Doors initiative is focused on supporting these individuals through our projects such as Towards Work, which acts as a resource that can signpost those who need it to the necessary supports and grants to help continue their education.