Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 25 April 2023

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism

Autism Policy (Resumed): Discussion.

Ms Tara O'Donnell-Killen:

Can I come in on this? That was one of our three points about changes to the disability benefits system to align with this. It is so dehumanising for people that in order to access supports, we have to write and say how terrible they are and how terrible their lives are. It is all misery and suffering. While there are many difficulties, it is not just down to the person; it is down to the society. That is also somewhere we are advocating for a change. Let us co-create and look together at these disability systems. They are supposed to be there because society is not universally accessible. Let us get the people in the room and figure out how we change those systems in order that disabled people who are disabled by society can access them without being dehumanised or traumatised.