Ms Joan Carthy:

I thank the committee for inviting us. I will talk a little about the journey of a disabled person involved in political life. For anyone wanting to get involved in political life, there is a journey to take. For people with disabilities to get involved in life in general, there is a more arduous journey, one in which personal and social barriers are faced daily. Over and over again, members will have heard the stories of these barriers, including barriers to education, employment, access to transport and access to personal assistant services, and of negative attitudes and expectations.

For people with disabilities, living an independent life is a challenge in itself, let alone getting involved in a political world from which we are alienated, ignored and dismissed.

Many people with disabilities feel that politics is not for them. At a basic level, we do not even have adequate access to polling stations. While Ireland ratified the UNCRPD in 2018, and all these obstacles are addressed as a right under 50 different articles, they are still a reality in Ireland. The message is very strong to us that we do not really have a place in politics. We may have good allies in government but we need to fight to be on the agenda along with so many other issues. We are not seen as strong advocates in our own right in places of power where decisions are made. We are only invited in to tell our stories. We should be in places where decisions are made. We should be the decision makers.

I want to tell the committee of my experience of being involved in a delegation that went to the fifth European Parliament for People with Disabilities in May of this year. It was quite an experience, both negative and positive. While I am here to talk about being involved in politics as a disabled person and our experience of being involved in the European Parliament, it would be remiss of me not to discuss the barriers that came with that and what was experienced by the group, and the impact of everyday challenges that act as a further barrier which distances us from the political corridors. We had come together as the 13 Irish delegates to discuss and input into the draft EDF manifesto that would be presented to the Parliament for adoption. There was an air of excitement in the group over the opportunity to be involved in politics on a European level. There was also an air of worry about how we would travel as a group of disabled people and some delegates wondered if they would be able to arrange a personal assistant to travel with us.

On our flight to Brussels, there were major delays in assisting some of us on to the aeroplane and one person was told after boarding that her chair would not fit into the cargo hold even though the dimensions had been given in advance and tickets had been issued. The lady was asked did she really need her chair on the other end and if so, there was no other option but for her to disembark and be left behind. To add insult to injury, the captain made an announcement stating, "Sorry for the delay in take-off but we are having some issues loading the wheelchair people." There is a lot more to this story but I just wanted to set the scene, which leads into some of the points in the manifesto that we were discussing and agreeing.

From the EDF manifesto on the European elections 2unanimously adopted at the European Parliament for People with Disabilities, the first theme I will talk about is to guarantee the participation of persons with disabilities in the political and public life of the EU. This theme comments strongly on the right to accessible information, including easy-to-read formats, Braille and sign language. It also encompasses the right of disabled people to vote and to stand in elections in any member state, regardless of legal capacity. It states that voting is a right of citizens and the process should be accessible to everyone. It includes awareness programmes, among others. While all of this is agreed on, it will not change anything for many people with disabilities considering entering European politics if their services are not transferable.

The transferring of services is included in the manifesto under embracing accessibility and allowing free movement in Europe. For people with disabilities to be involved in European politics, this is important as it includes the adoption of an EU-wide disability card, which ensures the mutual recognition of disability status across membership states. That would include the necessary supports for people with disabilities during the transition period of moving to another country to study or take up employment. Without this support, a person with a disability who needs a personal assistant is excluded from European politics or any type of employment. This is a major issue even within Ireland as we cannot move from one county to another and transfer our care package.

During our time in Brussels, we had an opportunity to meet with many people with disabilities and discuss our experiences, which was as important as meeting with MEPs. There was a lot of engagement with Irish MEPs on the day of the Parliament where we got to discuss the themes included in the manifesto and explain what they really mean. The following day at a reception hosted in the permanent representation of Ireland to the EU, we had further opportunity to discuss at length these themes and how these barriers affect our lives and our beliefs in becoming involved in politics, at home or abroad. While all of this was really positive, it was heavily supported on a logistics front. Politics involves getting to various locations, meeting people and being in the right place at the right time with the right message. For people with disabilities, this is often hindered by the everyday issues we are addressing in the manifesto, in the UNCRPD and in our advocacy every day, which only adds to the challenges.

To get it right in Europe, we need to get it right at home first. We need accessible polling stations and access to transport, education, employment and personal assistant services. We need people to understand that we are more than our disabilities and the stories we have to tell. We are an untapped resource to add to the political discussion in general and should be valued for what we can bring to the table, any table. We need supports to have an equitable opportunity to take part in politics but once we have that, we are and will be a force to be reckoned with in all areas.