Tomorrow, (December 3rd), Clare disabled people will come together to mark International Day of Disabled People 2020.
The theme of this year’s international day, which unites disabled people across the world, is “Building Back Better: toward a disability-inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 World”. As we approach the end of an historic year, the Clare Leader Forum wants to look at what that really means for disabled people and work with our political representatives to ensure ‘Together we are Visible’.
This online meeting has been called by the Clare Leader Forum who work to provide an independent voice on disability issues.
Chairperson of the Clare Leader Forum, Martin Tobin, explains that “All our Clare National Political Representatives have been invited to this online meeting where they will have a unique opportunity to listen to the voice of lived experience, and work with us to ensure a solution-focused world greets us all in a post-COVID era”.
Disabled people have seen unprecedented cuts in recent years, which included the mobility allowance, carers allowance, motorised transport grant, respite supports, medical cards and most alarmingly the very hours we need to live independently our personal assistance supports. The renewed focus on financial constraints, in a new COVID era, instills fear in many disabled people.
Ann Marie Flanagan, Advocacy and Communications Officer with the Clare Leader Forum explains that “All our political representatives need to work more closely with disabled people to put necessary legislative and policy processes in place to ensure our rights are protected. We are all too aware of the bleak economic position we find ourselves in as a nation this year. However, we are not calling for charity, we simply want to be afforded dignity, options and control of our lives, which legislated protection for our rights would provide”.
As a group the Clare Leader Forum understands that living your daily life in itself can be challenging when you have a disability, as articulated by Ann Marie “It can be difficult to find the energy to advocate for your rights but we must. We have never been prioritised by the government or had our right to equality protected. We now need to work together and take control of our lives and demand our rights. We cannot allow a medical model focus to return or the emphasis to once again be placed on charity. Never has it been more important for us all to unite and ensure our right to live equally in society is protected”.