“Disabled Women Ireland Calls For Concrete Action Following Primetime Investigates”
Press Release from Disabled Women Ireland - 26th March 2021
Today (Friday 26th March) Disabled Women Ireland (DWI) called for a thorough and fully transparent independent investigation into the practices of the HSE and Departments of Health and Education regarding information gathering on autistic children and their families, as brought to light in yesterday’s RTÉ Prime Time Investigates Report.
Nem Kearns, spokesperson for DWI, stated: “Disabled Women Ireland are appalled at the significant breach of trust caused by the Department of Health’s practices in gathering private, sensitive information on individuals involved in litigation against the State, and on their family members.
These are families who, in being forced to take legal action against the Department of Health, the Department of Education and/or the HSE in order to assert the basic rights of their children, were then exposed to targeted information collection on the part of these same State agencies.”
It is essential that the individuals and families whose data has been collected without their knowledge or consent are contacted directly and fully informed of the personal information held on them. Only by adopting a transparent and open approach can the State begin to reassure the families concerned about this matter and begin to rebuild public trust in the Departments. This issue also wider further concerns over future collection of data being carried out by State agencies in a non-transparent manner.
An independent, transparent and thorough investigation must be commissioned as a priority to examine the scope and scale of this information gathering. All ongoing use of the dossiers involved should be suspended until the findings of this investigation have been made public.
“We are concerned that the Department of Health has dismissed this as ‘normal practice’, and would question if this approach has been taken against all individuals involved in action against the state, such as those in the Cervical Check cases.” Nem Kearns added.
“The State has long treated disabled people who assert their rights with contempt, it is disappointing to see that continuing post raficiation.It is unacceptable that we continue to tolerate practices against disabled people and their families that we do not tolerate for non-disabled people.” said DWI Co Director Maria Ni Fhlatharta
“This highlights a prevailing attitude on the part of the State, which fails to fully recognise disabled people as rights holders. Disabled people are entitled to equal treatment in engaging with State agencies, which includes an equal right to privacy, as is upheld by the UN CRPD.”
The State has ratified UN CRPD which unequivocally states disabled people’s equal right to privacy, equality and non-discrimination, and access to justice.
DWI call for the Data Protection Commissioner to urgently investigate these practices, including identifying all parties who have had access to this extremely sensitive information and whether sufficient justification for this access can be shown. We encourage the Irish Human Rights Equality Commission (IHREC) to examine these discriminatory practices.
We must place these rights violations in the context of the discrimination which forced families to initiate action against the state. It is important that the current review of the new Standard Operating Procedure of the Assessment of Need addresses the underlying issue of delayed access to educational and support services for disabled children. These significant delays which compelled many of the families involved in this issue to take action against the State.
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Contact:
Nem Kearns, DWI Board Secretary
Email: disabledwomenireland@gmail.com, Tel.: 086 345 2299
Information for Editors:
Disabled Women Ireland are the national Disabled Person’s Organisation for disabled identified women, non-binary and gender non-conforming people. We are a national voice to advocate for our rights and needs and to effect the changes necessary to improve our lives, and the lives of our families.
Further information is available at: https://www.disabledwomenireland.org/
2nd November 2020
Notice of Annual General Meeting (AGM)
On the 21st of November 2020 from 2.30pm to 4pm, Disabled Women Ireland (DWI) will host our first Annual General Meeting (AGM). This meeting will be held online, due to public health advice in relation to COVID-19.
To register for this event, please fill out the following form, from which we will circulate the link, agenda and relevant materials for this meeting.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfI5-hWu3ndGYYLTIpsnclV9hDEkfZ24g8PUQgbYbKyLkESiQ/viewform
If you wish to attend this meeting and have any specific accessibility requirements, please let us know in the registration form or by emailing: disabledwomenireland@gmail.com.
Disabled Women Ireland (DWI) call for the reversal of the implementation of unfair fees for HSE day service transport.
DWI reject the introduction of up to €960 annual transport costs per person for disabled and elderly people availing of HSE services across Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan and Sligo.
The move is particularly unfair to those living in rural and isolated areas. The impact of this decision for disabled people cannot be underestimated. The cost would be burdensome to any household. It must be stated that the rate of disabled people living in poverty is on the rise, with 1/4 disabled people living in persistent poverty and disabled people making up 27% of the homeless demographic. The cost being imposed is unaffordable, and will impede disabled peoples access to vital services or place undue financial stress on households.
Day services are a crucial part of disabled people's lives, especially in rural areas. They provide access to supports and are the core way in which the state currently supports people being included in the disabled community.
The introduction of a transport fee to and from HSE services will result in an increase in isolation within the community. MEP McCarthy has voiced his concerns that those who cannot afford this fee and will no longer be able to avail of these day services.
It is noted that the service is provided by Local Link, who accepts the Free Travel Pass on all other services. It is only the services which serve as a crucial access point for disabled people which are being excluded from the free travel scheme.
The premise of Free Travel Passes for Disabled people is to allow for the extra costs that disabled people are met with, the implementation of a transport fee for this service will further disabled people living in poverty and isolation.
Disabled Women Ireland calls on the HSE to retract the fees by reinstate the Free Travel concession on buses to and from day services. DWI have launched a petition on Change.org, and urge allies to sign it in order to secure the reversal of a regressive and short sighted measure.
To sign the Change.org petition, click - HERE.
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May 2018
"New Disability Rights Organisation Launches"
Disabled Women Ireland, the first Irish organisation by disabled women to advocate for disabled women, trans women and non-binary people, officially launched on May 11. The event took place in The Blue Room on the UCD Campus. The launch came as part of a mini conference “Disability Rights and Reproductive Rights”. Speakers from all areas of disabled advocacy discussed the unique challenges surrounding people with disabilities in their fight for reproductive rights.
This event was the first of its kind, and featured speakers from People with Disabilities Together for Yes, Disabled People Together for Yes, and Deaf Community Together For Yes, UCD SU - alongside longstanding disability rights advocates Suzy Byrne and Rosaleen McDonagh.
The group was founded after groups of disability activists got together to support a Yes vote in the upcoming referendum on the 8th Amendment.
“We found ourselves working together over the last year or so, very much united against the hateful disability rhetoric of the No campaign. Abortion is a disability rights issue. Disabled women account for 68% of maternal deaths in this country, and it is far more difficult for disabled women to access abortion care in the UK. This referendum is issue we all care deeply about.” – Amy Hassett
With the formation of new alliances within the disabled feminist network, DWI endeavours to promote and strive for an intersectional approach to feminism in Ireland. They hope to achieve this through the removal of all barriers for women with disabilities; whether they are legislative, social or policy based.
Founder of DWI, Maria Ní Fhlatharta, has spoken of the importance of the organisation. She said;
“We need to become a powerful voice for equality in Ireland. We experience disability-based oppression and gender-based oppression. These intersect and magnify one another. The rate of poverty and sexual violence experienced by disabled women is case in point”
From 1:30-5pm, photos of the event were made available. DWI are members of the Together For Yes campaign platform.
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May 2018
"People with Disabilities Together for Yes are Targets for Harassment"
Harassment of women with disabilities campaigning is unacceptable says group
All harassment of campaigners is unacceptable, but the level and vitriol of the harassment currently targeted at women with disabilities campaigning for a yes vote has become intolerable. – People with Disabilites Together For Yes
Reports have been flooding in from campaigners across the country with statements that our members have been followed everywhere from supermarkets to dark streets.
Alannah Murray from PWD Together For Yes said;
"People stopped me today to tell me they liked my students for choice jumper, but I froze because any time someone approaches me now I tense up and am ready for verbal abuse"
Amy Hassett, also PWD Together For Yes had similar experiences
"It makes me nervous and uncomfortable in my own country. As a woman with a disability, going out in public while wearing Repeal-branded clothing, is stressful as I am likely to be verbally abused for supporting reproductive rights for women. "
Laura Fucci, another woman with a disability said that when she goes out and is seen with her Together For Yes badges and her cane a torrent of verbal abuse is likely to follow – it often goes on after passers-by intervene.
“Abortion is a disability rights issue. Not in the way they think it is”; said Maria Ni Fhlatharta, PWD Together For Yes.
“We are 68 percent of maternal deaths in this country and we are much less likely to have the resources or support we need to access terminations abroad – even though pregnancy puts our lives at greater risk”.
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“People with Disabilities for Repeal condemn government for failure and deceit in Convention On The Rights Of Persons With Disabilities Ratification"
MaRch 2018
Statement of PWDR on CRPD omission
After an 11-year delay, on Wednesday Ireland became the last country in the EU to ratify the Convention On The Rights Of Persons With Disabilities.
The delay experienced was unacceptable, but the schedule put forward allowed for ratification of both the Treaty and the optional Protocol at the same time. This would allow for enforcement from the get go. As Ireland stated that it would not ratify until it was in compliance, this seemed fair.
The Disability Rights Community, had been relying on this promise – so when during the Dail debate, Minister McGrath skirted questions on the optional protocol, backs were raised.
It has since been confirmed that along with three major reservations (exceptions to basic rights), the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is being passed without the OP. This is contrary to repeated assurances given to the disability rights community that they would be ratified together. The wider disability community were not consulted or informed when the government went back on their pledge to ratify the CRPD and the OP together. It is unclear if any disabled peoples’ organisation was consulted or informed.
This is an incredibly disappointing decision that undermines Ireland’s claimed commitment to the effective realisation of disability rights.
The Convention On The Rights Of Persons With Disabilities OP allows for communications from individuals/groups to the Convention On The Rights Of Persons With Disabilities committee. It is the most effective measure we would have to hold the government to account, to seek action on the violations of rights faced by Irish people with disabilities.
We’ve been given our rights but no means to enforce them. The Op was the main way that people with disabilities could hold the government to account internationally.
That write the reports, and disabled peoples organisations only contribute through shadow reporting. This is not sufficient
Reporting happens on the governments terms. Reports are written by government agencies. Civil society can only contribute through shadow reporting.
Also reports have to look at every single rights violation, in all areas of life. This means we can only see the tip of the iceberg of rights violations.
Without the OPTIONAL PROTOCOL huge rights violations (like the current housing situation and those who suffer under it) will only be examined as part of the larger picture. There will not be enough time or resources to address them.
Several TD’s asked about the ratification of the optional protocol. The question was skirted by Minister McGrath, who instead used his response time to justify why there was no Irish Sign Language interpreter or closed captioning on a disability debate.
Minister McGrath and his governments actions on this is a betrayal of the people with disabilities residing in this country. Not only are we gaining what is effectively a toothless treaty, we have been victims of a fraud in the concealment of the omission of the optional protocol.
Information
People with Disabilities for Repeal, are a group of people with disabilities, and disability rights activists who are campaigning for self-determination in Irish law. Reproductive rights are disability rights and we want to make them a reality for all Irish people.
Our spokes people are Maria Ni Fhlatharta 0857057691 and Alannah Murray 0852291106 and can be emailed at repealanddisability@gmail.com
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PWD For Repeal/DWI