Speaking on International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Social Democrats TD Holly Cairns said it is important for the State to recognise the challenges, achievements and realities of being a person with a disability in Ireland.<\/p>\n
Holly, who is the Social Democrats spokesperson for Disability Issues, said:<\/p>\n
\u201cThis year, the World Health Organisation celebrates the Day of Persons with Disabilities as \u2018a day for all\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe bureaucratic and physical structures of the State can create barriers. This needs to change, not in a piecemeal manner, but across all Government departments and society through genuine engagement with people with disabilities.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters, of which I am a member, is focused on the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. A rights-based approach is foundational to help people with disabilities to achieve their rightful place in society.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt committee today, we had representatives from Special Olympics Ireland, the Trinity Centre for People with Intellectual Disabilities and WALK, who all emphasised the need for seismic change in Ireland.<\/p>\n
\u201cSuccessive Governments have failed to ratify the optional protocol of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In failing to do so, they have failed people.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis newly established Disability Matters Committee must urgently bring the protocol forward. I will be working with other members of the committee to make that happen. There can be no more excuses.\u201d<\/p>\n
December 3, 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Speaking on International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Social Democrats TD Holly Cairns said it is important for the State to recognise the challenges, achievements and realities of being a person with a disability in Ireland. Holly, who is the Social Democrats spokesperson for Disability Issues, said: \u201cThis year, the World Health Organisation celebrates the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1222,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[400,7,399],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1334","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-holly-cairns","category-press-release","category-tds"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n