People with disabilities are being discriminated against in Ireland as it was the last country, to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities in March 2018, which was signed up to in 2007, with NO implementations applied as of now.

Article 19 states that disabled people have the right to live in the community and have access to a range of in-home and other supports including Personal Assistants.

The Disability Act 2005 needs updating to take into account of the unmet needs of people with disabilities, particularly the right not just to assessment but to adequate services, including the implementation of a Personal Assistance Service in Ireland as a right to support the inclusion of disabled people with freedom, choice and control over all aspects of their lives to enable them to fully participate in an inclusive society as equals should be set up immediately forthwith.

One-in-eight people in Ireland is living with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of their life's major activities.

Nearly 13.5% of the Irish population; some 670,000 people.

People with disabilities are frequently under-represented by the media coverage is inaccurate, incomplete or misrepresentative.

Disability is mentioned when irrelevant, yet ignored in vital debate.

The daily struggle of not being able to leave your home in a wheelchair or walking aid, without meeting at least one car parked on a pavement, a bicycle chained to a lamp post, the distress at being prevented from accessing public buildings, and the utter lack of suitable toilet facilities, forcing parents to change children on dirty floors is a nightmare to people with a disability.

Children with a disability who need a health assessment that they are entitled to, should be given that assessment immediately so as not to prejudice their health, treatment and recovery.

In Scotland disabled people contesting elections get a grant of £5,000 to cover costs like personal assistants, assistive technology and ISL interpretation. It is necessary that the additional costs, recognized in a recent Indicom report on the cost of disability in Ireland is met to fix the imbalance and lack of representation of disabled people in public life.

Will the politicians remain strong advocates in support of people with disabilities?

We need change!

Or will we have to wait for time to tell?