Others don’t have a national platform

Friday, February 10, 2012

According to your recent editorial (Feb 7), your newspaper has a long record of campaigning for the rights and services for people with an "intellectual disability".

Autism is a developmental delay, not an intellectual disability, as stated in your paper. Some, not all, children with autism also have a diagnosis of intellectual disability. Your editorial also stated: "We stand by his right to freedom of expression in a democratic society, just as we would support the rights of others to disagree with and criticise his views and criticise us for having published them."

While I agree with the above statement, may I point out that "others" don’t have the platform afforded to Tony Humphreys of exposure in a national and online newspaper. If your paper was filled from cover to cover with rebuttals and criticism, only one person is being criticised. On the other hand Humphreys has caused unneeded stress and pain to countless people.

I am the proud mother of a loving, caring daughter who happens to have a wonderful, loving child with autism.

Jacinta Corrigan
Bunclody
Co Wexford

This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Friday, February 10, 2012