Yes to Nice would help stop suffering, alliance says

DISABILITY groups took an unprecedented step yesterday in urging a Yes vote in the forthcoming referendum on the Nice Treaty.

Disability Alliance for Europe members believe the plight of disabled people in central and eastern Europe has been left out of the treaty debate that, up to now, has been too narrowly focused on economic issues.

Over the next few weeks, they will campaign vigorously for a Yes vote because there is provision in the treaty for extending equal status and improved services to people with disabilities in countries seeking to join the European Union.

Alliance chairperson Angela Kerins said members had visited institutions in some of the applicant countries where children were tied to their beds, where the weakest starved to death because there was not enough food, and where others had frozen to death because of insufficient clothing.

Ms Kerins said the alliance had been surprised when the first Nice Treaty referendum was defeated narrowly last year. Now it wanted to ensure Irish people were aware of the value of their vote, she said.

She pointed out that Ireland had benefited from European Social Funding since 1973. It enabled 2,000 people with disabilities to take part in training schemes and ultimately join the workforce every year.

A Disability Rights Advocates report found that no country in Central Europe had major institutions for the disabled that could be regarded as fully acceptable under contemporary standards.

"A Yes vote will be one of the great humanitarian acts taken by the Irish people, in line with our best traditions," Ms Kerins said.

She said the group had decided not to name the countries where the plight of disabled people was grave, because it was afraid that the lifeline thrown to those countries would be cut off.

"We are trying to improve their situation, not make it worse. We don't want a situation where governments stop us from going in and helping them."

Under EU membership, countries would be required to implement equality and anti-discrimination policies and adhere to EU policy.

Such policies would improve poor health and social systems, as well as produce training and employment schemes to help people with disabilities to work and take part in society.

"By voting Yes, we will give people in applicant countries a fair chance to avail of the opportunities and benefits of membership that Ireland enjoys. By voting Yes, we will act to stop the suffering," Ms Kerins said.

Disability Alliance for Europe members include the Rehab Group, National Association for Deaf People, Rehab Care, Enable Ireland, Cheshire Foundation in Ireland, Irish Wheelchair Association, Central Remedial Clinic, National Council for the Blind and Gandon Enterprises.