Children with disabilities 'being ignored in rights initiatives'

Niall Muldoon, the Ombudsman for Children, is launching the Mind The Gap report online at 2.30pm today. To join the webinar, see link at the foot of this article. Picture: Moya Nolan

Children with disabilities are all too often invisible or ignored, according to a new report for the Ombudsman for Children, with a lack of data, resources, and participation putting barriers in the way of progress.

The report, entitled Mind the Gap — Barriers to the realisation of the rights of children with disabilities in Ireland, was prepared for the Ombudsman for Children’s Office by researchers at NUI Galway. It found "several instances whereby children with disabilities have not had any documented opportunities to participate in the development of legislation, policy and programmes which affect their lives".