Letters to the Editor: My disability doesn’t stop me working, the State does
As someone with a non-visible disability, with the ability to write a letter, and more, there’s a paternalism on show towards people like me, at best, and outright hostility for my situation in some cases, one reader says.
Beyond the basic, very necessary medical care for people with disabilities — often hamstrung by resourcing despite doctors, nurses, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, psychologists, physios, secretaries, and on, and on, all trying their very best — disabilities encompass a vast and wide range of conditions. The array of disabilities means the State is in no way capable of the nuance necessary to deal with the breadth of issues people face. Not without a serious rethink of how people with disabilities are treated.
As someone with a non-visible disability, with the ability to write a letter, and more, there’s a paternalism on show towards people like me, at best, and outright hostility for my situation in some cases. I’m a person who wants to give back, but who’s also in need of security.
I often struggle, occasionally hugely, and a large part of my life is focused on maintaining and hopefully improving my health. However, what I need, including the help I need to improve my life, is gated behind obtuse, scattered services, where telephone support lines from the State and other bodies, in my experience, have little understanding of their own practices or their own guidelines; if those guidelines even exist in the first place.
Eight years ago, I approached the Department of Social Protection about self-employment as ‘rehabilitative work’ as someone in receipt of a Disability Allowance; this is explicitly allowed by legislation and encouraged by my doctors. However the department insisted I show them a payslip from my employer. On the face of it this is absurd, and just plain impossible.
Eight years later, eight years of being stymied in my attempts to contribute to society in the way I am best capable of, given my situation, I know guidelines do exist.
However, again, precise details of anything are opaque and broadly unavailable, never mind the myriad other bodies I must deal with to start the process. Furthermore, I’ve been warned by some in my healthcare team should I begin into this, the monitoring from various organs of the State will be hostile and invasive, and a potential threat to my hard fought-for health.
There is a pride in working and giving back to the society which helped you. From years of engaging with my doctors, I know what it is I am able to contribute; to some degree, at least. People with disabilities know their situations best, and I know I want to try to offer back beyond how I already do so.
My focus will always be on my wellness, but when my health is good, and when my time, resolve, and abilities allow, I’d like to have the pride of some work as just another normal, valued member of society. This while still having the fallback of the State in maintaining my extremely valuable, at least to me, soundness in body and mind. Unfortunately this level of care and understanding seems like a step too far for many in power.
After a number of years working with up to 18 toddlers at a time I found them to be deserving of more credit than they were given. With some time and patience one could reason quite comically with them but reason nonetheless.
With this in mind, I can’t help but to find this article a little embarrassing where Micheál Martin is concerned. One could be led to understand that prior to imposing targets one would have had to address all avenues that would stand in the way, so as to ensure that these targets were met? But no, this doesn’t seem to be the case.
What does seem to be the case is that Micheál Martin appears to be unfit for purpose. Surely a man in his position and his age would be able to navigate their profession without the need to cast blame onto others as is the case here with regards to the local authorities.
Also I fail to understand this new buzz word ‘think-ins’. May I just point out that Ireland’s mounting social issues didn’t just blow in on the last storm, no, they have been here for as long as I can remember and I am about to turn 42.
We don’t need think-ins, we need them to take the proverbial finger out of their nether regions and do something, anything and if not, then perhaps our Governmental coalition needs to step down and allow the toddlers of Ireland to take over … just saying.
On Monday next, September 22, we will begin a peaceful demonstration and a hunger strike to demand that the State finally act on its duty to us.
Our demands are clear and just:
Survivors deserve access to comprehensive healthcare to deal with the lasting effects of the institutions;
We worked long hours, unpaid, saving the state and religious orders a significant amount of money. We are owed fair financial recognition for this forced labour. Children were boarded out while under the care of the State. Survivors who were in the Magdalene laundries are receiving an extra pension for the work they have done. While we survivors, who spent years in these hell holes, are getting nothing.
We will no longer be ignored.
A hunger strike is not something we take lightly, but we feel we have been left with no other option. We are asking your readers to listen, to support us, and to make sure our calls for dignity, recognition, and justice are heard.
On behalf of survivors of Ireland’s Industrial and Reformatory schools, we ask your readers to share our story across all social media platforms in solidarity.
Some of our larger political parties have directed their councillors to oppose the nomination of
potential Independent presidential candidates, rather than abstain, raising the possibility of our presidential ballot paper being under-representative.
This could run the risk of sections of our electorate feeling disenfranchised, which may not strengthen our democratic functioning down the road.
The people who objected to the plans for the expansion of PepsiCo’s manufacturing facility in Little Island, Co Cork, are probably the same people who wonder why their kids can’t get good paying local jobs.
PepsiCo who have given great employment in Cork for over 50 years must be pulling their hair out and even thinking of pulling out.
The Horse Whisperer was mostly filmed in Montana and I cannot think of too many films that so fantastically celebrate a beautiful landscape. It is a thoroughly powerful evocation of the world we are lucky enough, still, to enjoy. A lifelong and committed environmentalist I wonder if that was Redford’s real mission with that film — to
remind us that what we take for granted is all too fragile and vulnerable. Celebrate his life and the beauty of magisterial landscape by watching The Horse Whisperer — but hit the mute button as it opens.
