Disability Equality

In 2010, working-age people with a disability were less than half as likely to be active in the labour market (36% compared to 77% of other adults) and had a considerably higher unemployment rate (22% compared to 16% of other adults) than those without a disability, according to a new report published today (Wednesday 16th January 2010) by the ESRI and the Equality Authority.

Source: http://www.equality.ie/en/Press-Office/Disability-in-the-Irish-Labour-Market.html

The ESRI state that unemployment in the disabled community is low compared to other EU countries. 

That's great, we're better than most EU countries but were still bad. The fact that we're better than most EU countries still means that many thousands of disabled people haven't got work.  There could be some that don't want to work. There probably are some that simply can't work. Then there are some that want to work, but cant. So how do you tell the difference between the three groups?

We're all disabled, so the state treats us all the same. (But we're all different) and we all know that if you're in the social welfare trap it's nigh on impossible to get out. Being disabled and in the grip of the state is a death sentence. Yet there's no help. Or there is but it's a secret. Sshhh!

There's so much talk of equality these days, but if you're disabled you don't have any. You'll never have any. It's a bitter pill to swallow, especially if you want to work but are prevented from doing so. Discrimination as I've said many many times is alive and thriving in Ireland. There's no referendum that can change that.

Rights

I did a quick search, using Google case that's what was available, on Disability Rights in Ireland and came up with diddly scwat. Oh, there are loads of sites saying what they do to support people with disabilities. Not one of them actually says what it does for disabled people, you know, to help them directly. 

As a disabled person I'd like to know what my rights are? They have all sorts of rights for all sorts of people, women's rights, workers rights, children's rights, gay rights. What about disabled rights? And I don't mean  "you have a right to a wheelchair. If you can't afford one, one will be appointed for you" definitely not that. But where do I stand, or sit indeed, because I get tired of standing?

Peer equality and evil shits

Things get "done" to disabled people out of a very misguided belief that it helps. And sometimes it does. But often, more than I'd like, disabled people are tolerated at best and at worst, well I won't go there. But we're not equals among our peers and obviously when there isn't equality there's inequality. So where does that leave a disabled person who's confronted with a society that's designed to be unfavourably disposed to balancing that inequality? On the margins, ignored, put in a dark box, an oubliette.

A huge number of us are exploited, discriminated against, abused and generally mistreated. Someone sarcastically said to me once that we live in a very caring society. They weren't wrong. It's systemic. Our social welfare system is geared toward keeping the poor and the marginalised, well, poor and marginalised. It prevents the rich from becoming poor themselves. It suits our bloated economy and the society we live in to keep certain types down. And they do it with both hands.

No one gets prosecuted for abusing patients in care homes even though it's caught on camera and is clearly assault. No one gets prosecuted for not providing access to their premises even though the laws are quite specific about it. Is it right that someone in a wheelchair has to go "round the back" and probably "in" through a fire "escape"? Who stands up for disabled people? It's alright though. We won't embarrass you. Well simply roll over and say nothing while things are done to us "out of kindness" lest we get branded as the disabled person that's also a bad tempered, evil shit. After all, nothing screams evil shit like a wheelchair user with an attitude.

The cruelty

The cruelty of a long term illness just keeps on dishing out misery, and many find the possibility of being normal tantalising. The truth is we'll never be normal. We're permanently putting ourselves in the way of abuse, disappointment and rejection only to be slapped down back into our boxes and our insignificant lives with the swipe of a hand. Often this is done without intention, other times, well, that's another subject.

What gets me angry is the states dealings with disabled and sick people. There's a drive amongst government departments to either hinder, bully or outright stop people who for whatever reason find themselves at the thin edge of things. There is NO help, financial or other out there for disabled people..none. And it's needed, badly.

Take the situation with the young guy in Cork with autism getting beaten up or the other lad in Dublin getting a serious thumping, with threats to rape and kill him. There's something wrong with a society that stands by and does nothing while this happens and everyone's to blame, me included.

Government departments and other agencies that have been put in place to help do the exact opposite. They hinder, block, argue, swamp you in red tape or just say no because of overly stringent rules and these are things that people with difficulties have to deal with all the time. Everybody at the edge has to, but the vulnerable, however that's measured, are challenged more than others by a system that hampers rather than helps.

Ill be the first to admit that I'm not brilliant at fighting this cruelty, I'm one of those people that is marginalised and I get tired of swimming against the current, very tired.

Where we come from

I know nobody likes to hear anyone complain. Equally no one gets excited by another's reminiscing. I guess people are so busy with their own lives and those of celebrities they don't have time for other normal people's memories. I've always been interested. Not to the point of being nosey. It can almost seem like I don't care if I'm honest, but that's not true. People have a back story, and a unique view of things and it that story I'm fascinated by.

I was always interested in where I came from, learning a foregin language and finally getting to know one of the most fantastic people I have ever had the pleasure to meet. My grand mother. Hers was a story of pain and suffering through the occupation of her country by the Nazis, the fight to survive that period, and ultimately finding love. 

The part where I come in was insignificant in her life, or so I thought. Likewise my mothers. But that isn't the way it was. My mother and my grandmother are dead now, but their pride in me does me good. They're gone, but that bit lives on. Speaking to my grandmother and my mother for hours on end gave me a real sense of my origin. It's important. The Internet is a fantastic resource for information, but it doesn't do emotion. People are more than numbers and lists, so listening to others can give us clues to our own history.

Summers almost here so polish your..stuff

http://youtu.be/hkmeoYKYctw

Word of the day..

Lepidoptera

an order of insects that includes moths and butterflies.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lepidoptera