Sir, – It is with deep sadness the disability movement mourns the loss of a real leader in human rights for those with disability in Ireland. Martin Naughton (Obituary, October 22nd) forged a way through medical-model approaches to disability where disabled people's voices are silenced in the roar of control and power by agencies of the State and charities.
He fought medical-model control and advocated a social model of disability where disabled people’s voices would be heard – about what we wanted and how we wanted to live our lives. That rallying cry “nothing about us – without us” is stronger now for Mr Naughton’s dogged lifelong work in promoting independent living for disabled people.
Yet we still see the Government drag its feet in promoting independent living. The budget gave nothing to increase hours for personal assistants; nothing was said about the many disabled people aged under 65 living in institutional settings, or the many others trapped in their own homes, unable to engage in society.
Minister of State with Special Responsibility for Disability Issues Finian McGrath has set up a taskforce to look at “personalised budgets” which will allow disabled people power and control over their own lives; to acquire the independent right to live equally as non-disabled people, and to self-direct their care as they want, away from the control and power of others, be that a State or charitable agency.
Yet this taskforce has not one disabled person on it who uses “personalised budgets” for self-directed care and support. There are more than 2,000 disabled people in Ireland using these funding packages, yet the taskforce is still dominated by non-disabled people, people from charities and State agencies.
Every disabled person in Ireland not in control of their lives is suffering under oppression, discrimination and human rights violations. I am one of them. The fight is for our voice to be heard on how we wish to live. – Yours, etc,
DR MARGARET KENNEDY
Greystones,
Co Wicklow.