Disability Attitudes survey should be a wakeup call to the Government

There was a survey about disability in Ireland. Among other things, the survey showed that people with disabilities in Ireland have more chances to feel excluded from society than people without disabilities. You can find the survey here. However, the text is not easy to read. So you may need help to understand it.

People with disabilities feel more socially isolated, shows - among other conclusions - the National Disability Authority’s survey on public attitudes to disability in Ireland. Based on interviews of 1.039 adults and 256 people with disabilities, the survey addressed topics such as: education, employment, relationships, state benefits, neighbourhood, and awareness of disability related organisations, legislation and initiatives. At the same time, it measured social isolation and use of public service websites.

The survey revealed that there are still many steps to be taken towards the vision of inclusive education, as 1 in 5 participants said that they would object if children with intellectual disabilities or autism were in the same class as their child. Moreover, 34% of people with disabilities admit that they have been restricted in socialising as a result of their disability and 22% say they feel their opportunity for “living with dignity” was restricted.

Inclusion Ireland, a member of Inclusion Europe, says that these results should constitute a wakeup call to the Irish Government that action must be taken to stop people with an intellectual disability slipping further away from mainstream society. Under the framework of this survey, the Inclusion Ireland CEO Deirdre Carroll stated:

“The survey should be a wake-up call that cutbacks are affecting people participating in their communities and creating a less inclusive society. Ireland still has over 4,000 people with an intellectual disability living in institutions and we still operate under a law that calls some people with an intellectual disability ‘lunatics’. Changing attitudes needs to be led by Government and until Government tackles the many issues marginalising people with an intellectual disability, people will continue to feel isolated and societal attitudes will grow more negative.”

To find the whole survey, follow this link.