The National Association for the mentally handicapped in Ireland (NAMHI) today called for politicians to support its campaign for a rights-based approach to all provision for people with disability.
Over 300 delegates are attending the NAMHI annual conference in Westport, Co Mayo, this weekend which will see the launch of the organisation’s election campaign.
Demanding Rights not Rhetoric, the NAMHI said it will distribute over a quarter of a million leaflets outlining its campaign to members and urging them to lobby politicians for a pre-election commitment to its objectives.
The campaign is calling for legislation based on rights for people with disabilities. The NAMHI said it rejects the current Government’s the Disabilities Bill and Education for Person with Disabilities Bill.
The NAMHI also called for a commitment to continuing the funding programme to eliminate waiting lists for residential, day and respite place; the completion of the programme to transfer people with disabilities in psychiatric hospitals to suitable accommodation; the abolition of means testing for carers’ allowances and the provision of disability payments for people with disabilities.
The campaign leaflet is to be presented to the Minister for Health, Mr Micheál Martin when he attends the conference tomorrow morning.
The conference will begin this evening with a seminar Capacity to Give Consentwhich will be addressed by lawyers Dr Thomas O'Malley, Ms Christina Burke and Ms Mairin McCartney.