People with intellectual disabilities – time for inclusion

Sir, – I recently took part in a project with Inclusion Ireland which was funded by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission.

It is rare to hear people with intellectual disabilities talk at events and in the media.

I applied to join the European Disability Federation Youth Committee. This group gathers young disabled people from all over Europe to influence the European Disability Federation and EU institutions and their policies on youth and make sure young disabled people are included in society. Through this I spoke at the European Day of Persons with Disabilities 2022 in Brussels last month, because I don’t want other people to have to go through what I did growing up. I went to mainstream school but then had no options; it was nearly impossible to get a college course and finding a job is hard.

I am really lucky in my life but it should not be about luck.

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We all need support in life and a person with an intellectual disability is no different, but too many people have to get their family to help with everything.

Information is not put in a way everyone can understand so it is accessible for all. If the Government said this had to be done then things would change.

People with an intellectual disability should be allowed equal rights in law and Ireland said it agreed with this when it signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in 2018.

Being inclusive is not just inviting me to speak at a conference or sit on a committee.

It is also about making these places accessible for me by using language and words everyone can understand.

Because Ireland has not agreed to sign up for the optional protocol of UNCRPD, there is no way for me to complain when my rights are not met in my own country.

Our rights are important. – Yours, etc,

TAMARA BYRNE,

Kildare.