#disability Ireland

[artbyamyoc]

Happy disability pride month!

🖤💚🩵🤍💛❤️🖤

Disability Pride Month is an event in July that celebrates diversity, raises awareness of different disabilities and encourages positive conversations around disability.

“disabled people remain one of the most marginalised communities in Irish society, experiencing higher levels of poverty, unemployment, and social exclusion due to societal barriers.” - Maryam Madani, activist and chairperson of Disability Power Ireland 🇮🇪

Some information on the hidden disabilities sunflower lanyard, JAM cards, As I Am autism ID cards and Irish sign language finger spelling:

[violet-yimlat]

Sign before you reblog. You might think that two reminders is redundant but seriously the notes to signature ratio is ridiculous.

The Irish government is proposing an overhaul to the country’s disability welfare system that will lead to disabled persons being forced into employment.

There is a plan for a three tier system, with the lowest level being forced to take up “places in training and employment programmes, and take up employment opportunities that are appropriate to their capacity and circumstances.” and receiving €220 a week,

the middle “being expected to make reasonable efforts both to engage with Intreo and to take part in training and other programmes appropriate to their circumstances”, and receiving €242.65 a week, and the highest not being required to work, but only receiving €265.30 a week.

With our country’s outrageous cost of living, not even the highest tier of welfare is enough to live off of.

This motion must not be allowed to pass.

https://ilmi.ie/government-publishes-green-paper-on-reform-of-disability-payments-need-to-create-strong-ilmi-response/

This is the full text about the motion

And this is an excellent Summary from TicToc https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGJvqtsP6/

I have created a petition against this

Just remember to actually sign it as well as reblogging it please. It takes about two minutes and could help make a big difference. No seriously, if you reblog without signing it doesn’t help at all it literally has 57 signatures.

[chronically-chaotic-cryptid]

It's budget time in Ireland which means some eejit is inevitably going to talk about how giving disabled people and carers a €12/week raise is some fucking spending spree so here's your friendly reminder that disability benefit is and always has been below what the government determined to be the bare minimum amount you can live on.

Ireland is the worst country in the EU to be disabled. €12 a week is fuck all for us.

[daniemililly]

It's not that medical professionals are evil or something, it's that they're not equipped to judge the lives of disabled people because they largely have no experience comparable to it. They can't empathise because medical culture is fundamentally different than disabled lives, and in the cases of neurodivergent people, they largely can't empathise as neurotypicals with us. We need a culture of care/support that trusts disabled people/those we nominate to be the judge of our own needs

You can read more about the "triple empathy problem" for neurodivergent people in healthcare settings in this paper here: https://sussex.figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Barriers_to_healthcare_and_a_triple_empathy_problem_may_lead_to_adverse_outcomes_for_autistic_adults_a_qualitative_study/24424333

[phantom-of-the-memes]

Anti-mask hate I receive in the streets

This is 100% not an exaggeration when I say that since the pandemic began, as a queer, trans, goth person with green hair!! I have received more hate walking in the streets for WEARING A MASK than for the queer, trans, goth, green-haired aspects of myself. Which is really saying something seen as I am in Ireland.

Queer- and transphobic slurs have been replaced with “Take that poxy mask off” and “Be careful I saw some covid over there” (both genuine phrases I have heard). And that’s not to say I don’t get the slurs as well. I get both. But it’s like the right wingers see me and their brain short-circuits trying to figure out what to harass me over. And the mask is what annoys them the most!

Every single time I leave my apartment, it’s guaranteed I’ll get some shit about the mask at least once. Even if it’s just to go to the supermarket two minutes away. Whether it’s the shouting or harassing, or their absolute favourite thing: coughing on you. I’m not even joking when I say I get coughed on by strangers minimum once a day.

It’s really telling that they believe in the “covid isn’t real/ is over” or “who cares, it only kills disabled people” rhetoric. It’s just bizarre because I’m not forcing them to wear one. I’m not even wearing anything that’s says to wear a mask. I’m simply wearing one on MY face and minding my own business.

[ashs-nerd-den]

Resources that I used for each subject for junior cycle (age 12-15)

✨Hyperlink ✨

Subjects covered

Maths

English

Irish

French

Geography

History

Home.Ec

Science

Music

[hyenasnake]

Reblog when you vote for larger sample size

[capricorn-0mnikorn]

I heard about this referendum coming up for a vote early on Saturday morning. Based on the brief description in the headlines, I hoped it would pass (part of the change was to redefine a "family" so it's not necessarily based on a monogamous marriage, so that made my little polyamorous heart hopeful).

I was hoping I could post a link to news that made me say "Yay!" instead of "Well, damn!"

On the other hand, at least the question is being raised (in one of the most conservatively Catholic nations, no less), so that might be a sign of the cultural tide turning... Maybe when the question comes up again, or a third time, the answer will be different.

(Though that news bulletin I heard did say that one of the social groups raising concerns about the changes were Disabled people, who feared that wording about how family is the center of care meant that the State could pull back its support for disabled people. So, yeah. I can see how that could be a problem)

[dougielombax]

Far too many people in my country are all too quick to view the disabled (and the neurodivergent) as somehow being lesser, or expendable.

It’s deeply troubling and sickening to see.

[endykelopaedia]

how it feels getting no email back from the people supposed to handle my ppsn (cant work) (cant transition) and from the people supposed to give me healthcare (cant work) (cant transition)

[ladyjmontilyet]

been super depressed all day because my government has proposed an irish version of the british austerity measure that killed so many disabled people when they were forced back into work

it's just a green paper at the moment but it's so horrifying i don't know how to process it at all

because i'm "just autistic" i would fall under "medium support" and be forced into part time work. y'know, the thing that made me bed ridden after just four weeks this summer.

i just don't know what to do. how we oppose this.

[xraylovers]

i was diagnosed with autism last year so i applied for a disability allowance which was months of filling out forms and waiting for responses just to get a letter saying that i don't qualify because they believe i am capable of working full time. whatever. i go apply for a jobseekers allowance instead which was weeks of filling out forms and waiting for responses just to get a phone call saying that i don't qualify because they don't believe i am capable of working full time.* the whole goddamn system needs to be reworked because what the fuck is this.

*i argued and was given the allowance, but the fact that it nearly didn't happen is greatly upsetting to me.

[viktor-complex]

Sup nerds! I'm Viktor Complex, a drag king based in Ireland

He/They in drag | They/Them outta drag

(Sé/Síad as Gaeilge if you're feeling it)

I'm trans & disabled, and often rely on mobility aids - and they feature a lot in my performance.

I do a lot of goofy lip syncs, attempt some stand up, and bring lotsa political inspo into my drag acts. That, and crossdressing as a 2000s emo boii of course.

You'll mostly find me on the Picture App or the Short Video App, but I do like to lurk here upon occasion too ⚡ I perform all across the country, but create lotsa online content too when spoons allow.

[menedits]

Handsome Irish man wearing his special AFO brace and built up ortho boot!

[daniemililly]

CN suicide, political and systemic ableism

In Irish politics, we almost never had disabled people be anything more than props for use for photo ops, or to demonise as welfare cheats

In Irish politics, we talked about the hard work of our carers once in a rare while, but never the hard work of disabled people being cared for or looking after ourselves

In Irish politics, disabled people are objects of pity, and not people trying to get through our days as denizens and citizens of our country which often tells us that we do not belong here

In Irish politics, we protect the facade of a colonial era building before we'll put in a ramp or lift to let a disabled person who needs it go inside

In late 2023 a Green Paper was published on reforming payments to disabled people in ways that meant we would be under more regular surveillance, be pressured into employment services or potentially risk sanction, and be under pressure to work enough to stop receiving payments. It would also tier us depending on how disabled we could prove we are

This document was made without Disabled Persons' Organisations involved, in direct contravention of our recently won rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of People With Disabilities

It led many, including myself, to absolute despair, and I had the worst suicidal ideation I'd had in nearly six years

The only thing that kept me alive was a promise to keep fighting it alongside my fellow disabled people just for a little bit longer, but it got pretty close at times

We didn't really expect to win, but one day after seven months of fighting, we somehow did

The government backed down Disabled people will be part of any future attempts at reform

We even got the Dáil to declare that there should be non means tested, universal disability payments, even if the government is nowhere near that sort of position yet

But as much headspace as that took up, and as big as that victory was, the day to day thriving of disabled people in Ireland remains blocked by a system designed to keep taxes on corporations low and the costs of disability high

In watching the last Disability Matters Committee, there was case after case of how disabled people are being failed by the state, with the politicians on the committee hearing the stories and wondering how many more times they were going to have to hear the same things before there is action by the government

The committee has had report after report to the Dáil stating the dire problems with disabled rights in Ireland and nonetheless, the government decided to put out that Green Paper which ignored all of their recommendations and did more harm to disabled people. Nonetheless, the government have cut services and underfunded our needs

People unable to have their vehicles adapted because they didn't lose the correct limb

People left without insurance for their prosthetics

People unable to access personal assistance hours

People not able to live their lives

So I painted something to express how our politics treats our lives

It took me awhile but here it is

[A Dáil chamber with disabled supports, like mobility equipment, sensory equipment, comfort items, masks, and laptops, overturned and empty on the floor. Blood is spattered on the carpet and equipment]

[phantom-of-the-memes]

A meme I made after my physio appointment I’d been waiting years for

Some backstory:

I have Ehlers Danlos syndrome. A genetic disease that affects the collagen in your body. It causes multiple different problems and comorbidities. But in terms of my chronic pain, it’s mainly due to its effects on joints and making them dislocate constantly.

So I have, and always will have, pain in all my joints. Very unpleasant, but I can get through. That was until three years ago when my right shoulder suddenly got unbearably painful. Both my shoulders previously would sublux (go out but not fully dislocate) a couple of times a day. But now my right shoulder was dislocating upwards of thirty times a day. Unsurprisingly, I’ve been in agony.

In terms of the most painful things to be ever experienced; the first was endometriosis cramps (thankfully I’m on birth control now so it’s a lot better), the shoulder pain, and THEN when my appendix burst. Just to put it in perspective. And while the appendix was a one time thing, and endometriosis only comes once a month and is controlled with medication, the shoulder pain is every day of my life. And it gets worse as the day goes on. My therapist has me doing those breathing exercises people in labour do to breathe through the pain. I literally walk home from college everyday hyperventilating, crying, groaning, yelping. It’s a twenty minute walk.

I have been gaslit about this pain for three years. I’m already gaslit enough having EDS in a country without a single EDS specialist. But the shoulder gaslighting was some of the worst I’ve ever experienced. Mainly because (a) it’s such severe and life altering pain and (b) since it’s pain, the assumption is that I’m seeking narcotics or other forms of painkillers. And I was looking for just an investigation or actual cure, but you know what yeah! Some proper painkillers wouldn’t go amiss! They would actually sit there and ask “Have you tried paracetamol/ ibuprofen?”.

I’d been working with a physiotherapist for the past few years for my EDS. When I brought up the shoulder pain, he completely dismissed it and told me if I was doing the physio and exercising I wouldn’t be in pain. He gave me shoulder exercises that would cause me more pain and dislocations. But gaslit me and told me that they’re supposed to hurt. When I eventually got a referral to a shoulder surgeon, the physio therapist told me they weren’t going to find anything and that I’m wasting my money.

Anyways, I finally got to the shoulder specialist. The appointment was only about ten minutes. He examined my shoulder and immediately noticed the problem. It’s basically this rare thing that can happen after you dislocate your shoulder where your muscles can forget ownership they are supposed to work, and so push your joint out constantly. For most people, a surgery could fix this. Since I’ve EDS a surgery wouldn’t work on me. And so he referred me to a physiotherapist (one of our my eight in Ireland) who could do this special physio.

Had to wait almost a year to get to see her because she’s very in demand (and now I know why). I have never experienced an appointment with such a lack of gaslighting. Before she even physically examined me, she just looked at me standing normally and immediately said “Your right shoulder droops more than your left. I bet your pain is actually worse along the top of your back rather than the shoulder itself right?”… YES!! Omg!!! That’s it exactly! And the fact that the pain is my shoulder blade and muscles being pulled down by the weight of my whole arm makes so much sense. That’s how I describe it. It’s like my muscles being pulled and ripped apart.

So now I have proper specialised physio exercises that will actually make my shoulder feel good and not worse!