'LOOK AT ABILITY, NOT DISABILITY'
Back in the 1980’s when I first began attending school; the usual practice was for a child with a disability to go to a “special school”. Attending a “special school” meant that during a school day, students would have access to a range of support services, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, psychology, seating, nursing and medical.
Don’t get me wrong having direct daily access to services was excellent but sometimes it felt as though educating students was not that important. I loved to read and I loved to learn and I was very lucky to have a teacher who recognized that in me and advised my parents to mainstream me i.e. taking me out of the “special school” and sending me to a mainstream (ordinary) school.
I was fortunate in that I could manage without regular access to the support services, such as physiotherapy and occupational therapy, provided by the school. I realize this is not the case for everyone and some children do need the care they receive in special school.
I will be forever grateful to that teacher who recognized the spark in me and supported my move to mainstream school – even going as far as coming in to my house during the summer to teach me Irish, a subject which hadn’t been taught in my old school but would be a necessity in mainstream school.
I would have to say that making the move from “special education” to mainstream school was one of the best things ever to have happened to me. I excelled in school; moving from primary to secondary, completing the State exams and earning my place in university.
I couldn’t have all this without the continuing support of open-minded individuals like that teacher who first recognized my hunger for learning. Each and every one of these people recognized my abilities before my disabilities and taught me to do the same.
Therefore after achieving my Social Science degree in December 2013, I hoped that potential employers would recognise the intelligent, well-educated young woman before them – who just happens to have a disability as well!
The reality is I was not that lucky! It appears that still, despite awareness and many great initiatives, the mind-set on how we think about disability in Ireland is based on the belief that disabled people should be cared for and maintained rather than empowered, so that they too could play an equal part in society.
The sad fact is only three out of every ten adults of working age who have a disability also have a job. There’s no denying that hiring a person with disability is just the same as hiring a person without. There will be issues that have to be dealt with in relation to access to the working environment, working hours, transport etc. But if the disabled employee has equal or far more potential than the non-disabled employee there should be ways and means to deal with the teething problems. Nobody should be denied the opportunity to participate in society!
In my own case, I would have issues which would prevent me from being able to hold down the traditional 9-5 job. I have a physical disability called Brittle Bones. I also have a curvature in my spine which in turn affects my breathing so I need to use oxygen at all times. I suffer from tiredness and low energy levels as a result hence I couldn’t be physically present in the office, Monday-Friday, 9-5. However, in this era of modern technology, you don’t have to be physically present in an office in order to work effectively.
I do not have paid employment but I do volunteer for a number of disability organizations. I visit their offices usually once a fortnight but the rest of the time I work from home and use calls, emails and texts to keep me in constant contact with my colleagues in the office.
I may lack in physical ability but I believe my other abilities such as my technical know-how, my interpersonal skills and my intellectual ability, more than make up for it.
In October 2015, An Taoiseach Enda Kenny made a speech at the launch of the Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities. Mr. Kenny acknowledged that, in the past, disabled people in Ireland had not had much of a role to play in society; in fact, they existed on the periphery of it. But moving forward that would change, there would be a focus on every individual’s ability (not disability), “on their desire and their determination, and their right, to be part of the national task of getting Ireland back to work”.
Mr Kenny was essentially saying what I’ve always said myself: recognise a person’s ability before their disability. But in his final months as Taoiseach there have been no moves to demonstrate his belief this statement.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed that one day policy makers and our government will do more than just ‘talk the talk!’ by putting words into actions to enhance access to the workforce for people with disabilities.
