International Day of Persons with Disabilities

Members' Statements – in the Northern Ireland Assembly at 10:30 am on 3 December 2024.

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Photo of Declan Kearney Declan Kearney Sinn Féin 10:30, 3 December 2024

[Translation: Today we celebrate International Day of Persons with Disabilities. We acknowledge the contribution that people with disabilities make to society. We also recognise the difficulties that people with disabilities face in accessing services, employment and other opportunities that others in society take for granted. Although International Day of Persons with Disabilities was established in 1992, there are still many obstacles put in the way of people with disabilities. We had a debate last week on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities becoming part of our law here. That would certainly help to protect people with disabilities, but there is something more significant that we could do: listen to them. People with disabilities themselves know best what needs to be done. “Nothing about us without us” is the motto of the global movement for the rights of people with disabilities. We could all learn something from that motto. The views and opinions of people with disabilities must be taken into account in every law that we pass in this House. We would not dare to pass laws on behalf of any other section of the community without its prior approval. Indeed, we have a consultation process and have conversations with those who will be affected by the law. Why would we not do the same for people with disabilities? They are absolutely right when they say, “Nothing about us without us.” Policymakers need to listen, but, more than that, we need to see people with disabilities in leadership positions now.]