A small contingent of Trinity students marched on the Dáil today, calling on the government to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Led by Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) Disabilities Officer, Laura Beston, the group joined other protestors outside the GPO before heading towards the Dáil. The small group were joined by a slightly larger group from University College Dublin.
Beston explained that it was a difficult time to get students out with exams and assignment deadlines approaching. “For students it is understandable that this time of year doesn’t really work. But it was really nice to see people give up their time”, she said when speaking to The University Times.
Ratifying the convention is about giving people with disabilities “the basic rights” said Beston. The march was about raising visibility for the fact that Ireland has yet to ratify the convention, despite it being adopted by the EU in 2006. Ireland signed it in 2007 but is the only country in the EU yet to ratify it. Minister of State with Responsibility for Disability Issues Finian McGrath announced last week that he would submit draft legislation to the government within the week with the hope of finally having the convention recognised in Irish law.
The run up to the march was marked by an online photo campaign run by TCDSU featuring various people answering the question “What is the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities?”. Responses varied from “respect for inherent dignity and autonomy” and “the freedom to make one’s own choices”.
TCDSU must lobby on the issue after a motion was passed last March requiring them to lobby for rights for people with disabilities. Since then, the union has lent its support to events like today as well as tailoring its own events to support those with disabilities. Last year, TCDSU President Kevin Keane and Entertainments Officer Jonah Craig took part in a 24 hour wheelchair challenge, that saw a group of able-bodied students spend a day in a wheelchair. Another new feature is an emphasis on having accessible events with the event descriptions stating whether the venue is wheelchair-friendly or not.
“It’s just sad, in ways, that there is the practical element of people want to be able to use transport and people want to be able to have jobs and, if they don’t have jobs, to be able to have the right quality of life then just moving and existing”, said Beston.
Speaking about where she wants to go from here, Beston says she will organise another march if the convention isn’t ratified but also intends to keep pressure on the government if it is. “They’ll probably pat themselves on the back and say that’s done but they need to invest money into the services that need to be brought about from the ratification”, she explained.
She also intends to have more events to ensure that “discussions that haven’t been had before” are happening. “Even if there’s not a big turnout, it’s the presence on campus and people starting to talk”, she said.
