From: Cllr Keith Martin
Date: 01/19/06 21:27:44
To: thomas Chambers
Subject: Disability


Tom will you go through this and let me know what changes to make and I will send it into the Mayo News and the Connaught Telegraph.
Thanks
Keith


Disability Issues raised in EU Parliament
In September a delegation of the disabled arrived in Strasbourg at the heart of the EU to lobby MEPs for increased direct funding of the disabled throughout the EU. The trip was organised as the "Strasbourg Freedom Drive" and was seen as an opportunity to empower people with disabilities from all over the European Union states.
Disability campaigner Tom Chambers was among those who travelled out to meet the MEPs, rally outside the Parliament and meet with the European Court of Human Rights. Tom is well known throughout Mayo and further a field as a dedicated campaigner for the rights of those with disabilities and for the provision of disability accessible facilities and buildings.
Tom travelled to Strasbourg to campaign for three key points, the right to independent living, the availability of personal assistants and overseas aid to support the disabled in developing countries.
"What disabled people want is the right to live independently. We don't want institutionalisation we want the government and the EU to develop support that allows the disabled to live their lives as independent citizens within their own communities. We are asking that a European wide policy on independent living that is focused on the individual and we need Personal Assistant services on a progressively implemented basis," Tom explains.
Tom says that also among their calls to the EU was "the right to free movement between EU states is enshrined in the EU treaties however there are clear restrictions on the movement of disabled people as the EU states do not recognise the requirement for portability of independent living supports such as Personal Assistants. We are also anxious as a group that the mistakes of the developed world are not repeated in the developing nations, which are currently developing their own attitudes and systems for their disabled community. That is why we are asking the EU to ensure that its EU overseas Development funding is used to ensure the involvement of organisations of the disabled in the planning and development of aid programmes so we are asking that a percentage of the EU Overseas fund be ring-fenced for projects that recognise the principals of Independent living in these developing nations.
Tom was part of the Irish contingent of the Strasbourg Freedom Drive which was made up from members of disability groups and the disabled from countries such as the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Denmark and newer EU members from eastern Europe.
Tom landed in Strasbourg early in the morning ready to take the campaign to the centre of the EU government full of hope but his first experience was a sign that perhaps the Freedom Drive was going to be a bit bumpy. Tom's taxi from the airport to his hotel cost €48, which he haggled down to €30 only after a heated debate. Arriving at last Tom felt that the hostel was a bit austere but the beds were tidy and neat. This was a lot more than could be said for the hostel's only disabled toilet. Complaints by Tom and his fellow travellers lead to a new seat being put on the facility proving to Tom that even while attending to the big issues, disability campaigning starts and finishes with the small details that make life liveable for the disabled.
Morale improved, Tom explains, as "that evening was a time to gather thoughts and get to know the others who were staying in the hostel as they were coming into the Hostel at all hours of the night and the next day. I must say the Barbaque on Monday night was great fun. It was nice to see people from other countries coming and mixing together. The Danes had specially designed tee shirts for all of us. It was great to hear them all singing Irish songs and the craic on those first two days was 90 and we all agreed it was a good start to the campaign."
"Tuesday morning was the start of the campaign proper and we set off to meet our respective MEPs. We got a Tram, which was completely accessible and fast right to the Parliament buildings, and were escorted to the Staff canteen where we meet with our representatives in Europe. There was a discussion but it was brief and we felt a little disappointed with the outcome but we had made our points to those who counted. Then it was back to the hostel for another social, which kicked off at 7pm.
"It was a long day on Wednesday as it was the day we marched to the Parliament Buildings. As our hostel was 10 miles away we had to start early and caught a Tram at 9am to bring us to the meeting point from which we, the disabled from many countries, would walk together as a group. So we set off for our two mile walk to the buildings and were surrounded by a police escort all they way as we shouted and chanted in English, French and a few other languages, there was even an outbreak of Rebel songs on the march.
"We got to the Parliament building at 12.30 where there were interviewers waiting to talk to the groups and there was even a television crew from Norway. Unfortunately there was no one from the Irish media there. People were looking out from the Parliament Buildings and from the street to see who and what was causing all the fuss. Now we had made an impact we had to wait until 5pm for our meeting with the EU's special Disability Intergroup, which is the assigned committee of the MEPs, which deals with disability issues. So while many of us were waiting we explored the local area including a market that sold everything from cars to needles.
"The Disability Intergroup was chaired by a UK MEP Richard Howitt and he welcomed us and gave us the opportunity to ask questions. We were frank in our complaints and in raising the issues that had brought us as a group all the way to Strasbourg. Then as we finished a group of 6 girls let loose singing, "We shall overcome" which caused a bit of a stir. Mr Howitt said we were the first group to ever sing in the Parliament and he thanked us for staging our protest in a sociable manner and wished us the best of luck while he committed himself and his committee to doing their best to achieve the goals we had set for them.
"Leaving the Parliament we were a bit distressed to notice how inaccessible it actually is. Its lifts are too small for wheelchairs and it is a maze for anyone with an impairment who is trying to leave the building. As Ireland were playing an international soccer match we moved on to a pub to watch it and we happened to pick the same pub as several Irish MEPs but despite having spoken to us earlier on they choose not to come over and watch the match with us. In the end Ireland lost and we were a bit despondent that evening.
"Thursday was the last day and we travelled into the city once again to meet with the European Court were we were met by a representative of the courts from Ireland and he gave us a talk on what the courts do He explained that on Tuesday a woman from Ireland had brought an action against the government in the court. Then it was back to the Hostel for the end of campaign party where a late night of craic, ceol, food and drink was had by all until the wee hours."
Tom says he enjoyed the trip and feels he and the others made their point even if the reaction from the Irish MEPs was a bit disappointing. Tom says he would go again if needed but "not without a Personal Assistant. It was a huge task to take on all on my own and I had a terrible time travelling as a disabled person on my own. I still bear the scars!
"On the return trip they took my wheelchair off me at De Gaulle airport. I was left on a hard chair holding on to a metal bar to stop me falling off. I was left like this for two hours and had to ask some passing Americans for some water. It was like a form of torture but worse was to come. The chair they then gave me was not suitable for the plane and I had to explain that four men would be needed to lift me into a chair. They called the pilot down to supervise it but they had no training and actually did me harm when my legs went into spasm while being lifted over into me seat on the plane, I hit off other seats ripping my left shin and bursting one of my big toes open. Then to add insult to injury when we landed at Dublin the sides of my wheelchair and gone missing. Later I got a call to say the sides were found in Gatwick airport and airport that I hadn't even been too!"
"Despite this, I am not sorry I went. We put it to the MEPs that we want 5% of Structural funds and we got commitments to that from Mr Howitt. There was a record of everything that was done and said and it is up to them to fulfil the promises because if they don't, like the Terminator, "I'll be back and there will be many, many more with me!"