The Disability Federation of Ireland which represents more than 150 disability organisations in Ireland and lobbies on behalf of the almost 600,000 people with disabilities in Ireland has launched a pre-election campaign called ‘leave nobody behind’. The pledge the federation wants candidates to sign states that if the candidate gets elected “I will work consistently to ensure that Ireland, as a matter of urgency has a credible and functioning infrastructure of services and supports available to people with disabilities as a necessary part of Ireland’s recovery programme. I will do this through advancing the implementation of the top election priorities as set out by the Disability Federation of Ireland.”
The top election priorities of the Disability Federation of Ireland for local candidates are to enable people with disabilities to access mainstream public services and supports, to promote and facilitate the participation of people with disabilities in local decision-making structures, and for local government to be guided by the National Disability Strategy Implementation Plan and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
For the European candidates the Disability Federation of Ireland top priorities are to establish a directorate for disability inclusion and appoint a commissioner vice president with dedicated responsibility for disability; full ratification and monitoring of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD ) across Europe and in Ireland; protection for people with disabilities against the negative impact of austerity measures; mainstream disability rights across all areas of the European Union (EU ) and national policies. The Disability Federation of Ireland Local and European election manifestos are available along with all other information on the campaign at www.disability-federation.ie
