Athlone stroke survivor backs ILMI campaign
An Athlone stroke survivor has thrown her support behind the Independent Living Movement Ireland (ILMI) campaign to legislate for the right to a Personal Assistance Service (PAS) for disabled people in Ireland.
Carrie Minagh, who is in her second year of a degree course in community development in Maynooth, is currently working with the Dublin-based organisation, whose main aim is that disabled people achieve independent living, choice and control over their lives and full participation in society as equal citizens.
ILMI recently launched a 30-day countdown to their #PASNOW webinar, taking place on European Independent Living Day on May 5th, and is the culmination of their campaign to legislate the right to a Personal Assistance Service (PAS) for disabled people in Ireland.
“I was that person (who needed personal assistance) but I've taken a step forward and I don't need personal assistance now.
"I've met loads of people who need it and don't get it,” she said of the importance of the current campaign, explaining that many people need personal assistance to allow them to get out of bed, leave the house, do everyday tasks and live an independent, normal life.
ILMI Policy Officer and PAS user James Cawley explained that PAS was first introduced in Ireland in 1992 as a pilot programme. However, 30 years later it still operates on the same basis with no legislative protection for its provision.
“Instead, many PAS users rely on a piecemeal service, which can be removed with no warning at the discretion of government directives,” continued James. “It’s hard to put into words what that means to a PAS user. Essentially, we are living day-to-day always expecting that call or knock on the door to say our independence has been removed. As a husband, employee, and contributing member to society that is truly terrifying”.
The Personal Assistance Service (PAS) is a service that allows disabled people to live independently. What this means is that a person can be hired to act as the disabled person’s Personal Assistant (PA), which enables them to do all the tasks that they cannot do for themselves, both inside and outside of the home. They are not carers, they carry out tasks at the discretion and direction of the disabled person, therefore, enabling the individual to live an independent life.
In November 2019, Deputy Thomas Pringle received cross-party support for an ILMI motion affirming the right to a PAS in Ireland. Since then, ILMI has worked with local authorities to ensure local government support for the right to access PAS, with almost all local authorities either supporting or in the process of tabling the Motion the Campaign is gaining momentum.
It is therefore fitting that on the 30th Anniversary of PAS in Ireland, ILMI is hosting a PAS NOW webinar to highlight the vital importance of PAS to disabled people across the country.
Through the webinar, ILMI will explain how Ireland could realise Article 19 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (UNCRPD), by finally legislating for the right to access a PAS to live independently.
ILMI stressed that this campaign isn’t just relevant to disabled people. It is for all people who support an individual’s right to equality and freedom.
PAS users across Ireland are explaining why the campaign for the protection of our right to access PAS is so important on the group's social media pages FB: Independent Living Movement Ireland. Twitter: @ILMIreland and Instagram: @ilmireland.