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RSSQuestions were raised over MLAs’ commitment to the visually impaired and why Northern Ireland does not have a disabled person’s commissioner.
The panel didn’t know why there was no commissioner to represent disabled people and could think of no reason why there shouldn’t be one. Mark Durkan offered that he would advocate such an appointment only if it would be the most efficient way of dealing with this issue. He highlighted the situation within Westminster which indicated that such a commissioner may not make a difference.
Should the appointment of some kind of disabled person’s commissioner become a priority in the Assembly? Why has Northern Ireland fallen behind the rest of United Kingdom in this area?
Northern Ireland should certainly have a commissioner for disabled people, in fact it is even more essential here than on any other part of Ireland. In the main people with disabilities from Northern Ireland are not politicised which means they often accept sub-standard services, such as the door to door transport which has failed to solve problems of mobility, especially in Belfast. In health care provision people with disabilities are frequently disadvantaged and in the arts too essential services are often not provided for disabled people. Having a commissioner would help people with disabilities to see such things as a right!
I agree that Northern Ireland should have a commissioner for disabled people. I think that it speaks for its self to know that we dont. For there not to be is an arguable statement of inequality towards this section of our society.