Appeal from Mayo activist as new book unveils dark treatment of disabled people

THE publication of ‘We are Human Too,’ the most remarkable, comprehensive analysis ever published of the Irish state’s treatment of disabled people and the progress made by activists, will mark the opening of the prestigious Ennis Book Club Festival 2024 on Friday, March 1, at 12 p.m. in the Great Hall, Templegate Hotel.

‘We are Human Too’ unveils the untold story of Ireland's dark treatment of disabled people through their own eyes. It presents a profound analysis of discrimination, neglect and paternalism alongside a stirring narrative of resilient activism that has defied all odds to challenge the established order.

These tireless activists have rallied to compel the state to shift from outdated medical and charitable models of segregation by honouring its obligations to fundamental rights, equality, and independence.

Editor Ann Marie Flanagan describes the book as “a ground-breaking achievement, capturing the history and shattering the confining lens of ableism. It's an essential narrative told from disabled people’s perspective, affirming rights and ambitions as equal to anyone else's.

“This is not just a record; it's a declaration that all disabled people have a right to be treated equally.”

In the upcoming weeks, a nationwide tour will take place in conjunction with the co-production team and local disabled activists Disabled People’s Organisations and other organisations.

Ber Hoban, a prominent Mayo activist and contributor to the book, with a particular interest in the human rights of older disabled people, has appealed to politicians and leaders in policy implementation to heed its message and act, stating: “The moment has come to transform our right to equality into tangible results, fulfilling the state's duty to treat deaf and disabled people of all ages as equals before the law, as enshrined in Article 40.1 of the Constitution.

“It was so important to address the often unspoken interplay between ageism and ableism. 'We Are Human Too' gives it the respect it deserves and we deserve.”

Former President Mary McAleese has described the book as 'a great read', stating: “With this publication, we can see what we owe to the courage, resilience and commitment of so many. They have brought closer the lived reality of a Republic of equals and while it is still a work in progress, there is fresh hope today that past generations dreamt of, laboured for and is a gift to a new generation, a new future.”

She added that the message and lessons of the book need to be enacted because 'chronicled here is how that hope is built, brick by brick'.

‘We are Human Too’ exposes the state's disconcerting abandonment of its duty to support all disabled people on an equal basis with others. Professor Eilionóir Flynn, Director of Disability Law and Policy at the University of Galway, in the foreword, says the book, meticulously documents the state’s 'continued failure to respect, protect, and fulfil the human rights of disabled people, set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities'.

As well as social and institutional analysis, the book offers poignant inputs of lives constrained, rights denied, and potential stifled.

These narratives reveal the unwavering determination of individuals fighting to gain their independence and power from the state, religious and secular charities, and unwarranted paternalism.

The book can be bought throughout the festival weekend in Glór by The Ennis Bookshop and thereafter in-store and online at www.ennisbookshop.ie.