Access for All Ireland is an advocacy group that highlights the difficulties faced by anyone in Ireland with mobility issues.
Bernard Mulvany, the founder of Access for All Ireland, said that disabled people in the country are some of the most affected by the rising cost of living. He stated that there is an inadequate amount of support for disabled people in the nation.
The organization will be participating in an event organized by the Cost of Living coalition on April 1. The goal of this movement is to urge the Irish government to take action against inflation.
Bernard, who has a daughter with a disability, said the community often find themselves locked out of areas such as housing due to inaccessibility and inadequate supports. The group also works in solidarity with pensioners and carers struggling to make ends meet.
Bernard talked about the crisis affecting the disabled community during an interview on Dublin Live, and he declared: “It’s very frustrating that we got some supports during Christmas, but they barely addressed the issue. We all knew once January hit that people would be back to square one and people are now screaming out for help.”
He added: “A lot of people with disabilities end up living in the family home and the state uses that to their advantage. You have elderly parents who can barely look after themselves and they have a disabled adult child who can’t really look after themselves either, with no independence. It’s like this perfect storm of inequality swirling around.”
Bernard explained: “People are getting so many bills for fuel and heat – you need a warm home when you have a disability in particular. The government are making so much money off the back of people’s poverty and misery.”
Access for All Ireland is encouraging as many people as possible to take to the streets on April 1 to call for change. The demonstration will take place outside Dail Eireann at 1pm. If you want to see more declarations made by co-founder of Access For All Ireland, please visit: Cost of living: People with disabilities are ‘last to be heard’ amid crisis – Dublin Live