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Women and Disability

Women and Disability. Ursula Barry School of Social Justice, Women’s Studies University College Dublin February 2008. Women and disability. Focus on experiences and needs of women with disabilities Challenge assumption that policies are gender neutral

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Women and Disability

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  1. Women and Disability Ursula Barry School of Social Justice, Women’s Studies University College Dublin February 2008

  2. Women and disability • Focus on experiences and needs of women with disabilities • Challenge assumption that policies are gender neutral • Analyse the way inequalities in relation to gender and disability interact • Understand that women identify in different ways including as women, mothers, disabled, carers, workers, earners, cared for, students, part of community • Identify policy priorities in relation to government • Ensure organisation is inclusive of women with disabilities

  3. Women and Disability Key priorities • poverty and inequality • personal assistance and care issues • access to labour market & training • reproductive and sexual freedoms • communication barriers

  4. Women with Disabilities • Important development – new emphasis Social model of disability – focus on the social, economic and physical environment and issues of inclusion-exclusion Rights-based approach – right to equality of treatment and of opportunity

  5. Women and Disability Poverty and inequality • 58% of women (and 52%) of men with disabilities are at risk of poverty (EU-SILC 2003) • People with disabilities earn around EURO1.25 per hour less than non-disabled counterparts (Gannon and Nolan 2005) • 46% of people with disabilities have only primary level educational qualifications compared to 18% of the population as a whole • Average employment rate for people with disabilities is two and a half times lower than their non-disabled peers (Census 2002) • Paid employment among disabled women is at an extremely low level ranging from 20% in older age groups to 30% in younger age group (Census 2002)

  6. Women and Disability Personal Assistance and Care Issues • Families are primary care providers and women are main carers facilitating community based systems of care • Development of paid care sector in Ireland is based mainly on women’s increased involvement in paid work and new sector of migrant women • Women as main providers of care suffer from inadequacy of funding, training for and design of care programmes • Public policy on care can intensify gender inequalities and dependency e.g. means testing of carer’s allowance • High care needs are disproportionately associated with low income households

  7. Women and Disability Personal Assistance and Care Issues • Women with disabilities are both care-providers as well as care-receivers but rarely seen as such • Disabled researchers and activists have challenged concepts of care that view disabled women as a ‘burden’ and contribute to the denial of caring rights to women with disabilities • Women with disabilities deny themselves practical help and supports in order to ensure they are accepted as carers • Care policy often fails to distinguish between the role of carer and the carrying out of caring tasks • Direct payments to care receiver are central to issues of choice, quality of care, flexibility and independence

  8. Women and Disability Labour Market Access • High level of disadvantage evident • Narrow range of employment opportunities reflects high level of occupational segregation • Significant level of care responsibilities • Variation according to type of disability • Personal assistance supports in training and employment contexts • Lack of access to employment services • High level of part-time and low paid employment

  9. Women and Disability Reproductive and sexual freedoms • Prevalence of negative attitudes and stereotypes • Need for resources and support systems • Development of specific programmes for young people with disabilities - review of Relationship and Sex Education Programme in secondary schools • Disability awareness training within health and social services • Development of specialised midwife training • Review of personal assistance training

  10. Women and Disability Communication barriers • Potential for assistive technologies in range of employment and educational arena has not been realised • Lack of resources towards the provision of key facilities e.g. sign interpreters • Importance of disability awareness training • Increased funding towards adaptive equipment

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