Land of the Free? Ireland's inertia

Since coming to Ireland I've tried to utilise my skills and experience as best I can. Every effort has either been ignored or abused.

I try to do a survey of disabled, elderly and sick people's lives in Co Wicklow, only 10 stepped forward. Things are not good in Co Wicklow regarding community supports but people WILL NOT react to this deprivation. Say nothing in case you loose the little you get. I know the feeling but sitting there 'taking it' won't improve the situation. But challenging the status quo is not 'in the blood' of disabled people. One overnight demo to save Personal assistants -PA's (for themselves) did not save PA's for ALL disabled people. One big disability march did not equal a revolution! And there has been none since despite government cuts continuing to decimate disabled people's lives.

I start a group DAG:T 'Disability Action Greystones: Together' in my local town, thinking 'just do something small', for disabled and non-disabled people to come 'together' to 'make an inclusive community'. There are 4 stalwarts on the group and work hard, there were a few others but they left. But every time I post on the Greystones forum about a DAG:T issue  I'm abused by trolls and no one defends me. The moderator just says "free speech" . The seriously horrible disablist remarks such as I'm not disabled and don't need a wheelchair because "I've seen her walk" is allowed.

Yesterday it was almost asserted I didn't need to use taxi's for disabled wheelchair users simply when I asked where in Greystones these taxi's were? I was attempting to draft a wee flyer of wheelchair accessible taxi's. I had to delete the post.

Such abuse hurts because it's from the very people I meet in MY CHOSEN TOWN to live in. This is a close community. Everyone knows everyone. I am appalled not just at the personal abuse but at the acceptance of it. I really, really intended to generate a well-spring of 'inclusiveness' here in a sea side town not easy for wheelchair users. But I am not the only one targeted. Other disabilist comments are made about other disabled people without any sanction. even if you request the moderator's to intervene. I can only conclude that DAG:T is very much needed but it's going to be an uphill struggle. and political disability activism is not favoured, only the charity model! And I despair of this 'closed' town who know nothing of Disability except a charity model.


I then switched to my other area of concern...clergy sexual abuse and asked if people would like to contribute to a wall -hanging similar to one done by survivors in the UK in 1990's. I thought it'd be an 'easy' way to do something of value and become a 'visible sign of our presence' like it did in the UK.   I posted on a clergy sexual abuse site. not one person either liked or were interested. OK so maybe this group is more men than women...even so...my EFFORT  was not even acknowledged.

Now either I'm seriously out of touch here or Ireland is seriously 'Dead'. I don't think it's me. I think people in Ireland after years of Catholic Church domination are 'sheeple'.

There is NO real user-led uproar about issues. What there is tend to be seen as organised by either fanatics or fringe radical left political lunatics!  I've come to the conclusion Ireland is not a country where 'dissent' is liked or supported, despite our great history in freeing ourselves from 'slavery', (only now to be 'slaves' of the EU TROIKA and especially Germany).

It's not that people don't complain, they do, and the clergy abuse groups and the Magdalene groups have been vocal, loud and enormously successful, and still active, and now the mother and babies home groups are raising up . So 'user-led' groups have changed the scene , at least in that area.

The disability groups are, unfortunately hampered by established 'disability charities'; no active 'user-led' groups exist. Those disabled people who do challenge are those employed by the charities. So disability 'activists' are not independent. and I've found 'getting -in' to these already established disability groups almost impossible. WHO ARE YOU is almost roared in your face!  I'm never invited and never told what's going on, It's lonely and it's hurtful and I don't think I've done anything 'wrong'. Believe it or not I am shy, and generally nervous, I have to be 'helped' to join in. It does not come easy.

But 'dissent' is just not HERE!  Keyboard warriors urge people to protest, demonstrate, challenge and no-one does or says anything. It's left to the few who do on a regular basis...and these are viewed as cranks. and others mumble "what's the point?"

The community activism problem is more acute if you are a 'blow-in', you come from outside. And I did. There is suspicion, hostility for the 'outsider' trying to 'get in'.  But I don't know HOW to 'get-in' other than to try what I've always done and successfully in the UK. that is...to do something.

Am I culturally 'out of step' ? Have I not done an 'Irish' thing? Or is the Irish psyche so damaged by Catholicism and 'do as I say' then we'd all like to admit, which has created a whole nation of people who don't know the word 'activism' or 'direct action'?  I think so, sadly, I think so.

I will keep trying to help here in Ireland because 'helping' is what I like to do...but constant knocks do nothing for my self-esteem and Ireland is proving a hard place to live.