Mary White TD, Minister of State for Equality, Integration and Human Rights sent me and lots of other people an invitation to a party which is happening tomorrow night to mark the passing of legislation for Civil Partnerships.
The Party for Partnership is being held upstairs at the Odeon on Harcourt Street. The Odeon is one of the most inaccessible venues in Dublin, the upstairs part included. (I telephoned and checked). So that’ll be able bodied people partying tomorrow night for forthcoming nuptials next year.
The Green Party and the Minister may wish when they have concluded their celebrations to consult a document from the National Disability Authority which is now five years old. *
It discusses issues pertaining to disability and sexual orientation. It’s well time that some of the suggestions in this report were acted on and further work completed regarding access and inclusion for lesbians and gay men with disabilities. It’s not just the Green Party that has this problem, the lgbt community is legendary itself.
*I was one of the people who advised the NDA in a voluntary capacity on the report.
heard it all now….
*tut* on the Minister for Equality
Pretty silly mistake. Surprising since the local branches and party as a whole tend to be fairly good about this sort of thing (not that norms should even be something people are “good” at). *sigh*
Hear hear! A lot of talk, but very little follow-up. And yes, you’re right, the LGBT community needs to take action too – now. I take the point and will add my voice to those calling for ACTION on disability issues.
I have posted on the facebook page to find out why upstairs in the Odeon was picked-Its not as if there is a shortage of accessible venues. Disappointed by the Greens.
And yes your right re the LGBT community. In Limerick it was planned to hold a Ms. Gay Limerick in an upstairs venue that was not accessible. When i questioned it i was told that any person with a disability could be ‘carried’ upstairs-Needless to say the event did not happen. You really have to wonder wtf in particular when organisations get state funding and come up with the ideas!
Thursday Links « Éidín's Blog // Jul 29, 2010 at 00:39
[...] However a lot of those leaving are immigrants that came in: Numbers leaving Ireland at double rate of next EU state And Via Maman Poulet you have to wonder what the Green Party are at sometimes Partying for Partnership [...]
I like the Odeon as a venue. I’ve been carried up the steps into the place many times in my wheelchair and have generally had enjoyable, if somewhat dependant times there. But I’ve not set wheel in the place for quite some time due to its persistent failure to provide even the most basic of facilities to disabled patrons; an accessible toilet.
I like the Civil Partnership Bill and the Green Party more than I dislike being personally inconvenienced for a few hours, so if I had been free to attend this evening’s party, I would have set aside my boycott and gone. But it’s still an avoidable and rudimentary mistake that shouldn’t have been made by the event planners.
well that’s just unacceptable. who organised the party?? can I also add that the Odeon would also be off my list as a venue since it was one of the first places in Dublin to ‘employ’ (read- ‘exploit’) Black women in their toilets.
When I complained to the manager of the Odeon about this racist practice of exploiting Black women he proudly told me (in an effort no doubt to stress his credentials as an equal opportunities employer) that there was also a Black man employed in the gents (without even a trace of any irony)
I would never consider giving them an iota of business…
Nobody from the Green Party has left a comment on the post but I know they’ve all been reading it – classic ostrich position. I note the following comment from the facebook page on the matter in reply to Eidin’s comment.
Do wonder if the greens offered any apology or was it as always brushed under the carpet?? Fucking assholes.
Sorry just makes me mad as what year are we living in again??
Swimmer, yes, they did apologise. It’s in the comment directly above yours. “Fucking assholes” is a bit far, considering that a group of volunteers in the party make a simple error. It was a stupid mistake, but by the time it was realised, the event had already been advertised.
On MP’s last point, I think it’s unreasonable to expect that any criticism of the party on a blog means that someone should respond to it. If you emailed, wrote to, or directly contacted the party and didn’t get a response, then that’d be an issue, but I hardly think that a party not commenting on your blog constitutes an “ostrich position”.
Maybe I should have attended and embarrassed (if that is possible) the cabinet ministers and juniors in attendance by sitting outside the venue and making people feel awkward about going inside – I’ve done that with friends at other inaccessible events before.
Pidge there was no official comment from the party (via their website or in an email to all the people that Mary White emailed inviting to the event) who clearly sanctioned the event by their presence and it was clear from the interviews and other press during the past week that the party were looking to this event to round off the political season as a mark of the work that has been done and the role of the Green Party in the passage of the legislation.
As a disabled person I’m fed up of seeing very basic mistakes in event planning happening time and time again. This is about much more than one poorly planned event or one inaccessible venue among thousands out there. I know people were embarrassed but other than the comment on a facebook page there seems to have been a decision to ignore the issue – some sort of statement on the night might have been of use or some note on the party website. One day it just be seen as not on to proceed with the event or change a venue rather than mumble and continue on. Again I note that the lgbt community have a poor track record in regards of inclusion of people with disabilities in events and providing access – exhibit A the history and development of Outhouse.
There are a number of disabled people in the Green Party who are excellent advocates on the issues pertaining to disability and access amongst their many other talents and concerns. I’m sure they can provide support and training to the Young Greens etc. for future events. If not I know many others who can – and indeed people who will also explain the experiences of disabled people in Ireland under the FF/Green government where the Disability Act has failed to be rolled out and peoples access to their rights is continually impeded. Some of us use power chairs and scooters too so will fit in the electric vehicles campaign and the party could even make lovely youtubes about us.
Simple error Pidge??
As for the apology : ‘it was a different team organising this event and it was their first time, so we have to put up our hands and apologise for the oversight on this occassion. We go to considerable effort at our national events to facilitate everyone and this was a rare slip up on our part. Apologies again for that.’
Hmm it is an sincere worded apology do ye think??
Things like not a big deal to them come to mind when it class as a “slip up”.