Public perceptions of the rights of persons with disability: National surveys in the Republic of Ireland

Abstract

Since 2006, three nationally representative surveys in Ireland have assessed public agreement to three rights inherent in the UNCRPD (United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities): attendance at ordinary schools, to have sexual fulfilment and to have children. Three questions are posed in this paper: do the Irish public perceive people with different impairments as having the same rights? Are they more supportive of certain rights than others? How has public perceptions changed in 2017? The Irish public are more sympathetic to the rights of persons with physical and sensorial disabilities than to those with cognitive or emotional impairments. They are more supportive of people having sexual fulfilment than they are of school attendance. By 2017 they were more supportive of these rights and especially those of people with mental health difficulties. Monitoring public perceptions nationally would help to inform the advocacy and awareness raising efforts needed to make the public allies in achieving the Convention's aims.