[Image description: A graphic with a pink brush-stroke background. In the centre is a cream box with a black hand-stitched border. Text reads: “Disabled Women & Poverty: The Cost of Exclusion – Participant Feedback – Part 5.” Along the bottom are logos for Disability Participation News Hub, Disabled Women Ireland and the Department of Social Protection.]

Disabled Women & Poverty: The Cost of Exclusion - Participant Feedback Part 5

In Part 5 of this series from our Disabled Women & Poverty event with Disabled Women Ireland, we are sharing responses from our fifth question posed to participants:

“What makes it harder for disabled women, girls and non-binary/genderqueer/gender non-conforming people to access social welfare? How is this different compared to disabled men or non-disabled women?

You’ll find some of the responses from the question in a series of images below.

Participants contributed through discussions, sticky notes, artwork, and a survey to share their thoughts and experiences.

We will also be working on a report to gather the insights from those who participated for future work and advocacy on this topic.

Thank you again to everyone who shared their time, insights, and experiences.

Keep an eye on our social media and Substack for further highlights!
Follow Disabled Women Ireland and keep up with their work on the DWI website.

This project was supported by the Department of Social Protection as part of the funding for the United Nations International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2025.

Subscribe now

[Image 1 description: A graphic with a pink brush-stroke background. In the centre is a cream box with a black hand-stitched border. Text reads: “Disabled Women & Poverty: The Cost of Exclusion – Participant Feedback – Part 5.” Along the bottom are logos for Disability Participation News Hub, Disabled Women Ireland and the Department of Social Protection.]

[Image 2 description: A graphic with a pink brush-stroke background. A cream box with a hand-stitched black border contains the text: “Question 5: What makes it harder for disabled women, girls and non-binary/genderqueer/gender non-conforming people to access social welfare? How is this different compared to disabled men or non-disabled women?”]

[Image 3 description: A collage-style graphic over a pink brush-stroke background with several paper notes and sticky notes. On lined torn notebook paper: “Women are often dismissed for lying about their disability or perceived as being an inconvenience so these prejudices are already there when you approach social welfare to apply.”

On a blue pinned note: “To start with if you get any level of disability allowance social welfare figure you have enough money.”

On a green sticky note: “There’s a lot of different kinds of social welfare and it might be very confusing to figure out which one if fitting for your circumstances.”

On a white clipped note: “inaccessible systems and application processes – e.g. long and repetitive form filling.]

[Image 4 description: A collage-style graphic with a lined notebook page and pastel sticky notes. On lined paper: “Social welfare is very hard to receive, especially disability allowance. The application process is very time consuming and rigourous trying to write it well enough that it conveys that you’re almost not able to live just to try and convince a non disabled staff member to approve you for receiving payment. It’s like a performance to see who’s the most in need to uneducated able bodied people; it’s not fair that our livelihoods are in the hands of these people.”

Pink pinned note: “medicalised approach – power dynamics”

Blue pinned note: “means testing based on partner”]

[Image 5 description: A collage-style graphic with taped and pinned notes on a pink background. Quotes read:

Yellow taped note:
“review and repeal processes are traumatic, trying to ‘prove’ how disabled you are and why you deserve a payment that will not cover basic costs to live.”

White clipped paper:
“many disabled women are used to downplaying their conditions, and womens issues are less likely to be believed or taken seriously – is there bias in how DA is awarded/rejected?”

Pink gridded note:
“certain conditions that more women than men have (e.g. fibromyalgia) are less well recognised as disabilities – makes it harder to get DA for them.”

White torn note:
“medical model approach forces people to describe themselves and family members ‘on their worst day’. Reinforces stigma, ableism and deterrent to applying.”

[Image 6 description: A collage-style graphic with brush-stroke background and various torn notes. Quotes read:

On lined notebook paper:
“..Thousands of disabled women do not receive any State support as they are deemed ‘dependents’ of their spouse or other family members; many disabled women can’t get married for fear of losing all financial independence. ‘I fear getting married for this reason. I’m currently not on DA, but what if in 10 or 20 years, I just don’t have the energy to work full time anymore, which is a reality I know I’ll face. It’s not a what if, it’s a reality…’”

On blue graph paper:
“When I was looking for medical diagnosis, I was told by my doctor, I have really sick people in the waiting room. There is a huge gap in how long it takes for women to get help or diagnosis. Medical gaslighting is very common…”

On an orange sticky note:
“For me personally, I’ve experienced a lot of medical denial of my issues…”]

Subscribe now

The Disability Participation News Hub CLG is a non profit and voluntary organisation.
You can directly support our work and help us to grow by becoming a paid subscriber or donating through Buy Me A Coffee or PayPal. 🌱

Sign up to our weekly newsletter here.

info@disabilityparticipation.ie

Artwork by Participants

The Highlights Continue! ✨

This week we are sharing the art created by participants at our Disabled Women & Poverty Event with Disabled Women Ireland.

Facilitating multiple forms of engagement is a key part of making our events truly accessible, so participants could also share their views in art-form.

Thank you so much to all who took part and created these beautiful pieces.

Keep an eye on our social media and Substack for further highlights!
Follow Disabled Women Ireland and keep up with their work on the DWI website.

This project was supported by the Department of Social Protection as part of the funding for the United Nations International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2025.

Subscribe now

[Image description: Artwork created on canvas. A red heart with a black crack down the middle is drawn at the centre. Surrounding the heart is a dense circle of small colourful dots in blue, pink, orange, purple, green, and brown. A light blue wash of colour surrounds the dotted circle against a white canvas background.]

[Image description: Artwork created on canvas. The design features layered, petal-like shapes outlined in black, radiating outward. Inside the shapes are clusters of smaller forms filled with bright colours including orange, yellow, teal, blue, and green. The background is a white canvas texture.]

[Image description: Artwork created on canvas. A hand-drawn black maze fills the centre. At the middle of the maze is a green euro (€) symbol. Along the maze pathways, small handwritten words and phrases appear, including: “No support,” “Forms,” “Disability,” “Accessible,” “Services,” “Time,” “Appointments,” “Travelling,” “Discrimination,” “Medical,” “Long wait,” “No interpreter,” “Bills,” “Jobseekers,” “Phonecalls,” “Transport,” and “Housing.” Outside the maze, at the top are two small stick figures walking. On the left side, a small arrow points to the word “Jobs,” and on the right side, another arrow points to “Supports.” At the bottom, purple text reads “ENDLESS LABOUR OF ACCESS.” Colourful spiral designs decorate each corner of the canvas.]

[Image description: Artwork created on canvas. The centre features the large hand-drawn letters “ISL” in blue, with a small green shamrock above it and two small red hearts on either side. Beneath “ISL,” smaller text reads “Irish Sign Languages.” Surrounding the central text are individual handwritten words and short phrases in various colours, spaced randomly around the canvas. The words include: “Equal,” “Women,” “Health,” “Violation,” “Limited,” “Human right,” “Deaf,” “Mental health,” “Work,” “Wellbeing,” “Education,” “Access,” “Choice,” “Interpreter,” and “Freedom.” The canvas background is off-white with a visible fabric texture.]

[Image description: Artwork created on canvas. Large text in the centre reads:“ISL” “Access Denied is Justice Denied.” The words “ISL,” “Access,” and “Justice” are highlighted in blue, while the other words are written in green. Around the central text are additional words written in a mix of blue and yellow on the canvas. These words include: “Oppression,” “Invisible,” “Violation,” “Barrier,” “Opportunity limited,” “Inequality,” and “No career progression.” On the left side, the vertical word “LEFT OUT” is written in yellow. The canvas background shows a natural woven texture.]

[Image description: Artwork created on canvas. The large hand-drawn letters “ISL” appear in navy blue at the centre. Underneath, in lighter text, it reads: “Irish Sign Language.” Surrounding the central lettering, scattered across the canvas in different colours (green, blue, purple, yellow, and orange), are handwritten words and phrases: “Deaf,” “Exclusion,” “Mental Health,” “Interpreters,” “Audism,” “Awareness,” “Money,” “Limitations,” “Barriers,” “Nothing about us without us!!,” “Violation,” “Access,” and “Equal.” The background is an off-white canvas texture.]

The Disability Participation News Hub CLG is a not for profit organisation.
You can directly support our work and help us to grow by becoming a paid subscriber or donating through Buy Me A Coffee or PayPal. 🌱

Sign up to our weekly newsletter here.

info@disabilityparticipation.ie

As part of our reflections and highlights from our “Disabled Women & Poverty” event with Disabled Women Ireland, we are sharing “Breaking Silence” — the poem read by Alice Doyle (@theautisticpoetess) at the start of our event to open the discussion.

This piece encouraged our participants to share their stories and boldly name their experiences in a space with their peers where they would be heard and respected.

An Irish Sign Language (ISL) translation of the poem, audio and Word Doc Version of the poem is available below.

We have also shared a second poem created by Alice, inspired by the discussions from the event titled “Eradicating Poverty”.

An audio version of this poem is available below.

Follow Disabled Women Ireland here and keep up with their work on the DWI website.

This project was supported by the Department of Social Protection as part of the funding for the United Nations International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2025.

Breaking Silence

By Alice Doyle

The universe honours brave.
Today, if you share who you are,
the costs of disability,
the costs of exclusion
or the barriers to your employment
for the first time,
the second or the tenth,
we will witness your courage
and hear your words.
Being who we are
in a an ever tightening
neuronormative world
is living courage.

There are so many people,
spaces and places that seek
to diminish our unique voices,
to control and define the boundaries
in which we exist,
the way in which we live,
to determine the limits of our needs,
the level of supports,
the finance available or lack thereof,
the levels of accessibility
that could enable us
or disable us to participate
fully and easily in all parts of life.

We are women.
We are disabled women
and non-binary people.
Our needs matter.
Our autonomy matters.
We can determine our own truth.
If or when we need support, we can ask.
Supports need to meet us where we are.
They need to be appropriate, timely,
available and easily accessible.
Let us name the supports we need.
Let us speak about
the cost of disability and gender,
about parenting, disability and gender
about enabling financial independence
for disabled women and non-binary people.

Let us share our lived experiences,
name the obstacles we meet,
the systemic barriers,
the infringements on our liberty,
the fences we must climb
or tear down just to be.
Let us name the everyday invisible sufferings,
the tasks that challenge us,
the barriers that fence us out
of employment and of full participation in life.
Let us name the words that harm us,
gaslight us and reduce our beings
to depersonalised, voiceless statistics.

For in silence, we suffer invisibly.
So, let us name the effects of poverty
and the opportunities for change.
For when named,
we see them more clearly.
And when seen,
a new beginning becomes possible,
change becomes imaginable
and a different future
can be envisioned for all.

ISL Interpretation of “Breaking Silence” by Alice Doyle

Audio Version of “Breaking Silence” by Alice Doyle

Word Doc Version of “Breaking Silence” by Alice Doyle

🔗 Find the Word Doc version of Breaking Silence here.

Eradicating Poverty

By Alice Doyle

To eradicate poverty, we must see it clearly,
understand what it is and how it happens in the context of
the cost of disability and gender,
the cost of parenting, disability and gender
and enabling financial independence
for disabled women and non-binary people.

Poverty and exclusion exist within the lines drawn by others.
These lines are often shaped by decisions made
by those who are not poor or, sometimes,
by those with no experience of disability.
Every choice, every plan, every decision made by others
without core experience and understanding of the lives
of disabled women and non-binary people
has the potential to cause more damage,
to raise the barriers to full participation in life
and to increase the unseen costs of exclusion.

I listened to the words you shared.
I see and experience the decisions made by others,
how they shape, separate and divide us,
how they limit our full access to life,
to care, to work and to facilities
and how they deny equality.

I see how within those lines,
our core truth and experience lie hidden.
How its shape is defined and languaged by others,
how its expression lacks a permission slip,
a witness or audience that fully hears
who and how we are and what we need.
These lines cause poverty.
Each line shapes differently,
each affects a chapter of a life
which bears the cost of exclusion.

True equality begins with financial freedom, choice and autonomy.
These lines can create their own structure and shape,
can determine their own future,
pick their pen, choose their ink,
when to write and when to stop.
We, however, have had to choose what we can afford,
while others limit what we can access.
Choice is often a luxury that lies outside our lines.
The lens through which we see and experience
our world is limited by poverty.

Let us name the additional costs
that disabled women and non-binary people
face compared with non-disabled people.
The additional costs of housing, gender related medical care,
transport, education, heating, PA support
and of trying to stay safe.
The further costs of older age, of living alone,
of paying for everyday household tasks to be done.
The mental and physical health effects of isolation,
of neither being listened to nor seen
and of experiencing digital exclusion.

Let us name the impacts of disability and gender.
That disability and gender are fundamental
to how we experience inequality.
How because of gendered expectations of behaviour,
disabled women don’t want to be seen as the problem.
That how we live as women is affected by sexism and misogyny
and how intersectional marginalisations result in
further discrimination, disadvantage and oppression.

Let us name the costs of disability and gender.
The personal, financial, social, mental and physical health costs
of trying to be believed about our lived experience of our own bodies.
The strain and exhaustion of medical gaslighting
and misogyny in disability and health services
and of not being taken seriously.
The costs of accessing gender related care,
of accessing diagnosis and the lack of financial support
for essential equipment, medical care and
alternative therapies that support us.

The emotional, physical and financial costs of reproductive healthcare
and of maternity, endometriosis and menopause care
and how these are dismissed more for disabled people.
The costs and impact of diagnostic overshadowing,
diagnostic delays and how they reduce our health outcomes.
The physical and mental toll on disabled people
resulting from the lack of trauma informed services.
The costs of sexual violence and the impact of not being believed.

Let us name the gendered challenges to earning money.
The lack of PA support that could allow us
to participate fully in society and in work.
The lack of appropriate access to educational opportunities
that would grow us, and enable us to earn more.

The lack of reasonable accommodations for work and the risk
of speaking up to ask for better, especially in a new job.
The impact of multiple medical appointments on work and education.
The limited available employment market for disabled people,
particularly those with childcare responsibilities.

The lack of employment opportunities for people with dynamic disabilities.
The effect on our future income and pensions
by being in and out of the workplace.
The gender pay gap and disability pay gap.
Workplace discrimination against mental health diagnoses.
It is against the law to discriminate, but they still do.
That access to work can be caused by discrimination, not by disability.
Embodied ableism and the lack of acceptance of lifelong disability.

Let us name the gendered challenges to accessing disability benefits.
The lack of recognition of the costs of disability when assessing means.
Means testing of spousal income.
The time, energy, health and financial costs
of navigating exhausting systems and processes
to access disability supports and benefits.
That when you are disabled and have assets,
your access to support is limited or none at all.

Let us name the other forms of poverty that affect
disabled women and non-binary people.
How lack of personal assistance, inadequate financial, educational
and healthcare supports create social, cultural and civil poverty,
limit full participation in life, work, politics and advocacy and, thereby,
reduces the visibility of disabled women and non-binary people
and creates further barriers to effecting much needed change.

Let us name what needs to change.
We need person-centred, flexible services that facilitate remote access
and dedicated disability people in services, education and employment.
Disability knowledge needs to be embedded in practice.
Collaboration and co-creation with disabled people is key.
Improved employability services that support disabled people
to find and keep better paid jobs.
Implement cost of disability payments and eliminate mean testing.
Support access to childcare, and work flexibility.

We were not silent.
We were not invisible here.
We were seen.
We were heard and we were listened to.
We named the costs and effects of poverty,
the barriers to accessing quality employment and education
and what needs to change.
Now that they are named, we see them more clearly
and when seen, it allows us to ask for better
for disabled women and non-binary people.
May this be a new beginning where better is expected
so that a healthier, more inclusive and financially sustainable future
can be envisioned for all.

Audio Version of “Eradicating Poverty” by Alice Doyle

Subscribe now

The Disability Participation News Hub CLG is a not for profit organisation.
You can directly support our work and help us to grow by becoming a paid subscriber or donating through Buy Me A Coffee or PayPal. 🌱

Sign up to our weekly newsletter here.

info@disabilityparticipation.ie

[Image description: A graphic with a light blue background featuring a brush stroke effect. A cream box is in the centre outlined by a dashed line with a hand-stitched effect. Inside the box, text reads: “Disabled Women & Poverty: The Cost of Exclusion Participant Feedback Part 3.” At the bottom are logos for the Disability Participation News Hub, Disabled Women Ireland (DWI), the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, and the Department of Social Protection.]

Disabled Women & Poverty: The Cost of Exclusion - Participant Feedback Part 3

In Part 3 of this series from our Disabled Women & Poverty event with Disabled Women Ireland, we are sharing responses from our third question posed to attendees and contributors:

“What could be done to make life more affordable for this group (disabled women, girls and non-binary/genderqueer/gender non-conforming people)?”

You’ll find some of the responses from the question in a series of images below.

Participants contributed through discussions, sticky notes, artwork, and a survey to share their thoughts and experiences.

We will be sharing more highlights from this event over the coming weeks, including a poem written by Alice Doyle (The Autistic Poetess) based on the event.

We will also be working on a report to gather the insights from those who participated for future work and advocacy on this topic.

Thank you again to everyone who shared their time, insights, and experiences.
Our survey remains open until 14th November — we’d love to hear from you!

🔗 https://forms.gle/xunXZTLUAxUffhfB9

Keep an eye on our social media and Substack for further highlights!
Follow Disabled Women Ireland and keep up with their work on the DWI website.

This project was supported by the Department of Social Protection as part of the funding for the United Nations International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2025.

Subscribe now

[Image description: A graphic with a light blue background featuring a brush stroke effect. A cream box is in the centre outlined by a dashed line with a hand-stitched effect. Inside the box, text reads: “Disabled Women & Poverty: The Cost of Exclusion Participant Feedback Part 3.” At the bottom are logos for the Disability Participation News Hub, Disabled Women Ireland (DWI), the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, and the Department of Social Protection.]

[Image description: A graphic with a light blue background featuring a brush stroke effect. A cream box is in the centre outlined by a dashed line with a hand-stitched effect. Inside the box, text reads: “Question 3: What could be done to make life more affordable for this group (disabled women, girls and non-binary/genderqueer/gender non-conforming people)?”]

[Image description: A graphic with a light blue background featuring a brush stroke effect. Four colourful paper notes display participant feedback. A large yellow note with a green paperclip reads: “Universal healthcare. Disability allowance being raised to a living wage. Subsidised hotel stays for medical appointments in cities.” A green note reads: “Making it easier to access reasonable accommodations in the workplace.” A red-orange note reads: “There needs to be dedicated support for this group to bring WRC cases under WRC legislation against employers, potential employers and providers of education.” A white pinned note reads: “Cost of disability payments would help.”]

[Image description: A graphic with a light blue background featuring a brush stroke effect. Three notepaper-style shapes show participant responses. A large white lined note on the left reads: “A basic income payment for disabled people would make a huge difference, and would not necessarily be more costly than the labyrinth of ‘social welfare’ payments people currently have to navigate. It could be along the lines of the UBI (Universal Basic Income) model. It would make so much sense financially for both the State and for recipients.” A beige torn note on the right reads: “Better connected and accessible train and bus routes throughout the country.” A smaller white note at the bottom reads: “Cost of living with disability payment, compulsory DET training for all employers, DET training in school, improved access to mainstream education, fully funded PA supports throughout life.”]

[Image description: A graphic with a light blue background featuring a brush stroke effect. Three sticky notes contain participant feedback. A large yellow note reads: “Cost of disability allowance. Eliminating physical barriers around healthcare access. Why do we have medical offices that are not accessible to people with all types of disabilities?! Increase training of healthcare providers/consultants in treating women with disabilities. Reliable access to disability sensitive care, ISL interpreters, communication technology, neurodiversity training, sensory adaptations, etc.” A bright pink note reads: “Affordable and accessible childcare.” A light pink note reads: “Making period products cheaper.”]

[Image description: A graphic with a light blue background featuring a brush stroke effect. Three notes display participant responses. A grey notepad-style page reads: “Make self-employment easier for people with disabilities, the flexibility of self-employment, the ability to work alone (if you’d prefer to) makes self-employment sometimes more accessible.” A cream notepad with yellow and green tape reads: “Free contraception for all age groups (we shouldn’t be paying the €2.50 a month for the pill etc. regardless of income).” A blue graph paper note reads: “A higher threshold for what you can earn before you’re means-tested when you are on Disability Allowance, the €165 a week is nothing before means testing kicks in.”]

Subscribe now

The Disability Participation News Hub CLG is a non profit and voluntary organisation.
You can directly support our work and help us to grow by becoming a paid subscriber or donating through Buy Me A Coffee or PayPal. 🌱

Sign up to our weekly newsletter here.

info@disabilityparticipation.ie

[Image description: A graphic with an orange and pink background with a brush stroke effect. A cream box is in the centre outlined by a dashed line with a hand-stitched effect. Inside the box, text reads: “Disabled Women & Poverty: The Cost of Exclusion Participant Feedback Part 2.” At the bottom are logos for the Disability Participation News Hub, Disabled Women Ireland (DWI), the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, and the Department of Social Protection.]

Disabled Women & Poverty: The Cost of Exclusion - Participant Feedback Part 2

In this second highlight, we have gathered some feedback from those who participated based on the second question posed during our Disabled Women & Poverty event:

Question 2: “How do these extra costs affect your participation in all aspects of life for example accessing education, work, getting involved in the community or hobbies etc.?”

You’ll find some of the responses from the question in a series of images below.

Participants contributed through discussions, sticky notes, artwork, and a survey to share their thoughts and experiences. Together with Disabled Women Ireland, we’ve gathered some of these responses to highlight the multiple barriers and challenges faced by those marginalised by both disability and gender.

We will be sharing more highlights from this event over the coming weeks, including a poem written by Alice Doyle (The Autistic Poetess) based on the event.

We will also be working on a report to gather the insights from those who participated for future work and advocacy on this topic.

Thank you again to everyone who shared their time, insights, and experiences.
Our survey remains open until 14th November — we’d love to hear from you!

🔗 https://forms.gle/xunXZTLUAxUffhfB9

Keep an eye on our social media and Substack for further highlights!
Follow Disabled Women Ireland and keep up with their work on the DWI website.

This project was supported by the Department of Social Protection as part of the funding for the United Nations International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2025.

Subscribe now

[Image description: A graphic with an orange and pink background with a brush stroke effect. A cream box is in the centre outlined by a dashed line with a hand-stitched effect. Inside the box, text reads: “Disabled Women & Poverty: The Cost of Exclusion Participant Feedback Part 2.” At the bottom are logos for the Disability Participation News Hub, Disabled Women Ireland (DWI), the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, and the Department of Social Protection.]

[Image description: A graphic with an orange and pink background with a brush stroke effect. A cream box is in the centre outlined by a dashed line with a hand-stitched effect. Inside the box, text reads: “Question 2: How do these extra costs affect your participation in all aspects of life for example accessing education, work, getting involved in the community or hobbies etc.?”]

[Image description: A graphic with an orange and pink background with a brush stroke effect. Four colourful sticky notes contain participant quotes. A blue note reads: “Additional transport costs limit disabled women’s ability to participate in social activities.” A lime green note reads: “Lack of opportunities for career progression, full time, flexible work or supported entrepreneurship.” A dark green note reads: “Isolation for those in rural areas without access to affordable transport.” An orange note reads: “Simply I don’t go out much as petrol and taxi prices are crazy high and I work part time.”]

[Image description: A graphic with an orange and pink background with a brush stroke effect. The image shows an open notebook with two pages of participant quotes. The left page reads: “Extra costs means reduced participation – or none at all, especially in so-called ‘optional’ areas, like hobbies, sports, pass times – and socialising. Reluctance to get involved in politics and public life, because of both extra costs and discrimination – the list could go on.” The right page reads: “Affording a therapist on a long term basis is nearly impossible if you’re on disability allowance. So then your mental health suffers and that has huge knock-on effects…”]

[Image description: A graphic with an orange and pink background with a brush stroke effect. Three paper notes contain participant quotes. A large beige torn note with a paperclip reads: “Women may choose not to have children. They may not be able to fully participate in all of the above and may have to be very careful what they choose to do…” A white pinned note reads: “It’s very difficult to get out and about (literally and figuratively) when you don’t feel good about yourself or the way the world perceives you…” A smaller torn strip at the bottom reads: “It makes accessing community hard.”]

[Image description: A graphic with an orange and pink background with a brush stroke effect. Three colourful notes display participant feedback. A mint green note with a pink pin reads: “...Sometimes you have to say no to events and occasions or even getting up with friends because of the cost.” A yellow note reads: “Combined with lack of structural access and the bias among employers it severely diminishes access and increases risk of poverty, and actual poverty.” A pink notepad-style sheet reads: “Time is money. The increased time spent on research, travel, additional medical care for delayed care, impacts productivity in other areas. This includes an impact on work, family, community participation and physical well-being. These barriers have an exponential knock-on effect.”]

Subscribe now

The Disability Participation News Hub CLG is a non profit and voluntary organisation.
You can directly support our work and help us to grow by becoming a paid subscriber or donating through Buy Me A Coffee or PayPal. 🌱

Sign up to our weekly newsletter here.

info@disabilityparticipation.ie

[Image description: A graphic with a pastel purple and pink background with brush stroke effect. A cream box is in the centre outlined by a dashed line with a hand stitched effect. Inside the box, text reads: “Disabled Women & Poverty: The Cost of Exclusion Participant Feedback Part 1.” At the bottom are logos for the Disability Participation News Hub, Disabled Women Ireland (DWI), the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, and the Department of Social Protection.]

Disabled Women & Poverty: The Cost of Exclusion - Participant Feedback Part 1

On the 17th October, to mark UN International Day of Eradication of Poverty, disabled women and non-binary people came together to discuss the gendered experiences of poverty among disabled people.

This event was a collaboration between the Disability Participation News Hub and Disabled Women Ireland, aiming to bring disabled people, DPOs and allies together to connect, speak about their experiences, and build a stronger movement for change.

People contributed through discussion, sticky notes, art and a survey (which is still open to submissions) to share their thoughts and experiences.

In this first highlight, we have gathered some feedback from those who participated based on the first question posed:

Question 1: “Compared to non-disabled people or even other disabled people do you think this group (disabled women, girls and non-binary/genderqueer/gender diverse people) face additional costs in everyday life? What kind of costs do they face?”

You’ll find some of the responses from the question in a series of images below.

We will be sharing more highlights from this event over the coming weeks, including a poem written by Alice Doyle (The Autistic Poetess) based on the event.

We will also be working on a report to gather the insights from those who participated for future work and advocacy on this topic.

Thank you again to all who shared their time, thoughts and experiences. 🫶

Our survey is open until the 14th of November if you would like to contribute to this important topic.

🔗 https://forms.gle/xunXZTLUAxUffhfB9

Subscribe below for more updates and keep an eye on Disabled Women Ireland’s socials for more!

This project was supported by the Department of Social Protection as part of the funding for the United Nations International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2025.

Subscribe now

Image 1: [Image description: A graphic with a pastel purple and pink background with brush stroke effect. A cream box is in the centre outlined by a dashed line with a hand stitched effect. Inside the box, text reads: “Disabled Women & Poverty: The Cost of Exclusion Participant Feedback Part 1.” At the bottom are logos for the Disability Participation News Hub, Disabled Women Ireland (DWI), the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, and the Department of Social Protection.]

Image 2: [Image description: A graphic with a pastel purple and pink background with a brush stroke effect. A cream box is in the centre outlined by a dashed line with a hand-stitched effect. Inside the box, text reads: “Question 1: Compared to non-disabled people or even other disabled people do you think this group (disabled women, girls and non-binary/genderqueer/gender diverse people) face additional costs in everyday life? What kind of costs do they face?”]

Image 3: [Image description: A graphic with a pastel purple and pink background with a brush stroke effect. Three sticky notes appear across the image, each containing participant feedback. A yellow sticky note with a blue pin reads: “cost of heating!” A purple pinned note reads: “heat, food, transport, technology, pa support, equipment.” A beige circular note with a pink paperclip reads: “Yes heating is huge for me as I need summer and winter otherwise I can’t function.”]

Image 4: [Image description: A graphic with a pastel purple and pink background with a brush stroke effect. Several coloured sticky notes appear across the image being held up by tape, each showing participant feedback. A pink note reads: “period products and mobility issues.” A yellow note reads: “period products and sensory issues.” A green note reads: “gender transition costs.” A peach note reads: “medical gaslighting and its implications.” A bright green note reads: “Reducing work hours to accommodate appointments, needs and caring.”

Image 5: [Image description: A graphic with a pastel purple and pink background with a brush stroke effect. In the centre is a torn notebook-style sheet with handwriting-style text reading: “Very definitely. Additional costs in almost every area of living – housing, transport, education (often has to be part-time over several years – expensive), health and care, and social life (not talked about much, but it matters a lot).”]

Image 6: [Image description: A graphic with a pastel purple and pink background with a brush stroke effect. Three paper notes being held up by pins and paper clips display participant feedback. A pink square note with an orange paperclip reads: “Discrimination at work is the largest cost for me. Also directly associated legal costs.” A white lined page with a red paperclip reads: “Yes dealing with menstrual cycles adds cost. Extra cost for taxis because I can’t walk quickly which makes me feel more vulnerable in dodgy areas.” A white note with a blue pin reads: “taxis because of inaccessible public transport and feeling unsafe standing on the side of the street as a woman.”]

Subscribe now

The Disability Participation News Hub CLG is a non profit and voluntary organisation.
You can directly support our work and help us to grow by becoming a paid subscriber or donating through Buy Me A Coffee or PayPal. 🌱

Sign up to our weekly newsletter here.

info@disabilityparticipation.ie

[Image Description: Graphic promoting an online survey titled “Disabled Women & Poverty: Online Survey.” The design includes purple and pink accents, with an illustration of a computer screen and keyboard. Logos at the bottom represent DWI, Disability Participation News Hub, the Department of Social Protection, and the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. Text indicates the survey is open until 14th November.]

Following our Disabled Women & Poverty event with Disabled Women Ireland we’re inviting wider participation through a short survey.

The questions are the same ones we posed to attendees during our event on the 17th October. There is an option to share your thoughts via video/voice notes or images! Find details within the survey if you’d like support to fill out.

Share your thoughts here: https://forms.gle/G6cpAvA7qwQNnWX26

⏰ Deadline for submissions: 14th November

You can also submit a piece of art inspired by the topic or questions within the survey to us for inclusion in our report and upcoming campaign (same deadline) - info@disabilityparticipation.ie 🎨

[Image Description: Graphic promoting an online survey titled “Disabled Women & Poverty: Online Survey.” The design includes purple and pink accents, with an illustration of a computer screen and keyboard. Logos at the bottom represent DWI, Disability Participation News Hub, the Department of Social Protection, and the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. Text indicates the survey is open until 14th November.]

Subscribe now

Sign up to our newsletter!

Email: info@disabilityparticipation.ie

Donate to support our work here.