[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.
[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.”]
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