Ireland’s second Disability Pride march offers participants a chance to express “disabled joy”, according to a leading organiser.
The parade begins at 2pm today from the Garden of Remembrance and will march to Custom House Quay.
The event will include a drag queen performance by Disgraceful Cabaret’s Viktor Complex and Poppy de Scrace, with music from Acoustic Punk Advocacy Service and street art.
This is the second Disability Pride march in Ireland, following last year’s parade outside Government Buildings.
Sharing our gorgeous poster for the parade made by the incredibly talented Áine O'Hara @miscaine!
And a huge thank you to everyone who reposted about ISL- we are delighted to say that we will have an ISL interpreter, the lovely @KristinaCregan at Custom House Quay from 3.15pm! pic.twitter.com/FffzMTx6Ut— Disability Power Ireland (@_DPIreland) July 26, 2024
Organiser Maryam Madani said the march will allow disabled people to feel true pride in their identities.
“It's hard work being disabled, trying to struggle to survive in this society,” she said.
“We so badly need moments for disabled joy and for fun and a chance to fly the Disability Pride flag.”
She noted that “disabled people don’t have a celebration for themselves” compared to other minority groups.
“We don't have anything like this that gets us as a community out on the streets,” she said.
“It's also important that [the march] is used as a way to stoke the fire for the disability rights movement in Ireland.”
Disability Pride 2024
Disability Power Ireland will be celebrating the Government’s decision to scrap the proposed Green Paper on disability reform.
The paper proposed establishing a three-tiered system for disability payments from €265.30 to €220.
Disability activists said the plans were “degrading and humiliating” and suggested some people with disabilities falsify the extent of their condition.
Pictured People taking part in the Disability Pride Parade in Dublin city Center, 22/07/2023. Photo: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ieThe group will also celebrate the failure to pass the ‘Care referendum’ in March – which they said infantilised people with disabilities and removed the responsibility of the State to offer support.
Activists argued the amendment would have denied disabled people’s autonomy and denied them the right to State support such as personal assistance services.
Some carers argued at the time that the referendum would “provide constitutional recognition for Ireland's family carers” - but the referendum failed by 74%.
The theme of this year’s Disability Pride march is ‘Power in Unity’, which Disability Power Ireland said celebrates grassroots movements for disabled people and allies.
“This is in keeping with the concept of intersectional Total Liberation- that none are free unless all are free,” it said.
The group will be joined by other disability organisations such as Access 4 All Ireland, Disabled Artists and Academics and Invisible Disability Ireland.
The Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Trans & Intersex Pride Dublin will also attend the march.
