Disability Rights Advocate Kathleen Funchion on EU Disability Policy

Kathleen Funchion, a dedicated disability rights advocate and newly elected Member of the European Parliament (MEP), has been a long-time champion for people with disabilities. Her commitment to amplifying their voices has led her to join the Disability Intergroup and take on a role in its Bureau. In this interview, Funchion discusses her motivations, concerns about the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, and her thoughts on how the EU budget can better support inclusion.

Key Takeaways:

• Kathleen Funchion, a lifelong disability rights advocate, has joined the Disability Intergroup in the European Parliament to push for real change and work with MEPs from all parties to deliver results for disabled people across Europe.
• Her primary concern is the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people, particularly the brutal apartheid system and relentless war on an impoverished population, which has led to unacceptable humanitarian consequences, including the forced displacement of people with disabilities.
• Funchion welcomes the EU's aid efforts but emphasizes that aid has been blocked for months and urges the commission to take action and call out Israel for its actions.
• The MEP advocates for targeted investment in EU funds, such as the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), to support accessibility, employment, and social participation of persons with disabilities across European regions.
• She believes that EU funding should help remove physical and systemic barriers, improving access to education, public transport, housing, and digital services, and that persons with disabilities should be actively involved in designing and evaluating these initiatives.
• Funchion emphasizes the importance of removing barriers and improving access to education, public transport, housing, and digital services to ensure long-term impact and build a more inclusive and equitable Europe.

Statistics:

• 10 children per day have lost limbs in the occupied Palestinian territories due to the ongoing conflict.
• Aid to the occupied Palestinian territories has been blocked for months, affecting the delivery of essential aid to vulnerable populations.
• The European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) is the main EU instrument for promoting social inclusion, and targeted investment in this fund can deliver real results for disabled people across Europe.
• 2009 was the year Kathleen Funchion started her time as a local councillor in Ireland, where she worked on disability issues.

Sources:

• European Disability Forum
• Kathleen Funchion's Interview with the European Disability Forum
• European Union funding for disability inclusion
• European Parliament actions on disability rights
• Reports on aid blockade in occupied Palestinian territories