Ahead of the EU elections, this report explores the political participation of people with disabilities. Although some Member States removed restrictions on the right to vote and to stand for elections, barriers still exist. This report is an update of new developments following FRA’s last report published in 2014. It sets out ways forward to ensure people with disabilities have equal opportunities, in line with the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The Member States have now increasingly adopted disability strategies. However, systematic and meaningful consultation with disabled people’s organisations is still lacking. So is regular training of election authorities and officials on disability discrimination, accessibility and reasonable accommodation. Administrative barriers to obtaining information, registering to vote and obtaining support during elections persist in some Member States.
Key findings include:
All Member States and the EU have ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), although a few Member States have made declarations and reservations, including about Article 12.
Several Member States’ laws have removed restrictions on the right to vote and the right to stand for elections based on legal capacity.
Significant developments were also noted at the EU and Member State levels in terms of accessibility of the voting process, especially regarding accessibility standards provided by law for polling stations, and guidelines on accessibility of polling stations. However, people with visual, hearing or intellectual disabilities still face considerable barriers.
The EU web accessibility directive and the common European standard on web accessibility as well as the audiovisual media services directive have increased access to voting and to information.
Sign language interpretation, audio description and subtitling of key public programmes providing instructions for voting and information on candidates is increasingly provided.
The report: ‘Open Up: Barriers to funding and opportunities for Black and Black-Irish artists’
In 2022, concern about inequalities in the Awards Data at the Arts Council prompted the commissioning of a report to investigate the reasons for applications from a disproportionate number of Black artists being deemed ‘ineligible’ compared to artists from other ethnic backgrounds.
We found that patterns of racial discrimination in the Irish labour market are reflected in the arts sector. Black artists with equivalent experience and qualifications are offered fewer opportunities & less information and are widely excluded from professional networks.
The launch event
The launch event on Tuesday 23 April brought together a panel of Black artists to discuss the findings and our recommendations, moderated by Arts Council member Melatu-Uche Okorie as panel chair, and artists Joe Odiboh, Esosa Ighodaro, Dafe Orugbo, Ashley Chadamoyo Makombe, and Aisha Bolaji for their responses to the report. Many thanks to all of them for their engagement with the report’s finding and recommendations, and creating a strong opening dialogue with the audience and Arts Council staff to inform the Arts Council’s next steps.
Listen to artist Dafe Orugbo on RTE Morning Ireland responding to our report. https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/clips/22387060/
The event was introduced by the Interim Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at the Arts Council, Hannah Gordis, and Director of Strategic Development Deirdre Behan, who responded to questions on immediate work inside the Arts Council in response to the report (such as a review of the application process, and an increase in supports for first-time applicants) and a forthcoming plan to implement recommendations within the Arts Council and across the arts sector.
What did we find?
We reviewed the application process and found that ineligible applications from Black artists were mainly in one new cohort of first-time applicants, but that on the whole, participation by Black artists in the awards application process had previously been lower than for other groups.
We identified a number of questions for further examination, including: (1) why were ineligible applications mainly in a new cohort of Black artists who were young, male and applying for music awards and (2) why were Black female artists overall more likely to receive awards than female artists from other ethnic groups, but less likely to apply until they were well-established artists?
Our report reflects the findings of a series of interviews with Black artists and arts organisations supporting Black artists. The findings highlight the persistence of discrimination and the impact of social closure amongst professional arts networks, and the effects on how Black artists get to know the Arts Council, access information about how to apply successfully for awards, and secure the necessary elements (venues, programme slots, references, etc.) for a successful application.
The data we investigated on ineligibility actually showed positively that there had been an increase in Black male music artists applying to the Arts Council for the first time. But why did outreach efforts to this group result in failure instead of success for this new group?
The Arts Council application process is well-known to be difficult to navigate and complete, with applicants highly reliant on information and support from formal and informal artists networks in almost every art form and genre. Without that support, 1st time applicants fail.
The Arts Council has only relatively recently recognized the need to confront the negative effects of relying on those informal networks, and the way in which it reinforces wider patterns of exclusion. Their equality analysis of awards data since 2021 underpins this recognition.
Black artists and Arts organizations working with Black artists shared 100s of examples with us of how discriminatory behavior affects their entry to and ability to compete in the publicly-funded arts landscape in Ireland.
The cumulative effect of this discrimination creates an interlinked series of barriers to Black artists at all stages of careers to secure the roles, venues, programme spots, references and professional memberships which are expected in applying for public arts funding.
So a *positive* thing that more Black artists applying, but now a need to address the discrimination across the sector that undermines their capacity to compete fairly, including reform of the application system and work with arts organizations to address discrimination.
The data also showed that Black female artists are *more* successful than other ethnic groups, but there are (proportionally) far fewer and more likely to be very well established in their careers albeit without a history of public funding.
We found Black female artists are persistently excluded from social & professional networks, not elsewhere receiving the informal mentoring that comes with those networks and not being recognized and guided towards public funding until they already winning awards elsewhere.
There is a huge wealth of Black talent in this country, in the arts sector, and the publicly funded arts *will* hugely benefit from outreach and anti-discrimination measures. Black artists in Ireland are actively developing, showing and promoting their work, and some are winning awards and even significant funding in other countries *as Irish artists*. The Irish arts sector is losing out as long as we do not recognize that talent here. This is not news to organizations working with Black artists already.
We were commissioned by the Arts Council to carry out this research based on our experience in this area, and our previous work (and robust recommendations) on equality data with the Council. The research is a much needed prompt for change within the Arts Council and arts sector
This research would not exist without the expertise and experience shared with us by the Black artists in Ireland who worked with us on it. It is crucial that the arts sector now work directly with them to implement the recommendations of this report.
Read the full report here or the short summary here
You are welcome to contact us with any questions you have about the report. Queries about the Arts Council’s work in response to our recommendations should be directed to Hannah Gordis at the Arts Council.
We are really proud to have worked with Cairde Ireland in 2023 to evaluate their innovative Mental Health and Well-being program for minority ethnic and migrant women in Balbriggan – hear from the participants and the team behind this programme in this video shared by Our Balbriggan, recorded at the report launch event in March 2024.
Cairde is a national organisation working to tackle health inequalities among minority ethnic communities by improving their access to health services and their participation in health planning and delivery. This project was coordinated by Sarah Duku and Emilia Marchelewska.
You can read our evaluation report and recommendations here
We are now beginning the evaluation of a new programme by Cairde Balbriggan delivering mental health and well-being training to asylum seeker and refugee women.
We hope December is a joyful month for you, full of friends and fun, as well as or despite the serious work to be done.
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Our current research
Political participation of persons with disabilities The UN CRPD sets out political participation rights clearly in Article 29, but how available are they in practice?We are currently undertaking desktop research for FRA on access to political participation in Ireland – expect the report out next year.
Policing experiences of Brazilians and People of African Descent in Ireland We are currently finishing up our work with INAR on the independent research commissioned by the Policing Authority for submission in early 2024. Grateful thanks to all who facilitated and supported the research on this sensitive topic, and especially to our participants.
Recently completed research
Black and Black-Irish artists access to funding and opportunities
We recently completed this report for the Arts Council, including interviews with artists and arts organisations, and we look forward to publication early in the new year.
This Consultation Report presents the views and experiences of disabled people in Ireland based on 672 surveys and 8 focus groups. It was created in advance of the Irish Government presenting to the United Nations Committee on the Government’s work to implement the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD) to offer an alternative report on the realities faced by disabled people in Ireland today. Read it here
Equality Data and Arts Council Awards 2022
The Arts Council published our analysis of last year’s funding across gender, ethnicity and disability. Read it here.
Anti-Muslim Hatred Database Update
The database provides an overview of relevant international, European and national case law and decisions. It also provides findings of national human rights bodies related to anti-Muslim hatred incidents, such as violence, property offences, incitement to violence or hatred, other forms of hate speech, discrimination, harassment. In addition, it provides relevant research findings, including reports, studies and statistics on these issues, as well as information on victims’ support organisations providing support to victims of hate-motivated crime. See the Irish data here.
Fundamental Rights Report 2023
The Annual Report 2023 reviews major developments in the field in 2022, with particular attention this year to: Support for human rights systems and defenders; Asylum, migration and borders;Data protection, privacy and new technologies; Equality, non-discrimination and racism; Justice, victims’ rights and judicial cooperation
Protecting civil society – Update 2023
Civil society organisations struggle to maintain an environment safe from threats and attacks. FRA’s sixth annual update on civic space explores the challenges for organisations across the EU.
The Russian aggression against Ukraine – Displaced children finding protection in the EU
More than 1.3 million children sought international protection in the EU. This bulletin explores the respect, protection and fulfilment of the fundamental rights of displaced children and ways to safeguard their rights.
This month we are thinking about…
We are still talking about Gaza
Keep raising your voices, keep sending your support and solidarity. For a list of upcoming events through December, see www.ipsc.ie/
After the Dublin riots
There have been important conversations happening since the events at Parnell Square – here’s our round-up of things to read and know….
Hope and Courage Collective (formerly the Far-Right Observatory) have published a short guide for community leaders on how to respond after the riots – it’s a live document to provide you with ongoing support. Access it here
Facial Recognition Technology is not the solution
ICCL previously called for a ban on the police use of facial-recognition technology, arguing that it poses an “extreme risk to rights.” see Liam Herrick, ICCL in the Irish Times
ICCL currently have a petition open you can sign here
This month we are enjoying…
The new digital exhibition from Irish in Britain showing the diversity of our diaspora across the UK. It’s packed with fascinating accounts including the stories of LGBTQIA Irish abroad, Mixed Race Irish, and the work to support access to abortion for people in Ireland.
Project updates
We believe in transparency and accountability. As far as possible, we try to make sure that research participants are kept up to date on the progress of research and its later publication. Timelines can and do change regularly, especially where projects have to pass through the many stages to publication. Our new Project Updates webpage helps you track the latest news on each project.
New for 2024!
Supporting you when you need us
We are launching our new one-to-one advice and support service, helping you to tackle the issues you are facing when you need us! Book a single call or a priority support package valid for 12 months – more details here.
These commit each University or College to acknowledge inequalities and racial discrimination in higher education, and to embed a culture of race equality across their institution.
These principles were developed by the HEA with higher education stakeholders following the 2020 report which highlighted racial abuse, discrimination and salary gaps affecting minority ethnic staff in higher education.
Recommendations in the report by Marta Kempny and Lucy Michael were across eight areas – supporting diversity in staff, supporting diversity in student recruitment, making race/equality policies transparent, reporting mechanisms, awareness and training, fostering diversity in HEIs, leadership and data collection
Senior leadership in HEIs were most commonly identified as the group most critical to the process of improving race equality in higher education and there is an opportunity for real evidence-informed leadership in this area by HEIs. High level commitment is crucial.
Huge thanks to all in the HEA staff and voluntary working groups who injected so much energy into this. We have been privileged to play a supporting role in the research. All credit now goes to the teams across each University that are implementing the HEA Race Equality Plan.
Pictured: screenshots from announcement of signing at ATU, SETU, NCI, ATU, UCD, UCC, TU Dublin, and TUS.
We are delighted to have been involved in a number of projects with the Arts Council supporting the promotion of equality in the arts sector in Ireland and the implementation of policy changes to fulfil the organisation’s obligations under the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty.
Strategic Evaluation
In 2022, we carried out an evaluation of the Arts Council’s first 3 year Equality, Human Rights and Diversity (EHRD) Policy and Strategy with Navigo Consulting, including interviews with key staff across all areas of operations and focus groups with artists across all equality grounds.
In 2023, we conducted an analysis of the 2022 equality data gathered by the Arts Council from all awards scheme applicants. This was published in August.
The following differences are most pronounced, and these strongly reflect the patterns evident in the previous year.
The analysis in this report is based on diversity data submitted as part of applications made to the Arts Council and for Arts Council schemes managed by Create and Arts & Disability Ireland in the year 2022. The diversity of applications and awards are compared in terms of disability, ethnicity, gender, and where possible, geographic location. To understand the relative demographic representativeness of applicants and recipients, each of these metrics have been compared (where possible) to the population of Ireland Census 2022. This report presents a summary of key findings from that analysis.
There is a higher proportion of both applicants and recipients who identify as female compared to the general population.
Individuals who identify as having a disability are under-represented amongst applicants and recipients compared to the general population.
In respect of ethnicity, the rate of application and award is lowest among individuals who identify their ethnic background as Other or Mixed, Asian or Asian Irish, Black or Black Irish, or belonging to the Traveller Community.
Geographic spread was uneven, with Dublin was significantly over-represented in terms of proportion of applicants and recipients compared to the population. Cork, Galway, Wicklow, Clare and Sligo were also slightly over-represented in applications.
Arts funding in Ireland: exploring factors affecting grant awards to Black and Black-Irish artists.
In its 2021 Awards Data Report, the Arts Council published data which showed that Black or Black Irish artists made up 1.9% of applications, 1.5% of successful applications, 1.4% of unsuccessful applications, and 4.5% of applications deemed ineligible. The proportion of ineligible applications is higher than any other ethnic or racial group. We undertook research for the Arts Council of Ireland to understand why Black or Black-Irish artists were more likely to be deemed ineligible than other ethnic or racial groups amongst applicants to Arts Council funding.
We investigated a wide range of factors which might contribute to this high rate of ineligible applications. We reviewed a wide literature on barriers faced by minority artists, analysed available application data, and in March 2023, we invited Black and Black-Irish artists to take part in this research on a confidential basis regarding their experience of the application process. Participants in the research interview were compensated for their input by the Arts Council in line with its Paying the Artist policy.
The findings will inform a review of the application process to ensure that decision-making processes are based on best practice and applicants of all backgrounds are treated fairly. A summary report with recommendations which anonymises interview contributions has been shared with the Arts Council.
We are currently undertaking research on behalf of the Fundamental Rights Agency (EU FRA) alongside researchers in all 27 member states on a thematic report mapping national child protection systems.
Our report on Ireland will be produced during spring 2023 and submitted to FRA for review and publication (date not yet confirmed).
FRA previously published a similar report on Child Protection Systems in the EU in 2015
HUGE THANKS to everyone who worked with us in 2022.
It’s been an incredibly busy year for us, and a very satisfying one!
We had 3 full-time team members, 2 part time, and 11 project staff, based in Dublin, Galway and Belfast.
Dr Lucy Michael – Director
Dr Niloufar Omidi – Senior Researcher (Human Rights Law)
Dan Reynolds – Researcher (Social Analysis)
Dr Ka Ka Tsang – Researcher
Dr Marta Kempny – Researcher (Social Analysis) (not in photo)
Megan Elliott – Executive Assistant
We are grateful for all our team members and partners and how they help us to further our work on equity, inclusion and justice.
The She Leads Fingal programme was designed and led with 5 prominent local leaders in Fingal. Ayo Yusuf, Geraldine Rooney and Catherine Joyce led the in-person delivery with Lucy.
The Belfast Inequalities research was conducted with a team of 8 peer researchers from the city.
Maria Teglas
Ezzaldin Thabet
Nattassa Latcham
Marty Pilkiewicz
Mary McDonagh
Salwa Al Sharabi
Eva Logan
Support: Denis Long and Pauline McGarry
The Belfast Inequalities programme was delivered in partnership with ACSONI and POLCA.
Our clients this year in Ireland, the UK and Europe included:
In December 2015, Business in the Community in the UK published a major report on racial equality in UK workplaces. While this was an important piece of research, there were some obvious gaps in the Northern Ireland data.
Business in the Community Northern Ireland in partnership with Dr Lucy Michael and Maciek Bator of Craic NI undertook new research to explore the steps Northern Ireland’s employers are taking and the challenges they are facing in identifying and addressing racial inequality in the workplace.
The report Race Equality Works for Northern Ireland highlighted employers’ key considerations when addressing racist exclusion, discrimination, and unconscious bias in the workplace, both for BME staff and for staff considered ‘migrant workers’.
A range of measures were taken to address the race-equality agenda, including making dedicated budgets available for training, interventions and positive reinforcement, and hiring staff experienced in dealing with equality duties.
Organisations that perceived equality efforts as a central part of the human resources function reported higher rates of confidence among staff to address new issues identified and to reflect on workforce planning.
A unique feature of this study was that participants were asked, in interviews, to identify ways in which their own organisation could improve on race-equality efforts, which encourages an incremental approach to moving forward on race equality, while considering time and resources.
Prompts included thinking about ways to draw on past achievements, leveraging strategic opportunities to highlight positive experiences of diversity, or adopting new equality measures.
Obstacles to new activities were time, resources, competing demands in the ‘equality agenda’, and a lack of interest from management.
Most of these activities directly linked to bullying and harassment prevention or resolution, but some also addressed recruitment and selection activities, and a few mentioned interest in addressing promotion or progression.
Just under half of employers suggested that they could monitor ethnic or national identities more widely; however, for organisations with small numbers of BME or foreign-born employees, they were unsure about how to make use of that monitoring data. Almost all employers looked to the Northern Ireland census to benchmark BME participation in their business.
Clear links between diversity and excellence will drive focus and will ensure that efforts to address equality in the workplace are effective and efficient. Strategies should be longer term and should aim to raise awareness, so that you consult staff on their ongoing impact and can evaluate the impact of any strategies implemented. Short-term, strategies can be useful in making a start on race-equality work (particularly if other equality groups are significantly more embedded in the organisation), but they should be a prelude to an established and sufficiently resourced equality strategy.
Business in the Community NI’s Denise Cranston commented: “Progressive employers have, for some time, been integrating equality and diversity initiatives into core business functions, such as organisational strategy and talent-management programmes. But this research shows that they need to do more to achieve greater race and ethnic diversity. Business in the Community fully supports the recommendations in the report and calls upon all employers to commit to taking action in order to take full advantage of the opportunity that migrant and ethnic workers present.”
The results have been used to develop a new toolkit for local employers, sharing steps they can take to improve race equality in the workplace; these include the following:
Clearly communicating the value of diversity in an organisation
Committing to raising awareness of racial bias
Being aware of the wider context of high levels of racism in Northern Ireland, and that it is not the preserve of any particular group
Making sense of local demographics and the wider picture of race equality in Northern Ireland
Using open and transparent communication, with consultation and feedback being key to understanding how well established the message about diversity is
Being confident, knowledgeable and comfortable when talking about racial bias
Showcasing success by creating visibility for diverse role models
Keeping equality on the table and considering how the value of diversity is reflected in business activities
We are happy to say that the report Inequalities Experienced by Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and Traveller people residing in Belfast, produced for Belfast City Council, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, and Public Health NI, with ACSONI and POLCA, is now available in multiple formats.
Cover of the Research Summary Report
We are happy to say that the report Inequalities Experienced by Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and Traveller people residing in Belfast, produced for Belfast City Council, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, and Public Health NI, with ACSONI and POLCA, is now available in multiple formats.
