A disability group based in the West has called for a rethink of the treatment of disabled women at a conference held to mark the International Day of People with Disabilities.

Women with Disabilities in the West (WDW) held its conference in Galway last Monday, 3 December. Funded by a HSE West Health Promotion Women's Health Grant, the conference enabled sixty women with physical, sensory and learning disability to come together from counties Galway, Mayo and Roscommon.

During the day a number of issues were raised in relation to the treatment of disability, centering on the benefit system and discrepancies therein that lead to further inequality of people with disabilities. For example, those with sensory disability cannot avail of all grants available to those with physical disability, such as a mobility grant.

Another issue raised was that people over 65 with a disability are no longer on the disability register, and thus are in danger of losing personal assistant services with access to equipment withdrawn. They may also be ineligible if their need for these services and equipment first manifests in later life.

The huge number of disability groups in the country was acknowledged, but there was a consensus that no group was effectively lobbying at national level. It was proposed that a more effective means might be for women with disability to get together under the umbrella of a women's organisation, from where they could lobby as women who are experiencing discrimination.

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