Activist James Casserly spoke at the United Nations General Assembly in New York
‘Decision makers need to make room for people with disabilities’
Lucan activist James Casserly spoke at the United Nations General Assembly in New York as part of the World Programme of Action for Youth at 30 event.
The 19-year-old travelled to America as the Sightsavers Ireland Equal World Global Youth Champion and called for young people with disabilities to be empowered to lead.
Casserly has cerebral palsy and juvenile arthritis and has amassed over 15,000 followers on Twitter and Instagram combined, where he raises awareness for wheelchair users.
At the UN event, Casserly told the attendees: “One thing young people, particularly young people with disabilities will say is that global leaders do not provide enough opportunities for the voices of young people to be heard in spaces where global leaders are present.”
The son of Lucan Councillor Vicki Casserly has had a storied career in activism so far, winning awards and appearing at other global events across the world.
In April, James spoke at the Global Disability Summit in Berlin and was previously in New York last year for Summit of the Future.
He has tested public transport, cafés and restaurants for their accessibility and has travelled all 32 counties of Ireland to spread awareness.
Before appearing at the General Assembly, Casserly stated: “Decision-makers need to make room for people with disabilities and give our voices equal weighting.
“We get to make our own decisions and not just have other people make decisions on our behalf. People with lived experiences need to lead on decisions.
“Where is the legitimacy when you speak about disability without consulting us? As we always say ‘Nothing about us without us.”
