Our beautiful Niamh tragically and unexpectedly passed away in June 2020. Niamh dedicated her life to helping others and alongside her Child Nursing degree, she was a carer for profoundly disabled children. On many occasions during days out, staff members discriminated against the needs and rights of the children she was looking after. Here are just a few examples - these include but are not limited to experiences at cinemas, swimming pools, soft-play, restaurants, and theme-parks:

• Hurtful comments/pointing/staring by staff members
• Lack of respect and privacy - asking inappropriate questions in front of other people
• Not taking the time to understand individual needs - relying on their assumptions which unfairly limited activities the child could have access to
• Viewing behaviour as "naughty" or "rude"
• Staff members not knowing about the Equality Act and their responsibility to make reasonable adjustments
• Lack of understanding around hidden disabilities - e.g. questioning why someone who "didn't look disabled" would use accessible toilets
• Fear of how to engage and talk to those with additional needs

With these points in mind, I want the UK government to introduce:

Niamh's Law - Mandatory Disability Awareness Training for Public Facing Staff

I believe all public facing staff across all industries should have disability awareness training to ensure they are treating people with the respect and dignity they deserve. Niamh would use her voice to educate and challenge misconceptions but these should not have existed in the first place.

Please add your name to the petition. I would love Niamh's passion for disability rights to create meaningful change, improving the lives of many more people.