Moving to Ireland with a disability

Hi,

While I acquired my disability while living in Ireland I have traveled quite a bit since and there’s some good and not so food news.

Let’s start with the good news. Since I became paralysed down my left side, four years ago, I’ve traveled to 26 different airports across EMEA, North America and APAC. Mainly for work, some for leisure and I can, without a doubt, say that Dublin airport has the best special assistance out there. Depending on your needs they can pick you up outside or you can  go to the desk in T1 or T2. It’s well taken care of so you can be as independent as you like.

Overall, I’d say Dublin is reasonably accessible. You have to keep in mind that it’s an old city so quite a few buildings will have steps and stairs  and may not be accessible. It pays to call ahead for sure. A lot of beauticians for instance are at top floors of buildings without a lift and some restaurants don’t have a lift.

Healthcare is good, no doubt about it.

One of the things I love most about Ireland, both before I acquired my disability and especially now, is how friendly people are. There’s always someone willing to help!

Overall I would definitely say that Ireland is accessible, there’s lots of organisations that can help you (e.g ABI, Spinal Injuries Ireland or the Irish Wheelchair Association) and people are helpful. Nothing should stop you!

I'm autistic.
I'm planning on moving to Ireland. I'm an EU citizen;
What is Ireland like for autistic people?
Are there jobs available for autistic people?
Many thanks!

rbeleza wrote:

I'm autistic.
I'm planning on moving to Ireland. I'm an EU citizen;
What is Ireland like for autistic people?
Are there jobs available for autistic people?
Many thanks!

Welcome to the forum

Good news that you are EU citizen, and you don't require a visa. How about telling us on your work skills?

I'm really sorry it took me so long to answer this comment. I was moving to a new home and there were other setbacks. As an autistic person, sometimes it takes me a little longer to get used to big changes, than it would for a normal person.
I’m a late-diagnosed Asperger’s Syndrome carrier with the most unusual professional background.
I have shifted careers from Law to IT, but I still deal with both in the IT Corporate Governance department and Business Analysis. That gives me privileged perspective, which I use creatively to present new approaches to challenges, with an outsider’s point of view.
I had to learn about social interactions and emotional intelligence as a regular person learns a new professional skill, which means I am actively very perceptive of people around me – I have to be. I have gone as far as becoming a team manager, which might seem trivial for some, but was no easy task for me.
I’m methodic, I can hyper-focus on any given task and have a passion for Mathematics and Sciences.
My goal is to relocate with my family to a foreign country, preferably in the European Union, since I am an Italian citizen. I had to overcome many hardships in my life and this is the next one. I can work well in the legal, administrative, financial and IT fields; I have teaching experience and I’m an excellent writer and communicator. I have an aptitude to learn new languages and I’m not afraid of rolling up my sleeves.
Thanks for bearing with me.
My LinkedIn profile is in https://br.linkedin.com/in/rodrigo-bele … -23a114175
Best regards,

Hi Rbeleza and welcome to the Forum.

I'm a bit confused as your LinkedIn profile says your a Brazilian, yet you say you're Italian.  Suffice to say, if you and your family hold an EU passport, then they'll have no problem with emigrating to Ireland.  You have an impressive skill-set, my only comment is if you are an Italian Citizen, then you may want to revise your LinkedIn data because recruiters will look at that and as such think you were Brazilian and would not be interested in you because you would struggle to get a work permit.

Recruiters have search software that reads the key sections of LinkedIn, I'm not so sure it will read your letter.  Review/update your languages section as they are confusing - you list English and Spanish in the Key Skills section, yet your Language section says you speak German and French.  If languages are important in a new role, then they will test you during the interview stage, so it's important; if recruiters are confused by your CV, then they will move on to the next one.  My advice would be to only list languages you are fluent in (reading. writing and spoken).  For example, I think I speak 4 languages, but I only have 2 that I'm really competent in, the other 2 are social language skills (hello, goodbye, directions, read a menu, buy a beer and ask for a receipt).

Long-range job searching is always problematic as the majority of recruiters want people who can start work tomorrow, whereas you would probably want to get a job, then plan to move with your wife and family.  If you have key skills that are hard to find in Ireland, I'd say it's doable, if you don't, then it will be harder.  Related to this, you need to ensure that any key skills and qualifications you have that are directly related to your job are up to date and recognised in Ireland.

If you have any specific questions, please come back to us.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team

Dear Mr. Cynic,

Thank you very much for reading my LinkedIn profile, for the input and the advice!

My family and I have dual citizenship Brazilian/Italian, and that is definitely not clear in my profile.

You are correct, I am fluent in English and Spanish - German and French come as social languages, although I've been studying both to achieve fluency.

I'll start to seriously consider the advice of moving and then searching for a job locally. I'll make sure my competencies can be officially recognized in Ireland.

Kind regards,

Hello,

I know I'm kind of late to the game, but I just found this forum by coincidence, and it triggered my interest. You see, I'm wheeling around with a dream of moving to Ireland brewing inside of me, and I think the time has come to start realising it.

I currently live in Norway, and even though it is indeed a lovely and nice country, it's not a very good place to live if you're disabled. I have lived here all my life, but when I finally got the chance to go to Ireland in 2006, I felt like I was finally HOME. The feeling has stayed with me for all these years, and I have travelled back as often as possible since.

Now, I have decided that I need to get out of here and relocate to Ireland. I don't care where, but seeing that I am indeed disabled, I'm looking for tips on where I should be looking at moving to make it as smooth as something big as moving abroad could be. I want to buy a home, apartment or even a small house, but I am also open to renting in the beginning.

I'm very social and outgoing, so my preference would be to live in a city or close to one, to be able to go out and see people whenever I want. A priority would be to avoid any form of isolation. I have thought about Dublin, which might be too expensive for me, and also Cork.

The second obstacle to realising my dream is that I require personal assistance to live my life as normally as possible. Having a roommate/PA might even be a possibility.

Can anyone help me and point me in the right direction? Or maybe even take part in fulfilling my dream? I'm forever grateful. Thank you!

@rbeleza how did this go for you? I'm also autistic, considering a move from the US.

Im new and I'm autistic and have ADHD and anxiety, I'm about 17 and I'm wanting to move to Ireland when I'm older, and I'm composing a list of like- where I wanna move to, I'm just curious on the pros and cons I will get if I do move there, its a big goal for me and I'm praying I will be able to o live my life in the best way possible.

I'm curious on how the locals would react to an autistic American/Australian. are they inclusive? I've read that friendships are hard but worth it to make there, and I'm wondering if it would be a set back

I'm a picky eater so how is the food there? I mainly rely on chicken since.. well yeah.

I'm told Dublin is expensive but going further out is less expensive, but I'm worried about the healthcare and the resources I might need when I get there, how is the healthcare?

I know its mainly set on "pub culture" and I don't really want to drink, is there anyway of avoiding social interactions that are set in pubs? or is that a no go?

I plan to have kids one day so I'm curious how it would the school system be there. would it be welcoming to any children? regardless of mental disability/physical disabilities?

I'm told its very rainy and 'dreary' there, and I do want to garden, that's possible right?

I'm composing a list (like I said above) so any info is helpful, whether from a local or from someone else. I'm ready to do almost everything to move there, its a beautiful place and I adore the scenery and the people alot! please and thank you!!

Im new and I'm autistic and have ADHD and anxiety, I'm about 17 and I'm wanting to move to Ireland when I'm older, and I'm composing a list of like- where I wanna move to, I'm just curious on the pros and cons I will get if I do move there, its a big goal for me and I'm praying I will be able to o live my life in the best way possible.I'm curious on how the locals would react to an autistic American/Australian. are they inclusive? I've read that friendships are hard but worth it to make there, and I'm wondering if it would be a set backI'm a picky eater so how is the food there? I mainly rely on chicken since.. well yeah.I'm told Dublin is expensive but going further out is less expensive, but I'm worried about the healthcare and the resources I might need when I get there, how is the healthcare?I know its mainly set on "pub culture" and I don't really want to drink, is there anyway of avoiding social interactions that are set in pubs? or is that a no go?I plan to have kids one day so I'm curious how it would the school system be there. would it be welcoming to any children? regardless of mental disability/physical disabilities?I'm told its very rainy and 'dreary' there, and I do want to garden, that's possible right?I'm composing a list (like I said above) so any info is helpful, whether from a local or from someone else. I'm ready to do almost everything to move there, its a beautiful place and I adore the scenery and the people alot! please and thank you!! -@~Mikochan~

Hi and welcome to the Forum.

I've really nothing to add to what others have said above, but to answer your specific questions:

1. how the locals would react to an autistic American/Australian. are they inclusive? There are circa 6000 people with autism living in Ireland. They have an Irish Autism Society, who have a website that may interest you; this link will take you straight to it.
2. I've read that friendships are hard but worth it to make there, and I'm wondering if it would be a set back. My opinion is it's a personal thing, if you can make friends where you are now, there is no reason why you shouldn't elsewhere; if you find it difficult to make friends and it's important to you, then perhaps you need to carefully consider what you're contemplating doing.
3. I'm a picky eater so how is the food there? I mainly rely on chicken since.. well yah. They have plenty of chicken in Ireland and I understand they will (currently) sell it to picky eaters.
4. I'm told Dublin is expensive but going further out is less expensive, Ireland is a very expensive place to live, but assuming you have a job that pays enough for you to live comfortably, then it's a good choice. The Numbeo website has a lot of details on costs all over the world; this link will take you straight to the page for Dublin, you can fine tune it for other towns/cities.
5. I'm worried about the healthcare and the resources I might need when I get there, how is the healthcare? The Irish Government, Citizen's Information, have a website on the subject; this link will take you straight to it. As to "how it is", I worked there for some time, but I never needed to use it, so based on what I heard, I guess it depends on your needs, if you are in general good health, then it's OK; if your needs are complicated, then you need to speak to knowledgable healthcare professionals and there aren't many of those on Internet Forums.
6. I know its mainly set on "pub culture" and I don't really want to drink, is there anyway of avoiding social interactions that are set in pubs? or is that a no go? There is nothing that is going to force you to go to a pub, or drink alcohol, it's your own choice. Pubs in Ireland are an important part of social life and where people meet up, whether you go, is entirely up to you.
7. I plan to have kids one day so I'm curious how it would the school system be there.would it be welcoming to any children? regardless of mental disability/physical disabilities? The Irish Government, Citizen's Information website has a section on education; I suggest you read it.
8. I'm told its very rainy and 'dreary' there, and I do want to garden, that's possible right? From elsewhere on the Internet, It rains in Ireland on average 150–225 days a year, which means it rains nearly every second day or 3–4 days out of the week. The west coast tends to get more rain than the east, with some areas in the west seeing up to 250 days of rain per year. So, absolutely, rain is a significant factor in living there. That said, when it's not raining, it's a beautiful place, when I lived there I used to think that I had never seen so many different shades of green. I'm not aware of any law preventing you from gardening in/on your own property.
9. I'm composing a list (like I said above) so any info is helpful, whether from a local or from someone else. I'm ready to do almost everything to move there, its a beautiful place and I adore the scenery and the people alot! please and thank you!! My advice is before you take the plunge and move anywhere in the world, that you go and live there for a few months, find an AirBnb somewhere near to where you think you want to live and go and see for yourself whether you can find a home, get a job, afford to live there. Currently, if you are low skilled, then you will struggle, Ireland has had more than its fair share of unskilled refugees who are looking for work, and they are really struggling. If you are highly skilled and have qualifications, then check what you need to do to transfer those qualifications to Ireland; it will not surprise you to find out that the Irish government have a website on this subject; this link will take you straight to it. My own opinion is that if you have no qualifications and complicated health issues, then you are almost certainly better off staying where you are until you gain the qualifications and some experience.

I hope this has helped, and I genuinely wish you all the luck in the world in your journey.

Cynic

Expat Team