15/10/2026
Come with me to BBC Question Time! 🇮🇪🎤♿
An Irish woman, a disabled para equestrian, and a few things to get off her chest. What could possibly go wrong? 😂
I went in with questions about disability rights, accessibility, funding and the cost of simply existing as a disabled person.
Unfortunately, my submitted questions weren’t selected. But when Brexit came up, I wasn’t letting the opportunity pass!
Because Brexit isn’t just about trade deals and paperwork.
It’s about the growing sense of separation between Ireland and Britain. The border debates, the tensions within Northern Ireland, and the feeling that old divisions are being stirred up again.
Look at Garvaghy Road. Those tensions existed long before Brexit, but I worry about how the political climate has deepened divisions that people have spent decades trying to overcome.
And then there’s the financial reality.
Moving horses between Great Britain and Ireland now comes with additional veterinary requirements, paperwork and potential costs.
For equestrians, that’s another barrier. For para equestrians, it can be another expense on top of what I call the disability tax.
Specialist equipment, accessible transport, extra support… the list goes on. And that’s before we’ve even entered the competition arena.
But this isn’t just about horses. It’s about disabled people being able to work, travel, compete and live without constantly facing another obstacle.
These issues might seem separate, but they’re all connected to the bigger question of who gets access to opportunities, and who gets left behind.
I didn’t get to ask everything I wanted. I certainly didn’t get all the answers.
But at least I got something in for us. 💛
And if there’s one thing I’m going to keep doing, it’s showing up and making sure our voices are part of the conversation.
Because accessibility isn’t just about getting through the door. It’s about being able to afford the opportunity in the first place.
💬 If you had the chance to ask the Question Time panel ONE question about disability, what would it be?
