- Irish Wheelchair Association

Transcription

Spokeout_Sum_cover:Spokeout_Spring_07-cover
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Page 1
spokeout
Lifestyle magazine for people with limited mobility published by the Irish Wheelchair Association
€4.00
Summer 2007
back on the
road
ADAPTATIONS FOR SAFE
AND COMFORTABLE DRIVING
Innovative Irish
sensory gardens
Sisters Yvonne and
Michelle Fahy tell their story
Athlete Garrett
Culliton on
wheelchair
rugby
Spokeout_Sum_p1:Spokeout_Spring_07-p1
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Contents
04
28
12
FEATURES
4
The bond between sisters
Yvonne Fahy and her sister
Michelle talk about their
relationship
9
Just a click away
Where to find disability info
on the web
MOTORING
12
(COVER STORY)
Back on the road
Ken Caulfield on why the right
adaptations are essential if you
want to drive safely!
CAREERS
18
20
The job hunt: an employer’s
perspective
Why Irish Life and Permanent is
targeting potential employees
with disabilities
Job shadowing
A job shadowing programme
designed to link up employers
and people with disabilities
YOUTH
23
College life
How to make sure you get the
support you need in college
TRAVEL
26
28
City lights
First hand reviews of popular
city destinations
The Dublin Airport
experience
How to ensure a stress-free
start to your holiday
LIVING
30
Bathroom essentials
Accessible bathroom design
34
Carer’s factsheet:
handling someone safely
Advice on how to assist a
wheelchair user safely
36 Sensory gardens
Accessible gardens designed to
stimulate the senses at the Delta
Centre in Carlow
ACCESS
58
Happy Birthday Cuisle
Cuisle Holiday Centre
celebrates its tenth anniversary
60
Regional snapshots
What’s going on around the
regions
41 Going for a pint
Encouraging your ‘local’ to
provide an accessible toilet
43 Café Culture
Reviews of two of the best
venues in Dublin City Centre
FOOD
REGULARS
63
Small ads
Sell on unwanted items or pick
up a bargain
64
Your views
Letters to the editor
45 Recipe
Chicken and chorizo stew from
Eden restaurant
NEWS
46 A sporting life
Garrett Culliton on wheelchair
rugby
48 Sports news
A round-up of news on sports
and healthy living
53 News round up
New mix including CEO’s update
on developments in IWA
56 IWA Annual Conference
Information and snapshots
from IWA’s Annual Conference:
Employment – Creating
Opportunities
33
spokeout 01
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introduction
O
ur summer issue is
packed full of useful
information and interesting stories. In our
feature profile, Yvonne Fahy, from
Galway, who acquired a disability
when she was 24, and her younger sister, Michelle,
talk about family life and the experiences they’ve
shared.
In our cover story, Dubliner Ken Caulfield talks
about the dangers of starting to drive without first
getting professional advice and assessment, and
how hand controls have enabled him to get back on
the road safely.
Our focus on employment continues, but this time
we decided to look at the issue from an employer’s
perspective by talking to Irish Life and Permanent’s
Equality and Diversity Officer, Elaine McGauran.
Elaine’s practical advice should not be missed by
any job-hunters out there!
A number of IWA events have been held already
this summer, including the Annual Conference and
Cuisle’s Tenth Anniversary Party. If you were there,
be warned, you may find yourself on our snapshots
pages at the end of the magazine or on the IWA
website.
Lately, the response from readers has been great,
with many of you sending in letters, news, reviews
and ideas for articles. We really appreciate this and
do our best to find ways of including everything, so
please keep it coming!
Editor
Joanna Marsden
Joint Managing Directors, Dyflin
Karen Hesse, Philip McGaley
Editorial Assistance
Kiara Lynch, Colette Molloy
Editorial enquiries to:
The Editor, Spokeout, Irish
Wheelchair Association,
Blackheath Drive, Clontarf,
Dublin 3.
Tel: (00 353) 1 8186455
Email: spokeout@iwa.ie
Editorial Design Manager
Layla Hogan
Advertising and Marketing
Design Manager and design
Diarmuid O’Connor
Advertising Production
Co-ordinator
Amina Ferradj
Advertising enquiries to:
Dyflin Publications Ltd
Cunningham House
130 Francis Street, Dublin 8
Tel: (00 353) 1 4167930
Spokeout is published by Dyflin
Publications on behalf of I.W.A.
Limited. The copyright rests with
IWA and no material may be
reproduced without the
Advertising Executive
Dara Gallagher, Lola O’ Sullivan permission of IWA. The views
expressed in the publication
do not necessarily represent
Printing
the views of IWA.
Lithographic Web Press Ltd
Advertising Production
Colm Geoghegan,
Ciaran McBride
Distribution
Shanahan Direct
Cover Photo
Gareth Craig
recycle
When you have finished with
this magazine please recycle it.
02
Spokeout is distributed quarterly by post to 17,000 IWA members and to Government bodies
and other disability interest
groups.
ISSN NO: 1393-8517
Page 2
MEET SOME OF
S…
OUR CONTRIBUTOR
Kiara Lynch
23-year-old Kiara Lynch is from
Longford. She recently moved to
Clontarf to join the Spokeout editorial
team. This issue she gathers advice on
how to avoid stress at Dublin Airport
and also reviews some of the most
useful websites around. Having recently been through
the college system, she gives tips on how to get the
most from your college access office. When she’s not
sailing or chilling at a cricket game, Kiara loves reading,
concerts and GAA.
Ken Caulfield
Ken Caulfield is a native of Dublin. He
joined IWA staff in the Finance
Department eight months ago and has
since developed a taste for writing. In
this issue he talks about two subjects
close to his heart – his beloved new
car and the importance of being able to have a pint at
his local! When he’s not working, Ken likes relaxing with
his friends, going for coastal drives, and surfing the net!
Brian Geraghty
Brian Geraghty is a member of the
Spina Bifida Resource Centre in
Coolock and has been with them for
three years. He works alongside
another staff member producing various cards, hand-written notes and
petty cash statements. His hobbies include writing,
socialising, computers (especially web design) and
music.
Garreth Greene
Graphic Designer Garreth Greene is
from Dublin and featured on the cover
of the spring edition of Spokeout. He’s
the man behind the new IWA website
and logo. His personal pet project is
smallerworld.ie – a website designed
to make life easier for wheelchair users and their friends.
Garreth is just back from an amazing trip to Thailand.
Dara Woods
Dara Woods works in Citizens
Information on the Assist Ireland website. This site provides information to
the public on aids and appliances that
are available in Ireland for older people
and people with disabilities. Dara has
just completed a Higher Diploma in Journalism and
hopes to graduate in November. She enjoys sports, playing football in the summer and skiing in the winter.
SUBSCRIBE NOW
Please send your name, the name of your organisation (if applicable),
address and telephone number, with a cheque or postal order for
€15.00 (payable to IWA) to: Spokeout subscriptions, Irish Wheelchair
Association, Blackheath Drive, Clontarf, Dublin 3.
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the bond
BETWEEN
SISTERS
Michelle an
d Yvonne at
Yvonne’s rece
Peer Counse
nt
lling gradua
tion
Yvonne Fahy and her younger sister, Michelle, have been
through a lot of ups and downs together… but at the end of
the day they see their relationship as a typical big sister-little
sister one. Joanna Marsden reports
YVONNE’S STORY
“Michelle, who was just 13, had to move in with Dad and
his new wife, Ann, who was expecting a baby. There was
Yvonne Fahy has a calm and philosophical way of talking
so much to deal with in Ireland and I was all set up in the
about monumental, life-changing events – her parent’s
US – I had my job and apartment. America was my
separation, her mother’s death, her spinal injury. As you
dream, my escape. So I went back there.”
talk to her, what initially sounds like a story full of tragedy
Later that year, Michelle came to visit Yvonne in Boston.
unfolds into a comforting story of family life and, in
This visit meant a lot to Yvonne. “Since my parents
particular, the closeness shared by sisters.
Yvonne, now aged 32, was brought up in Turloughmore, separated, we hadn’t had the chance to spend much
time together. I was determined to make up for this and
12 miles outside Galway City. Her parents separated
when she was a teenager and she and her brother, Vivian, show my little sister a good time! I took her round Boston
and New York, trying to cram in so much. I remember us
went to live with their Dad. Yvonne’s sister, Michelle, then
queuing at the bottom of the Empire
only 5, stayed with her mother.
State Building in the intense summer
Yvonne describes herself as the
“In one way, it was
heat and the only thing bothering this
typical 80s child, obsessed with
13-year old girl was when we’d be
horrible to think that I
all things American. “There was
able to go shopping!”
no money here; we had a hard
was her big sister and
Although far from home, ties
old time. We’d uncles and aunts
now she was acting like remained strong. Yvonne’s new little
in the US and when we watched
sister, Sarah, was born three months
the Colbys and the Ewings on TV, mine, but in another way
prematurely. Yvonne would ring
with their wealth and lifestyles, we
it was great because she home every few days for news.
thought everybody lived like that.
Like many others, I thought ‘that
made it so much easier “Around the same time, the old
Celtic Tiger started to roar and Dad
will be me one day’.”
for
me”
would say, ‘look it, come home’.
Yvonne got her chance to ‘live it
He’d the option of buying a little
up’ when she was 20. She moved
shop in Glenamaddy and needed someone to run it. I
to Boston and found work as a nanny and then in an Irish
started to feel lonely. I’d never seen my new little sister,
bakery. But this care-free life in the US was soon
who was pulling through at last, and I suppose I’d never
interrupted by news that her mother had been diagnosed
really grieved for my mother.”
with skin cancer. Two weeks later, at the age of 41, her
So Yvonne came home. She finally got to meet little
mother died. “It was such a shock,” recalls Yvonne,
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Sarah, then seven months old. She took over the shop in
Glenamaddy. “I felt like a fish out of water. I’d left the bright
lights of Boston for a country village. I quickly thought ‘what
the hell have I done?’ The job was stressful and I wasn’t
mature enough but I couldn’t let Dad down and somehow I
kept it going. Eventually, I started to settle into my new life
at home.”
Then, on the 6th January 2000, aged 24, Yvonne had a
car accident. When she talks about it, the memories are still
vivid and you get a sense of the sudden loss of control she
felt. She was driven up to Dublin in an ambulance. “The
weather was too bad for the helicopter to fly and I
remember that never-ending journey. I had a dislocated
neck which was held in traction by a 21 pound weight. I
remember they let the air out of the tires to stop the
ambulance bouncing. I was in and out of consciousness
the whole way.”
In Dublin’s Mater Hospital, Yvonne felt surrounded by
chaos. “There were so many tests and scans and I just
kept asking ‘will I walk, will I walk?’ My Dad, God bless
him, brought in a Faith Healer and, it seemed we were
making some progress when my right arm started to move!
We were looking for any hope at all. After three weeks, I
moved to the National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) in Dun
Laoghaire which had been painted as the next best thing to
Lourdes! But I felt so claustrophobic. I’d lie there, watching
TV through a mirror, and I felt so trapped that I wanted to
scream.”
Through all this, Yvonne remembers her family were
always there. “It was a good distance from Galway on the
buses and must have been very hard for them with work
and all, but I was never alone. Even if I wasn’t in good
form, there’d be someone there, or Dad would have the
mobile phone to my ear. I’m far from holy, but I feel like
God was on my side.”
Yvonne’s recovery was slow, with various setbacks, and it
was July before she got to go home for the first time. “It
started to sink in just how much help I needed. Your family
are busy and you don’t want to keep asking them to do
things for you.” After this, Yvonne started going home every
second weekend. She found Michelle naturally became her
carer. “She just kind of knew what to do for me without
being asked. In one way, it was horrible to think that I was
her big sister and now she was acting like mine, but in
another way it was great because she made it so much
easier for me.”
That Christmas, Yvonne came home for the longest
period yet, a couple of weeks, and was given the support
of a professional personal assistant (PA). “I didn’t know
what to make of the whole PA thing – I didn’t even know
what a PA was! I was 25 years old and a very private
person; the idea of someone you’ve never met assisting
you with personal things is very hard. But then this fantastic
girl arrived and somehow she made it easy for us all.”
Yvonne with her younger
brother, Jonathan, at his
First Communion
The following spring, Yvonne came home for good. She
remembers this as a very frightening experience, “I think
I’d become very institutionalised. I was afraid of not having
enough money or enough help.” But it all came together
very quickly, “Everyone – the NRH, my social worker and
IWA – all seemed to work together very well and within
five weeks I was living in an IWA independent living unit
with PA support and environmental controls to help me
manage the house.”
“Despite all this support, it was hard to have all these
people organising my life. I remember a ‘case conference’
being held before I left the NRH, with everybody talking
about my bed, my mattress, my medication... I felt numb,
like I was having an out of body experience. I’m not giving
out – I really appreciate all they did – but it was hard to
come to terms with it after being so independent all my
life.”
Over the years, Yvonne has found ways of accepting
support while maintaining her own space and privacy. “I
now have 24-hour PA assistance but I manage my PAs
myself, and I sometimes organise the rota to give me an
hour or two on my own and then double up when I need
extra support. This gives me space to veg out, blare the
radio or have a good sing!”
Michelle has continued to act as an occasional carer. In
the early days at home, she’d slot in around Yvonne’s
other PAs, doing a night here and there. “For some
reason, I’ve never felt embarrassed about anything with
Michelle and I don’t think she did either. Why not? It must
have something to do with the kind of laid back, easygoing person she is. I suppose I don’t know how she felt
early on, I was so busy dealing with my own horrific time.”
Yvonne and Michelle have their share of sisterly rituals,
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including always spending Christmas Eve together
and going on holidays, including an incredible cruise
around Mexico in 2005. “I may be physically
changed but at the end of the day it’s the same as
it always was… I get on her nerves, she ignores
me… the same old shit! I’m still her big sister. I
remember the day she was born; I loved her to bits
from the very beginning. She had this cow’s lick
that we’d spend hours trying to uncurl. She’s was
always destroying my bedroom. She loves to hear
those stories…”
Despite their closeness, Yvonne and Michelle
have continued to ‘do their own thing’. One
summer Michelle went to Australia and, recently,
The whole family at
Jonathan’s First Comm
union (r to l): Vivian
she moved to Dublin to work as a make-up artist
Jonathan, Sarah, An
,
n, Yvonne, Michelle
and Yvonne’s Dad, Joh
n
in Brown Thomas. “I would never want to hold
her back. She’s on the phone every day or so, asking
advice, anyway. I don’t feel in debt to her but I know I’m
awful lucky to have her, she knows that. I don’t want to
brother, Jonathan, who’s 8, have been a great little addition
‘disable’ the family, I would feel terrible. I want my little
to the family – Yvonne calls them her ‘mini-PAs’!
sister to have a fulfilled life – get a good job, find a rich
Michelle’s experience with Yvonne convinced her to start
man, make me an aunt… keep me busy!
working part-time as a carer with IWA while she was
“Maybe I’d feel different if I’d had to depend on
studying. For two years, she worked as a PA, while still
Michelle and my family for care. I might have been angry
helping Yvonne out here and there. “I was young and didn’t
and bitter.” While Yvonne’s family have always been there,
really know what I wanted to do but the PA work taught me
they never felt alone. At the end of the day, she believes
a lot mentally – I learnt that everyday problems aren’t as big
having the right external support in terms of housing and
as you think they are. And, the practical skills IWA trained
assistance enabled her to keep the balance in her family
me in have proved very useful.”
relationships. “I’ve been very fortunate – the system
Having worked as a PA, Michelle notices that Yvonne is
actually worked for me. It may sound strange but I feel
very good at managing her PAs. “She develops a very
like I was in the right place at the right time. It’s terrible to
strong but professional relationship with them. At the end of
think that, in this day and age, people are forced to
the day, the PAs are there to do a job – to enable Yvonne
depend on their families for care. There are enough
to live a normal life by assisting her with the things she finds
pressures on families without having to deal with that.”
difficult.”
Yvonne Fahy lives in Galway and recently qualified as
“Yvonne knows I’m always there for her if she’s ever
an IWA Peer Counsellor. She also works part-time in the
stuck – if a PA ever let her down, I’d do my best to get
local Citizens Information Centre.
there, even now I’m living in Dublin. On Christmas Eve, we
let the PAs go to their own families and Vivian, our brother,
MICHELLE’S STORY
and I go over to Yvonne’s place. It gives the three of us a
Michelle describes her relationship with Yvonne as being
break from everyone else and we have a tradition of having
“like best friends”. “It wasn’t always that way though! We
a few drinks and opening our presents together.”
lived apart as kids and I didn’t see her that often. But
“Yvonne and I have had some great times together. That
after our mother died, and I moved in with Dad, we
cruise around Mexico was amazing. The flight was such an
started to get close again. I remember when I went to
ordeal with the electric wheelchair but once we got on
America to see her, she made such an effort to look after
board that ship it made up for all the hassle. There was so
me.”
much to do and because it was fully wheelchair accessible
When Yvonne had her accident, Michelle says “I took it
Yvonne felt so confident and relaxed there.”
day by day… that’s the kind of person I am. I never
“Yvonne is such a calm person… she’s my rock. I really
thought ‘I’ll be her carer’; Yvonne was just there and she
don’t know what I’d do without her. She’s an inspiration to
needed help. I noticed that if I panicked, she’d panic too;
everyone, but as a sister, I know I can trust her with
but if I was calm, it relaxed her. I knew she was just
anything. She has a way of helping me put things in
coming to terms with it all.”
perspective. I think it’s great she’s trained as a peer
“Don’t get me wrong, Yvonne’s accident was a huge
counsellor…. I know that because of her own experiences,
shock to the whole family; but now we’re all used to it
she wants to be able to help people in similar situations.”
and it’s just normal. Our little sister, Sarah, who’s 10, and
Michelle Fahy lives in Dublin and works for Lancome.
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JUST A
CLICK AWAY...
Looking for work, your welfare entitlements or just a train
timetable, it’s all on the net! Kiara Lynch shows us how the
web can take the hassle out of tracking down what you need
W
ith PCs, laptops, mobile phone
technology as well as broadband
packages continuously dropping in price, the
internet is a vast and increasingly affordable
resource for people with disabilities. Whether you’re booking a holiday, buying a car or looking for
information on public services, the internet offers access
to all. Here are a few suggestions.
PUBLIC SERVICES
Government agencies tend to have comprehensive websites, designed to high accessibility guidelines, so makesure you use them.
www.welfare.ie This site offers access to frequently asked
questions about entitlements to social welfare payments
including disability allowance. And, for questions that
aren’t covered, there are contact details for various sections within The Department of Social and Family Affairs.
www.publicjobs.ie The place to go if you want a good,
steady job! This website belongs to the Public
Appointments Service, the centralised provider of recruitment, assessment and selection services for the Civil
Service, including local authorities and the HSE.
www.citizensinformationboard.ie Citizens Information
Board (formerly Comhairle) is the Government’s information agency. This site covers a broad range of social and
civil services, from how to apply for a driving test to how
to get married!
www.revenue.ie Clear informative site, providing tax information and support services for people with a disability
such as information on tax credits and VAT/VRT on cars.
www.irishrail.ie I like this site because it does exactly what
it promises! You can print off any timetable or buy tickets
online. Also includes DART timetables.
AIDS & APPLIANCES
If you’re sick of waiting months for your OT to get you a
simple aid, many sites are now selling equipment online.
Bear in mind that larger items may be costly to post and
also you will need to be at home to take delivery or have
access to your local post office.
www.youreableshop.co.uk Easy online ordering for a
great selection of aids for people with limited mobility,
including many useful gadgets to make everyday living
easier. Although UK-based, you can buy in euro and they
have a delivery service to Ireland.
www.rolli.ie This Irish-based online shop gives a wide
selection of products at reasonable prices. Although primarily aimed at wheelchair users, it’s worth a look for
anyone with limited mobility.
www.assistireland.ie This well-maintained,
Government-funded site provides information on assistive
technology and a detailed directory, with photos, of
products available from Irish suppliers.
www.mobilityonline.ie While this online shopping
company doesn’t offer a big selection of household and
mobility aids, they’re based in Ireland, making P&P easier.
www.homecraft-rolyan.com Homecraft Rolyan is a large
supplier of physical therapy products and equipment. You
can shop online or subscribe to a postal catalogue.
HOLIDAYS
You can never have too many holidays! Using the
internet makes it easier to find contact details for
accessible hotels and B&Bs, but unfortunately, there’s
still a gap between access standards set out by
building regulations and what many people actually
need. Always check they can meet your specific
requirements.
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www.accessibletravel.co.uk Accessible Travel & Leisure
was formed in 1997 by three wheelchair users with a
vision to create ‘barrier-free holidays’ for the less mobile.
This online travel agent can tailor a holiday to meet your
specific requirements. Whether you need to ensure
ground floor accommodation, handrails, or any other special facilities, they source appropriate accommodation and
services. They are happy to work with Irish customers.
www.everybody.co.uk This site is based around the concept that all the hotels, airlines and other services listed
can be used by anyone, able bodied or disabled. Unlike
most disability-related hotel directories, it lists only mainstream hotels, and not those owned by disability organisations.
www.cuisle.com The great thing about Cuisle Holiday
Centre in Co Roscommon is that, as well as accessible
holiday accommodation, the centre has a team of highly
trained staff to give you any support you need. You can
also partake in the many activities available down there:
fishing, bowling, boat trips and much more!
www.disabledgo.info DisabledGo is an ambitious internet
service, which offers access information on all UK cities
regarding eating out, pubs, accessible public toilets,
accommodation, tourist information, etc. This innovative
site is opening up towns and cities across the UK.
www.jst.org.uk JST is the only organisation in the world
to be able to offer tall ship sailing holidays to people with
physical disabilities. JST owns and operates two tall ships,
Lord Nelson and Tenacious. These magnificent ships have
been purpose-designed and built to enable a crew of people with mixed physical abilities to sail side-by-side on
equal terms. Whether it’s a short hop around the British
coast, a four-week transatlantic challenge, or a place in
the European Tall Ships’ Race – with JST you can do it all!
ACCESS, ADVOCACY & DISCUSSION FORUMS
These sites are all about staying informed, knowing where
you stand and sharing information.
www.equality.ie This site has some great downloads
available in regard to rights and equality law, including
what ‘reasonable accommodation’ of people with disabilities in the provision of goods and services actually means.
Read up and know your rights!
www.iwa.ie Okay, so you’re expecting me to say this, but,
hand on heart, the recently revamped IWA site is looking
good! The layout is easy to follow and the site includes a
list of frequently asked questions. There are helpful contact details on the various services available i.e. assisted
living, resource centres, training and education, youth
services etc. In case you just can’t get enough of us,
Spokeout, along with many other IWA publications, can
be downloaded from the site!
www.pwdi.ie The People with Disabilities in Ireland (PwDI)
site is an excellent source of information as well as having
a fantastic page of links.
www.nda.ie An informative website with lots of disability-
related research material for download. Make sure you
have a look at Building for Everyone – a bible for anyone
building or renovating a building.
www.smallerworld.ie A new community-based portal,
smallerworld.ie offers reviews of accessible places to eat,
drink and stay in Dublin. Maps are also available so you
can work out what kind of accessible transport will get
you there! The best way to keep the site up to date is for
the disabled community to feed information to the site, so
get involved!
Personal favourites
“I’ve found the best way to find access
info is to speak to someone with a disability who has first hand experience of
the place. So, I’m going to
recommend Google’s listing of disability chat
rooms, forums and message boards.
www.google.com/Top/Society/Disabled/Chats and
Forums
Sometimes it’s a comfort to know you’re not the
only one and to have a good moan with someone
who is experiencing the same thing.”
Kiara Lynch, writer and editorial assistant with
Spokeout
“I’m going to say www.bbc.co.uk/food/
After using this site once, you’ll never
need another recipe in your life! If you
like your food, and enjoy cooking, this
is the place! Along with vegetarian dishes, there
are mouth-watering recipes, as well as delicious
variations on simple dishes.”
Olan McGowan, RTE presenter and producer
“I just couldn’t choose one site! Will
you take a few? www.cdwow.ie and
www.play.com: both offer free delivery
of CDs and DVDs and are pretty
cheap. www.cnet.com: offers everything from tech
reviews to free online classes. www.petshoponline.ie: a great way to supply any creature you’ve
got with seriously discounted food and supplies.
And to finish off, I’ve become slightly addicted to
www.bebo.com which is a great way of finding old
friends, class or college mates and generally wasting your precious time!”
Garreth Greene, graphic designer and founder of
smallerworld.ie
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back on the
ROAD
Ken Caulfield’s motoring history hasn’t been
smooth, and at one stage he gave up
altogether, but he tells Joanna Marsden
he’s proud to be back on the road safely
K
en’s started out on the road when he was just 16
with a Suzuki Katana moped. “It gave me a great
feeling of freedom.” A couple of years later, he
found himself looking at motorbikes, until his dad
stepped in. “My dad went out and bought me an automatic Nissan Micra. I had to pay him back over time but
the point was he didn’t want me on a motorbike; he didn’t
trust me!”
Ken has ataxia, a progressive condition which affects his
dexterity and muscle control. At the time, his symptoms
were fairly mild and he wasn’t a wheelchair user. “People
told me not to worry about assessments, that I’d be fine
with an automatic car and a standard provisional licence.”
In his first year on the road, Ken had a few minor knocks
and scrapes which he put down to being a learner. Then
came the big one: “I was in the car park of a pub [sober, he
stresses] and a pedestrian stepped out in front of me. I
panicked and my foot slipped onto the accelerator and I hit
her.” “Don’t worry, she’s fine,” emphasises Ken, however,
as he goes on to explain, it becomes obvious that it was a
fairly serious accident for which Ken received a five-year
12
endorsement on his licence and had to agree a settlement.
After the accident, Ken stopped driving for four years.
“The whole experience frightened me and made me more
cautious. I stopped driving, but that was mainly to keep
my parents happy.” Ken found being off the road affected
his quality of life. “The years I didn’t drive were boring, I
didn’t get out as much and had to have my mam chauffeuring me around most places. There is no question
about it, driving gives a huge amount of extra independence.”
When Ken decided to start driving again, he took an altogether more cautious approach. “I knew my disability
had progressed a lot – I’d started using a wheelchair 99
percent of the time – and I decided to take weekly lessons
and get a proper assessment with IWA. Basically, an assessment involves an Occupational Therapist (OT) who
looks at your disability and asks you to perform certain
tasks to test your dexterity and reactions. In my case, the
OT recommended hand controls.” Ken got a chance to try
out two types of hand controls by driving the cars of two
IWA driving instructors, Colm and Jackie. “Colm’s car has
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motoring
press down to accelerate/push to brake hand controls,
whereas Jackie’s has pull to accelerate/push to brake hand
controls. By trying them out, I found that the latter set-up
suited me better.”
His driving lessons also affected his choice of car. “The
driving instructors both drive a Ford Focus and I specifically
chose that car because I found it comfortable. Just look
around the car park here in IWA and you’ll notice a lot of
them!” He ordered his car from Cosgrave’s Garage in Dun
Laoghaire, “They were great because they also helped me
through the whole VRT reclaim process.”
Cosgrave’s gave Ken’s car to Motability Ireland for adaptation, and Motability then liaised directly with Ken and his
mum regarding the specifications. “The hand controls are
great,” says Ken, “But, after driving for a while, I’ve noticed
that I find it hard to access my lights or wipers. So, down
the line, I may upgrade the ‘spinner’ for my steering wheel
to one which includes controls for lights and wipers.”
Although Ken loves his Ford Focus, next time round he
might consider a bigger car. “I’ve scratched all the inside of
the car by dragging my wheelchair over to the passenger
seat. I could put it in the back but I’m too lazy. I heard recently that there is stuff you can put on the inside of the
passenger door to protect it – aluminium plates or bubble
wrap was another suggestion! But it’s too late now!”
Ken’s ideal car would be a Suburu Impreza WRX. “A two
litre turbo version with four-wheel drive, known in the UK
for being the car the police can’t catch! It’s never going to
happen though as I couldn’t fit my wheelchair in!”
For Ken, the hardest aspect of getting back on the road
was insurance. “When I applied, I was on a provisional licence and had an endorsement on my licence from the accident. Initial quotes were for over €4,000 and I had to fight
hard to get it down to €3,700. This should half next year
when the endorsement is up.”
Another factor that should help is Ken’s recent success
with the driving test, “In February, I did my driving test for
the second time and got it. I think I had more confidence
with the hand controls than I’d ever had with my feet.
Jackie had helped me build up my confidence through the
lessons (although I still suspect she thought I was going to
fail!). I only got four error marks. After the test, I went home
and got my brother to take off the ‘L’ signs and burn
them!”
Ken’s licence specifies that he can only drive a car with
hand controls and he has to be assessed each year by an
OT as his condition could change. “It’s a pain, but I definitely understand the logic of it. We can’t have people who
can’t drive on the road.” And Ken is speaking from experience, “Looking back, I don’t think I should have ever been
driving without hand controls. I think the reason I was okay
on that first moped was because the breaks happened to
be at my hands! I should have been told to go to IWA and
get an assessment, but there was a real lack of awareness
about the assessment process – even my GP didn’t know
about it. I really believe I was dangerous and that was the
real reason I had so many accidents and scrapes.”
So, since getting the hand controls, has it all been
smooth driving? “Well there was one little accident! But,
seriously, it wasn’t my fault. Some guy in a Mercedes hit
me from behind. He took the blame straight away and
gave me the cash to fix up the bump! I know myself I’m
much safer now with the hand controls. I have much more
control of the car. I feel quite angry that I went through all
that stress and didn’t get the right advice from the start. I
can’t emphasise enough how important it is to go to IWA
and be assessed properly.”
Ken Caulfield lives in Dublin and works for IWA Finance.
About the IWA Assessment Service
The National Mobility Centre Clane, Co Kildare,
provides a nationwide driving assessment and tuition
service, which gives people the opportunity to learn
or return to driving. In addition, staff provide advice
and information on a range of relevant issues.
Prior to receiving driving tuition, all applicants must
be assessed and be the holder of a current provisional or full driving licence. The duration of the assessment, which is carried out by occupational
therapists and driving instructors, is normally two
hours. Assessments determine:
• Whether the applicant should return to driving or
begin driving for the first time; and
• The most suitable adaptations to use.
Assessments are carried out in the following IWA
locations: Clontarf, Clane, Navan, Mullingar, Kilkenny,
Limerick, Cork, Galway and Manorcunningham.
For further information please contact:
National Mobility Centre
Irish Wheelchair Association, Clane, Co Kildare
Phone: 045 893 094
Email: maats@iwa.ie
Web: www.iwa.ie
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motoring
Types of adaptations
Examples of a few handy adaptations...
EXPERT TIPS:
Getting the adaptation right
“When adapting your car, consider your needs
now and into the future. Make sure your fitter
knows what wheelchair you use and how you
store it. Otherwise you might find you have
problems like the wheelchair hitting off your steering wheel. Try out the controls and try lifting your
chair in and out of the car while in the garage.
And, to protect your door from scratches, there is
a special protective tape available.”
John Cuddihy, Cuddihy Mobility
Hand controls
Standard hand controls are
push-pull controls. These can be
made to have the indicators
incorporated into the controls,
eliminating the need to take your
hand off the controls when
indicating.
Spinners
Spinners or steering balls as they
are also known are fitted to the
steering wheel of your vehicle.
They assist you in turning your
steering wheel 360° with one
hand.
Getting value for money
“Whether buying a car or getting an adaptation,
shop around and get as many quotes as you can.
Another thing to remember is that if you are selling your old car, you will probably get better value
through a private sale than a trade in. At least investigate that option, and remember that hand
controls can be removed fairly easily so you are
not restricted to selling the car to another person
with a disability.”
Tony Maher, National Transport Manager, IWA
USEFUL CONTACTS:
CORK • Calven Mobility Clutches Limited,
Ballincrokig, Whitescross, Cork. Tel: 021 430 3521
Left foot accelerator
The left foot accelerator is fitted to
an automatic car. A second accelerator pedal is fitted to the left
hand side of the vehicle. It can be
one of 3 types - flip up, electronic or
removable.
Infrared driving controls
Infrared driving controls make it
possible to work the main functions
of your vehicle with a compact keypad located on your steering
wheel. The keypad can be supplied
for either left or right hand.
Easy release handbrake
The Easy Release handbrake is attached to your existing handbrake
in your vehicle. It has been designed for a person who finds it difficult to push the button on the
handbrake.
Radial hand controls
The radial action accelerator and
combined push brake lever is one
of a range of hand controls available when a person is unable to
use their feet to operate the standard pedals.
Images and information provided by Motability Ireland
DUBLIN AND MEATH
• Coyles Garage Ltd., 21 The Crescent, Monkstown,
Co Dublin. Tel: 01 284 3875/ 284 1196.
Email: mobility@coylesgarage.com
Web: www.coylesgarage.com
• Motability Ireland, Unit 1, Fairview House,
The Ward, Ashbourne, Co Meath. Tel: 01 835 9173
• Parfit, Old Schoolhouse, Cloghran, Swords, Co
Dublin. Tel: 01 840 7880. Email: pat@parfit.ie
Web: www.parfit.ie
KERRY • OC Mobility, Currow, Killarney, Co Kerry.
Tel: 066 976 4738
KILDARE • TML Mobility Ltd., Liffey Lawns, Clane,
Co Kildare. Tel: 045 868 458 / 086 255 6121
KILKENNY • Cuddihy Mobility Ltd, Brittas, Tullaroan,
Co Kilkenny. Tel: 056 776 9318 / 056 776 9121
• DPMS, 56a Hebron Industrial Estate, Kilkenny.
Tel: 056 770 2759 / 056 770 27760 / 087 621 3528
Email: dpmstony@msn.com
LIMERICK • L&M Conversions, Edenburn,
Corbally Rd, Limerick. Tel: 061 340 396 / 061 381 765
/ 087 908 0793
LOUTH • Mobility Motors Ltd., Donaghmore,
Carrick Road, Dundalk, Co Louth.
Tel: 042 933 6240 / 087 231 5506
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careers
the job hunt:
AN EMPLOYER’S
PERSPECTIVE
An increasing number of companies are recognising the value
of employing people with disabilities. Joanna Marsden meets
Elaine McGauran, Equality and Diversity Officer with Irish Life
and Permanent, to get an employer’s perspective
As an employer, why are you targeting people
with disabilities in particular?
We are operating in an economy where there is full
employment so we need to focus on ways that we can
widen our talent pool. We believe there are many people
with disabilities out there who have the skills we require.
My experience to date has shown that employing a person with a disability can have a positive impact on the
team they work with. I also believe that increased disability
awareness amongst staff will benefit shareholders and
customers.
What kind of jobs does Irish Life and Permanent
(IL&P) have on offer?
The bulk of jobs tend to be administrative type roles but
there can also be vacancies in other areas such as IT, and
Finance. As an organisation, we employ over 5,000 staff
at various locations. Like many organisations we experience turnover which in many cases can be accredited to
what we call ‘the Australia Factor’! Last year, we hired
approximately 1,200 staff.
Where are these jobs based?
Our administrative centres are located in Abbey Street,
Dublin 1, and St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2. We also have
call centres based in Blackrock, Co
Dublin, and Dundalk. We’re conscious of
accessibility issues for wheelchair users
and have recently made efforts to improve
the accessibility of our offices. Dundalk is
a new building so it is particularly wheelchair accessible.
Where do you advertise?
All our vacancies our advertised online at
the following websites: www.irishlifeper-
Elaine McGauran
manent.ie, www.irishjobs.ie, www.recruitireland.ie,
www.jobs.ie, www.nixers.ie Like most companies, we
rarely advertise in newspapers, so my advice to job
hunters is to focus on the internet.
We also attend recruitment fairs with the main third level
institutions.
What advice would you offer job applicants who
want to get an employer’s attention?
Last year we received over 19,000 applications, so it’s
important to make your application stand out. The internet makes it very easy to apply for jobs and some people
just fire off their CV for everything and then get demoralised when they don’t get a positive response. My advice
is to select vacancies that you have a genuine interest in
and believe you are suited to, then customise your CV
and covering letter for that particular role.
What if you are looking for flexible working
arrangements?
Some employers will be prepared to offer flexible or parttime working arrangements, especially if you are a strong
candidate. IL&P offers flexible working hours, enabling
staff to start anytime up to 10am and finish anytime after
4pm, and has many part-time employees. State your
preferred working hours in the cover letter
or during the interview. It’s better to be
honest from the beginning rather than over
stretch yourself.
Do you feel an applicant should disclose a disability, and, if so, at what
stage in the application process?
It’s really up to the individual, but, in my
view, disclosing it early on can be beneficial to an application. If you have gaps in
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careers
your CV related to your disability or health, it is helpful to
have them explained. Also, if you have limited mobility, it
can help the employer place you in an accessible location.
For example, we know our head office locations are more
accessible than some of our branches. There is no need
to go into great detail, just something practical in your
covering letter like stating “I’m a wheelchair user and
require an accessible working environment.”
If you don’t feel comfortable putting it in your application
letter, you may decide to say it if you are called for interview. At IL&P, we ring everyone we invite for interview and
ask whether they require any accommodations, be it an
accessible interview location or extra time in a selection
test. We do our best to level the playing field.
What advice can you give regarding interviews?
If you prepare thoroughly, you are likely to do well.
Research the company, know its main products and services, and be prepared to tell the interviewer why the company is attractive to you. Familiarise yourself with the key
responsibilities of the position you are being interviewed
for and be able to explain how you match the job requirements. Prepare answers to the obvious questions:
achievements, strengths, ability to work in a team, your
long term career ambitions, etc. Have a couple of questions in mind to ask the panel; this helps convey that you
are genuinely interested!
If you don’t get the job, look for feedback on your performance. We are constantly being asked for feedback
and we’re more than happy to give it.
What do you suggest if someone is uncomfortable with how the interview panel acts?
When that happens, it’s probably down to a lack of disability awareness. We ensure all our interviewers have had
proper training to make sure that kind of thing doesn’t
happen. If you are asked a question you feel uncomfortable with, my advice is to say so politely, and if necessary
raise the issue with the Recruitment Manager from the
company.
Many people with disabilities worry about the
medical. Should they?
I don’t think so. In our case, we use a self-declaration PreEmployment Health Questionnaire. If there are queries, it
may go back to your GP and take longer to process but at
the end of the day, it’s very unlikely to affect our decision
to hire. To be honest, the main purpose for us is to help
our company underwriters to assess the applicant’s suitability to avail of permanent health insurance, one of the
benefits we offer.
Finally, have you any advice for people once they
have the job?
Once you get the offer, you need to highlight, in advance
of your start date, any specific technology or accommodation that you require. In the past, we have organised a
‘walkthrough’ with the potential employee and Facilities
Management to assess if any accommodations/changes
need to be made. If this is not offered, it may be helpful to
suggest it. Try to be constructive and suggest practical
solutions to any issues that arise.
Finally, how should the employee handle it if they
experience difficulties at any stage in their employment?
People should not be afraid to admit if they are having difficulties whether this is due to physical access issues, problems with other staff or health issues. Inform your line manager and if he or she doesn’t support you, escalate the
problem by talking to HR or a more senior manager.
Remember, everyone can have problems and it’s important
not to let them build up. At the end of the day, most large
organisations like ourselves are willing to support staff and
show flexibility if required.
IL& P recently received an O2 Ability Award Certificate for
the following areas of best practice for the employment of
people with disabilities: Leadership; Customer Service;
Recruitment & Selection; Learning, Development &
Progression; Retention & Wellbeing.
The company was short listed in two categories
Leadership and Learning, Development & Progression, and
won the overall award for the Learning, Development &
Progression category. Finally, IL&P was also short listed for
the Overall Category Award for Private Sector Companies.
Get your CV right
Structure it clearly as follows:
Personal details: Sounds obvious but don’t forget
essential personal details like full name, correspondence address, email address, mobile and home
telephone numbers.
Education and qualifications: Start with the most
recent, name the qualification, the grade, the institution/college.
Employment history: Again, starting with most
recent and working backwards. Include dates, company locations, job title. Briefly list key duties and any
achievements. Focus on relevant experience.
Key skills: Identify your technical skills such as PC
applications. Highlight any other skills like presentation skills or health and safety.
Achievements: Interests, hobbies, successes not
already mentioned. Keep this brief!
Additional information (optional): Other information
that might add value, like why you are suitable or, if
speculative, the type of role you are looking for.
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careers
job
SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT
EXPLAINED…
SHADOWING
Sarah Togher, Development Officer with
IASE, explains how the national Job
Shadow Initiative could help people with
disabilities link up with local employers
R
ecently, IASE (Irish Association of Supported Employment) launched a Job
Shadow Initiative, a national
project designed to bring together
people with disabilities and local employers in a spirit of collaboration to
explore the world of work. The initiative gives people with disabilities an
opportunity to ‘shadow’ a workplace
mentor (a company employee) as he
or she goes through a normal working
day.
It is hoped that through exposure to
a work setting, job seekers with disabilities will learn more about job requirements and employer
expectations, thereby gaining an
awareness of the skills and education
required to compete, develop and
succeed in the workplace. In turn,
employers will gain an increased
appreciation of the talent represented
by job seekers with disabilities and a
better understanding of how workers
with disabilities can help them meet
Pictured at the launch
of IASE National Job
Shadow Initiative with
An Taoiseach Bertie
Ahern TD, Brenda Tallon
(Midlands Branch),
Greg Barry (IASE Western Branch), Sarah
Togher (Development
Officer), Tony Reilly
(Midlands Branch),
Dermot Cunningham
(IASE Chairperson).
20
their staffing needs.
The ultimate goal of the Job
Shadow Initiative is to encourage the
employment of people with disabilities,
while raising awareness of Supported
Employment. This is the first time an initiative on this scale has been undertaken
to promote mainstream employment of
people with disabilities in Ireland.
The initiative will take place in April
2008. If you would like further information about getting involved, please get in
touch with me as soon as possible.
Contact:
Sarah Togher, Development Officer,
IASE. Tel: 086 817 3631 / 097 82894
Email: iase@iol.ie Web: www.iase.ie
About IASE:
IASE (Irish Association of Supported
Employment) is a national voluntary
organisation established in 1994 to
promote best practice in Supported
Employment for People with Disabilities
in Ireland.
What is Supported Employment?
Supported Employment is designed
to enable people with disabilities to
be employed in the open labour market. Supported Employment provides
support to job seekers with disabilities and their employers and coworkers. People with a wide range of
disabilities have become successfully
employed using the Supported Employment Model.
The stages of Supported
Employment
Choosing the type of job
A Job Coach/Employment
Facilitator supports the individual in
making informed and realistic
choices about the kind of work they
would like to do.
Finding a suitable job
The Job Coach supports the
individual in identifying and applying
for suitable jobs.
Keeping the job
The Job Coach supports the
new employee in becoming and
remaining a competent worker.
Relevant support and advice is
available to the employee with a
disability, employer and co-workers.
The amount of support should decrease over time as the employee
adapts to the job and the workplace.
1
2
3
What are the benefits for the
employee with a disability?
• Opportunity to earn a wage.
• Chance to socialise/meet people.
• Additional learning in the workplace.
• Increase in self-confidence.
• Integration in the community.
• Increased independence through
participating economically in society.
How do I get involved?
Many organisations, including IWA,
are involved in Supported Employment initiatives at a local level. If you
contact IASE, they will link you up
with local contacts.
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Youth
college
LIFE
When it comes to college disability
services, the old saying ‘if you don’t ask,
you won’t get’ applies, says Kiara Lynch
A
s the country grows, so do the opportunities for
students with disabilities to go onto third level
education. Colleges are getting huge grants to
assist students with disabilities, so make sure
you know what support services are out there. Here are a
few tips for a successful college life…
1
INTRODUCE YOURSELF
Tina Lowe works with AHEAD, the Association for
Higher Education Access and Disability, an independent
non-profit organisation working to promote full access to
and participation in third level education for students with
disabilities in Ireland. Her advice is: “Get in touch with your
disability officer as soon as possible, it’s crucial. I’d recommend making contact with your prospective college even
before you get a place, just to get general information.
Once it’s all official, arrange a meeting with your disability
officer. He or she will be able to help you with tasks like familiarising yourself with the college grounds, getting books
ordered into the library in Braille, sourcing assistive technology or finding accessible on campus accommodation. Remember that things take time, so the sooner you make
contact the better for you.”
Gary Craig, Assistive Technology Officer with DCU, is
himself a former student of the university and user of dis-
ability services. Having experienced services from both
sides, he believes, “there is a huge onus on the student to
ask for the help: it’s all here, but if we don’t know the student’s needs, we can’t help.”
2
KEEP YOURSELF IN THE LIMELIGHT
Be sure to touch base with your officer on a weekly
basis if possible. According to Tina: “After initial assessment, the disability office will then put in place a plan of action for each student, such as offering assistive technology,
learning support tutors, sign language, speed text operators and personal readers and maybe personal assistants if
required. We advise students to be vocal, assertive and
communicative.”
Moving from secondary school to college is a huge transition for anyone. There may be no parents around to
pester you about assignment due dates, but, none the
less, you’re still expected to do them! The same applies
with your disability officer; while they are there to offer support, they won’t shadow you! It is your responsibility to tell
your officer what you need.
3
FIND OUT ABOUT GRANTS
The ESF Fund for Students with Disabilities is available to undergraduates and postgraduates with disabilities
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Youth
ing on which college you’re attending, the time between
your assessment and actual receipt of assistive equipment
differs greatly. The larger universities tend to have better
funding so they can usually sort you out with existing
equipment straight away. Smaller colleges may not have
the equipment in stock and may have to wait for their ESF
funding application to go through. Sometimes this can be
as late as December, so again, the sooner you are assessed the better!
5
FOLLOW UP
DCU’s Gary Craig has another key piece of advice
for prospective students: “Follow up on everything yourself
– don’t depend solely on your access officer. When I went
“There’s no point coming to us after
exams complaining you weren’t
accommodated.”
and is applied for through the Disability/Access Office. According to Ann Heelan, Executive Director of AHEAD: “Colleges can acquire funding from €3,000 up to €15,000,
depending on the student’s needs.” Funding is designed to
cover many of the educational support requirements for
students with disabilities. This can include reading support
for visually impaired students, note-taking in lectures for
students who are deaf or hard of hearing or for those who
have difficulties with writing. It can also include assistance
in workshops and laboratories for students who have difficulties participating in practical sessions/tutorials. It’s important to make the most of the support available, as it
really can make a difference to a student’s performance.
There are a number of other funding schemes available, so
remember to ask your officer for a full list.
4
USE TECHNOLOGY TO MAKE YOUR
LIFE EASIER
Technology is constantly developing, making college work
much more accessible for people with disabilities. Assistive
Technology can be simple, low cost supports. For example, a PC with spell check is all some people need. Then
there are more specialised, expensive aids such as laptops
with speech recognition software, web reading software or
document reading software. After your initial assessment,
your officer will get to work on your requirements. Depend-
to college, I knew I needed accessible on campus accommodation so I sought out the accommodation officer myself, and followed up regularly.”
Martha Brandes of UCD Disability Support Service says
one of the biggest issues they’re coming up against is students not coming to them or following up regarding appropriate support arrangements for exams. “There’s no point
coming to us after exams complaining you weren’t accommodated. Come to us before and we’ll do an assessment
of your exam needs and make sure they are accommodated – that’s what we’re here for.”
6
GET INVOLVED
Lecturers and professors can be a big help in helping you get the most from lectures. If you ask, they are
usually happy to show their slides in larger text size, for example. And, if you’re out sick, it’s a good idea to meet up
with your lecturer on your return, as they can help you
catch up on the work you missed.
It’s not just work; it’s important to make friends and get
involved with social activities and student bodies. Making
friends is a huge part of college life, new people, and experiences. We all miss the odd lecture and depend on ‘borrowing’ a classmates notes to photocopy them!
Always remember that to get things changed people first
need to be made aware of the problem, and like it or not,
you’re the one in the best position to tell them!
USEFUL CONTACTS
www.ahead.ie is an excellent website providing answers to many commonly asked questions, giving contact details of people to contact to help you choose a
college, and an abundance of other helpful information.
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city
LIGHTS
Thinking of a short city break but want to know what to expect
from an access point of view? Our reviewers give you some ideas
BARCELONA,
SPAIN
CITY: Barcelona, Spain
TIME OF YEAR VISITED:
February
REVIEWED BY: Wheelchair user
Liam Lynch
CITY FACTS: Barcelona, the second largest city in Spain, is located on
the Mediterranean coast. This city
offers amazing architecture, with a
whole new culture to experience. The
Olympic village is inspiring and the
night life is buzzing!
GETTING THERE: We flew with
Iberian Airlines to Barcelona via
Madrid. Made it there with bags and
wheelchair!!
ACCOMMODATION: Booked an
accessible room in a budget hotel
12km outside city centre. I found the
hotel on a general list on
ebookers.com and then rang to ask
about access. I specifically asked
about grab rails and shower, and they
assured me it was all ok. But when I
got there the grab rails were badly positioned, and there was a bath not a
shower, hence I won’t be naming the
hotel! We got a taxi to our hotel from
the airport.
CLIMATE: While it wasn’t shorts
and t-shirt weather in February, it was
pleasantly warm in the daytime, with
26
colder evenings. Barcelona has a
Mediterranean climate, with mild, dry
winters and warm, humid summers.
July and August are the hottest
months, averaging temperatures of
25 °C.
PRICE RANGE: We booked our
flights for €246 return each. Accommodation prices vary greatly. We were
paying €20 a night including a continental breakfast, however, hotel prices
closer to the city were up to €250 a
night.
WHAT TO DO: Barcelona is packed
full of beautiful places to see and
things to do – Las Ramblas, Sagrada
Familla, Museu Nacional d’Art de
Catalunya, Cross-Harbour Cable Car
and, of course, Camp Nou, the home
ground of FC Barcelona and Thierry
Henry’s new home! Nice restaurants
aren’t hard to find and, if anything,
you’ll be spoilt for choice.
ACCESSIBILITY:
Pros: The transport system is good in
terms of taxis, buses and selected
Metro stops. Footpaths are well
dished. People have a helpful attitude
towards people with disabilities. The
tourist attractions are good, but expect a few issues.
Cons: Stay within 5km of the city centre for good dishing on footpaths.
Shops tend to have a small step at the
entrance, but most shop owners will assist you. Accommodation can be hit
and miss, so make sure you ask about
the shower, the positioning of grab rails
around the toilet, etc.
COMMENTS/TIPS: • Do your homework before you go. I did most of it on
the net at www.ebookers.com and
www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com
I also bought the Rough Guide To
Barcelona which I found great. From
these sources, I made up a list of bars,
nightlife and other places to go with full
disabled access. There was also a list of
disabled Metro stops on www.accessiblebarcelona.com and www.barcelonatourist-guide.com/transport/barcelonametro. I planned my sightseeing around
these stops.
• www.accessiblebarcelona.com is a
website run by Craig Grimes, an English
wheelchair user. He set up this site
which allows you to hire support equipment such as hoists or shower chairs.
There is also a list of accessible hotels
which Craig can book for you. He also
gives listings of accessible social venues and transport.
• Learn Spanish for ‘yes/no’,
‘please/thank you’, ‘excuse me’ and,
very importantly, ‘beer’!
VERDICT: An exciting city. The
view from inside of Camp Nou is
awesome! Well worth a visit on a match
day.
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Travel
BUDAPEST,
HUNGARY
CITY/COUNTRY: Budapest,
Hungary
TIME OF YEAR VISITED: Late
May
Tracey Lee
CITY FACTS: Budapest is the
capital city of Hungary. Although it’s
a single city, it is split by the River
Danube. The west is Buda and the
east is Pest.
GETTING THERE: Flew with Aer
Lingus to Ferihegy Airport.
ACCOMMODATION: We had
booked an accessible apartment
through www.alfaapartments.com.
Our apartment was clean, but the
bathroom facilities were cramped.
We got a taxi from the airport to our
apartment.
CLIMATE: It was very warm and
sunny. Many nights, we stayed out
late, eating al fresco! Hungary has a
temperate continental climate, which
PARIS,
FRANCE
CITY/COUNTRY: Paris, France
TIME OF YEAR VISITED: Late
November
Kiara Lynch
CITY FACTS: Paris is situated on
the River Seine in northern France.
The city is home to some of the most
impressive architecture and art Europe
has to offer.
GETTING THERE: Flew with Aer
Lingus to Charles de Gaulle Airport.
basically means it’s hot from April
until September, nippy in
autumn and freezing in winter!
PRICE RANGE: Including flights
and accommodation it cost about
€500 each.
WHAT TO DO: We visited Margaret Island, which gives spectacular views of the River Danube. I
tried the thermal baths which I
loved. There are lots of nice chilled
out restaurants. We took a boat trip
on the Danube which was gorgeous
– the weather and views made it.
ACCESSIBILITY:
Pros: Generally, there was a helpful
attitude towards people with
disabilities. People were more than
willing to help if you let them. The
city is really up and coming and,
access-wise, it’s clearly getting
better. The buses and trams ran
regularly and were all accessible.
Cons: Accessible toilets were non
existent. Even where there were
accessible toilets, they were way too
small. I had to stay close to
McDonalds!
ACCOMMODATION: Found a
hostel, Foyer International d’Accueil
de Paris Jean Monnet, in the Lonely
Planet Guide and booked an accessible room over the phone. We got a
train into the city and walked to our
hostel. The hostel was great, clean,
well kept. Access wise, it was excellent, with a proper shower seat and
well positioned grab rails.
CLIMATE: It was quite cold when we
were there – typical late autumn, with
very cold nights and cold, clear days.
Spring and summer are usually warm.
PRICE RANGE: We booked our
flights well in advance for €180 return.
We paid €25 a night in the hostel,
however, hotel prices closer to the city
were about €150 a night.
WHAT TO DO: Paris offers a wide
range of things to do: Arc de Triomphe, The Eiffel Tower, The Louvre,
Cathedral of Notre Dame on the Île de
la Cité and Disneyland Resort, Paris.
There are nice restaurants everywhere!
COMMENTS/TIPS: • Great
selection of restaurants to choose
from, very cheap to eat out.
• With temperatures up to 35-37
degrees in summer, make sure you
bring the sun cream!
• I’d recommend doing some
research on the internet before you
go. www.talkingcities.co.uk/budapest_pages/sights_baths has
specific information on the thermal
baths. www.budapestinfo.hu/en has
lots of tourist information.
VERDICT: A different city…
picturesque, fun. I’d go back for the
thermal baths alone – so relaxing!
ACCESSIBILITY:
Pros: Paris is a magical city. There
was a helpful attitude towards people
with disabilities. I thought the bus system was fantastic in terms of accessibility. The tourist attractions were top
notch access wise.
Cons: While the tourist areas are completely accessible, getting to them can
be tough going. The Metro is all underground and you can’t depend on
stops being accessible. While most
restaurants offer access, few offer
wheelchair accessible toilets.
COMMENTS/TIPS: • If you like
wine, go for dinner every night. It
seems all waiters have huge
knowledge regarding wines and are
more than happy to share it.
• It’s easy to spot the tourists in Paris,
so keep your bag/wallet on you at all
times.
VERDICT: An exciting city. The view
from the Eiffel Tower is well worth the
visit!
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the Dublin Airport
EXPERIENCE
How can you make sure everything goes smoothly
at Dublin Airport? Kiara Lynch gets advice from
Peter Carey of Fernley Airport Services and Liz
Moore of Dublin Airport Authority
A
lot of the irritating problems related to air travel
arise from not knowing who is responsible and
therefore who to contact. It could be the airline,
the airport authority or the agency responsible
for airports services. There’s no doubt, it’s very confusing
for the consumer. I tried to get a bit of clarification by
speaking with Peter Carey, Operations Manager Ireland, of
Fernley Airport Services (the guys at Dublin Airport who actually give assistance to people with disabilities) and Liz
Moore, Customer Services and Quality Manager, DAA.
BOOKING
Currently the provision of assistance is a matter entirely between the passenger and the airline, although this is set to
change next year. When you’re booking, it’s up to you to
tell the airline what you need, for example: help through
departures or specific assistance being lifted onto the
plane. The airline will then inform Fernley Airport Services of
your requirements.
It’s advisable to ring your airline a few days before departure to double check everything. You may feel that this
shouldn’t be necessary but at the end of the day, it’s better
28
than being left on the tarmac as your plane jets off!
Peter from Fernley says, “The airlines tell us what their
passengers need from us. No matter how specific, if we
know in advance, we can put plans in place. While your
airline should inform us of your needs, if you’re coming
with very specific requirements, feel free to also ring us
directly a few days before you travel to confirm detailed
arrangements. ”
PARKING AND CHECK-IN
Fernley have recently introduced a service designed to
support people with disabilities from the car park through
to boarding. According to Peter, “One of our staff will
meet you in the car park of Dublin Airport, bring you
through check-in and departures, and finally assist you in
boarding the plane.” To avail of this service you need to
inform your airline who in turn will fill in a form with your
details such as estimated time of arrival, and where you’ll
be parked. They give the form to Fernley. This service
operates anywhere in the airport with the exception of
the long term car park.
There are over 50 dedicated parking spaces for
wheelchair users located in the multi-storey car park at
Dublin Airport. Six are in Block A and the rest on the
lower ground floor of Block B. All spaces are marked in
blue and meet the required specification for wheelchair
passengers. Customers with disabilities should press
the Information button at the entrance barrier. They will
then be put through to a person in the control centre
who will organise a reduced rate ticket and access to a
wheelchair car
parking space. Passengers are charged the long-term
car parking rate of €8.50 per day when parking for more
than 3 hours. You pay at the automated ticket machine
on departure.
While Fernley is the main provider of assistance
services, Liz Moore adds: “Customers should not hesitate to ask our customer service agents, who are available throughout the airport in pink t-shirts, to assist in
anyway possible.”
26/07/2007
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travel
LUGGAGE/TRANSPORTING EQUIPMENT
The onus is again on you to tell your airline if you have
particular equipment to transport such as a power chair.
Each airline has requirements your power chair must comply with, for example you may need to have a dry battery
cell in your power chair as opposed to a liquid battery
which many power chairs have. Most airlines will ask you
to transfer to a manual chair at check in, and you can retrieve your power chair at baggage claim in your
destination airport.
DEPARTURES AND BOARDING
If you have medication you will need during the flight, it can
take a while to get it through security. Liz recommends
showing security a letter from your GP stating that you
need said medication for health reasons during the flight –
“This should help avoid unnecessary hassle.” Whether you
board first or last depends on your airline’s policy. Either
way, I recommend you bring a good book!
THE DESTINATION AIRPORT/RETURN JOURNEY
Of course, you will also need support when you get to the
other end of your journey. This assistance should be
organised by your airline with the destination airport. The only
thing you can do is remind airline staff at check-in and on
board.
So, at the end of the day, it’s up to you to make sure things
are sorted. Human nature being what it is, the best way of
avoiding a stressful start to your holiday is to double check
absolutely everything. Unfortunately, the number of different
people involved makes this very hard. Hopefully, this situation
will improve in July next year when new legislation will see
every airport authority within the EU take on full responsibility
for passengers with disabilities. This should make it clearer
where responsibility lies, who to contact and also facilitate the
flow of information between different airport authorities.
USEFUL CONTACTS:
Fernley Airport Services: 086 318 4380,
087 051 6752, 01 814 5505, 01 814 4938
Dublin Airport Customer Services: 01 814 4717
Dublin Airport Authority: 01 814 1111
Aer Lingus Medical Line: 081 836 5011
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bathroom
ESSENTIALS
A well-designed, usable bathroom is essential
if you want to live independently says
Dara Woods from Assist Ireland
B
eing able to use and get around your
bathroom is key to being able to live
independently. If you, or someone in
your household, is finding the existing
bathroom difficult to use, it may be worth considering certain modifications. Bear in mind
that when you are planning changes, both the
individual’s current and future requirements
should be evaluated.
SHOWERING
Many people choose to shower because getting in and out of the bath has become too
difficult. If you are relying on a standard
shower tray, it should be as shallow as possible so it’s easier to get in and out without having to lift your legs too high. The tray should
have a textured surface to help prevent slipping. If you use a shower seat, make sure
your shower tray is made of reinforced material to protect it from being punctured by the
legs of the seat.
Level access shower trays that have little or no edge are
available so you can bring a wheeled shower chair into the
shower or gain access to the shower using a wheelchair
and then transfer onto a shower seat. Alternatively, a
ramped access tray can be used. This shower tray has a
ramp on one or two sides which makes wheeled access
possible.
Another option is the now fashionable idea of a ‘wet
room’. As an alternative to a shower tray, this involves installing slip resistant flooring with a gradient that gently
slopes towards the drain. The success of this job relies on
a good builder as incorrect installation can result in water
spreading or pooling over the bathroom floor. Bear in mind
that, if the individual needs assistance when showering,
the carer will get wet if there is no protection against the
water! Waist high, wall-fixed or portable shower screens
are available to prevent this.
Shower seats can be permanently installed in the
30
shower unit if the user will be using the shower frequently.
Alternatively a portable seat can be used which can be removed when it is not needed. The seat should have rubber
stoppers at the ends of the legs to prevent the shower tray
from being punctured. Wall-mounted seats are available
and these seats can be fixed in position or can fold out of
the way when not needed. Shower chairs with a wheeled
frame are also available. These allow you to move from the
shower area with ease.
Shower trolleys allow a person to lie in a semi-reclined
position while showering. They can be useful if a person
needs head support or full body support. A shower trolley
can be attached to the wall or fixed to a wheeled frame.
They can be height-adjustable to help with transfers and to
allow carers to help with washing.
Grab rails placed in key positions in the shower help ensure the user has something to grip onto when getting in
or out of the shower. They can also help the user to sit
down or get up from a shower seat and can be reassuring
for users who are unsteady on their feet. Grab rails with a
textured surface and contoured finger grips are most suitable for the shower.
BATHING
While showers are convenient, for many, a bath is still the
favourite and most familiar way of washing. Getting in and
out of the bath can
be challenging,
though there are
ways in which
these difficulties
Cosby Bath Board and
Bath Seat
can be overcome.
These solutions
range from a bath
seat, to a specially adapted
bath with a side
door for access.
Grab rails positioned near the
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Page 31
The Swift Wheeled
Shower Chair
bath offer support when getting
in and out of the bath. Some
rails can be attached to the
bath itself, on the sides or
around the taps. One way of
deciding where grab rails should
be fitted is to break down the
task of getting into and out of
the bath into small steps to see
where rails might be of help.
A bath board fits across the
top of the bath so you can sit on
it and then lift your legs over the side into the bath. The
user can sit on the board and wash using a hand-held
shower, or can move from the bath board down onto a
bath seat in the water. Users need fairly strong arms to
move themselves up and down between a bath board
and bath seat.
A bath lift fits inside the bath and lifts you from the bottom of the bath up to the rim. Most bath lifts have a seat
and backrest unit made of solid plastic or mesh fabric.
Some bath lifts
have a reclining
mechanism to give
a more relaxing
bath. Lifts can be
removed for relocation or to allow
other family members to use the
bath. Care is
needed when
using this equipment as there is
always a danger
where water is
concerned, particularly if a perl
Rai
b
son has difficulty
Gra
ay
Aw
Fold
with balance.
THE TOILET
The height of the toilet is important to consider. For people
who have difficulty sitting and standing, the toilet often
needs to be higher. For wheelchair users, the toilet needs
to be the same height as the wheelchair for transfers.
A raised toilet seat can be attached to the toilet bowl
and can be useful if you have restricted movement as less
bending is required at the hips and knees. Raised toilet
seats are available in different heights.
If you need to move from your wheelchair to the toilet,
living
considerable space will be needed
around the toilet and grab rails
may be helpful. The space and positioning of rails is dependent on
the way the user moves. Rails can
be fitted to the wall next to the toilet and/or to the wall behind.
Hinged, fold down rails can be
fixed to the back wall so that they
can fold up out of the way when
moving sideways from the toilet.
Rails can be mounted from the floor if the walls are
not strong enough to support them.
A back support can be fitted to the toilet cistern or to
the wall behind the toilet to provide support for the user.
For those who require more support, there is a wide
range of toilet chairs that can be wheeled or fixed over
the toilet to provide extra support. Toilet chairs are available with additional supports such as footplates, head
rest and trunk supports.
For those who require a high level of support, a tilt-inspace toilet chair can be helpful. This type of chair can
be used in combination with a hoist and sling if the user
needs to be lifted in and out of the chair. The chair can
then be tilted forward when using the toilet.
THE WASHBASIN
If you use a wheelchair, the washbasin should be fitted
at a height that you can reach comfortably from the
wheelchair. There should also be access under the sink
for the wheelchair. Alternatively, height-adjustable washbasins can be installed. The height can
Prima Raised
be adjusted by turning
Toilet Seat
a handle or pressing a
switch.
Lever taps are
available in different
lengths; the longer
the lever, the less effort involved in turning it. There are also
taps which operate
by sensor – you just
have to place your
hands under them
to turn the water on.
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handling someone
SAFELY
In the first of a series of ‘cut out and keep’ factsheets for carers, we offer
advice on how to move someone safely. All factsheets are based on the
newly published Helping You to Care Handbook from the Irish Red Cross
– a great book for any carer!
GETTING SPECIALIST HELP
If necessary to move your relative
regularly, you must get specialist
help. If you care for your relative on
your own, it is especially important
that you seek advice, as the risk of
causing injury to yourself (particularly back strain), or to your relative, is increased.
TALKING TO A
PROFESSIONAL
The GP or Public Health Nurse can
arrange for a specialist, such as a
physiotherapist or an occupational
therapist, to access your situation
and show you the correct procedures for moving and handling your relative.
USING
EQUIPMENT
If your relative
needs a high
level of
assistance – if
he has to
be helped into a
bed or a bath regularly, for example –
you should be shown
how to use specialist equipment, such as a hoist. You should
also be shown how to maintain it.
34
PREPARING TO MOVE SOMEONE
If part of your relative’s daily care involves moving him, always make sure
that you are fully prepared for the task. It is recommended in order to provide safe care for you and your relative that you take a course in safe lifting.
The move Is there anyone who can help you to move your relative?
You Have you been shown how to carry out the move? Are you
wearing anything unsuitable – such as high-heeled shoes – which may be
dangerous?
Your relative Is your relative mobile enough to help with part of the procedure; is he able to move himself to the edge of a chair,
for example?
Safety Have you got enough space to carry out the
procedure safely? Are you attempting any procedures that have not been fully explained to you?
HANDLING SOMEONE SAFELY
If you attempt to move someone incorrectly, you
may injure yourself – particularly your back – or
aggravate the person’s condition. These risks
can be avoided if you follow the correct procedures for moving and handling a person. The
techniques that are most appropriate for you
and your relative should be demonstrated to you
by a healthcare professional.
Do not move a person if you have a
back injury;
Do reassure the person and tell
them what you plan to do;
Do straighten your back when moving the person, and bend your knees,
where necessary;
Do wear supporting shoes with low heels;
Only use equipment or moving and handling aids
if their use has been fully demonstrated to you;
Only move if absolutely necessary.
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carer’s factsheet
WHEELCHAIRS
There are several different models of wheelchair
available; the type recommended will depend
on your relative’s disability. Your local health
professional will advise you.
When moving a wheelchair up or down
a step or kerb, take your time so that the
manoeuvre is safe. When tilting the
chair, use the tipping lever.
GOING DOWN A STEP
OR KERB
Gently push
chair forwards
down kerb
Tell him to
hold arms
of chair
Keep chair
titled until
back wheels
are on ground
Face the step when approaching it.
Tilt the wheelchair back by pushing
down on the tipping lever with your foot.
1
With the chair
tilted, push the
back wheel to the edge
of the kerb.
2
WHEELCHAIR SAFETY
To ensure your own safety and
the safety of your relative, follow
these guidelines:
Never attempt to lift the chair
alone with someone in it;
If the chair has a seat belt,
make sure it is securely fastened when the chair is in use;
Do not push a wheelchair forwards down a step or kerb if
the person in the chair is at all
heavy;
Check brakes and tyre
pressures regularly;
Make sure that the user is
dressed safely and comfortably.
Push the chair down the kerb
until the back wheels are on the
ground. Then, lower the front wheels gently
on to the ground.
3
GOING UP A STEP OR KERB
FOR A HEAVIER PERSON
There is a danger that a heavy occupant may fall
out of the wheelchair if it is facing
Look out
forwards when you push it
for traffic
down. You should, therefore,
reverse the position and lower
the chair backwards. For
this manoeuvre, do not
use the tipping lever to tilt
the chair.
Face the step when approaching it. Hold the
handles securely. Place your foot on the tipping
lever to tilt the chair backwards.
1
With the wheelchair balanced on its rear wheels,
push it forwards until the wheels are resting on
the pavement or on the upper level of the next step.
2
Use your body weight to push the wheelchair
forwards and up the step until the back wheels
are on the same level as the front. Never attempt to lift
the wheelchair.
3
The Helping You to Care Handbook is a
practical, fully illustrated guide for those
looking after someone who is ill, elderly
or has a disability. The book includes
comprehensive advice on all aspects of
caring. Its easy-to-read format allows
you to dip in quickly for basic advice
on the best approach to dealing with
almost any problem.
The Handbook costs €14.99
14.99 and is available from the Irish Red
Cross (postage free) at Lo call 1850 650 651 Monday – Friday
9am – 5pm, Eason’s and bookshops nationwide.
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‘The Stolen Child’ Garden
designed by Mary Reynolds
sensory
GARDENS
Whether you are interested in visiting an innovative garden
project, or seeking inspiration for creating or enhancing an
accessible garden at home, the Delta Centre in Carlow is
worth a visit says Emma Philbin Bowman
T
he Delta Centre is now home to one of the most innovative and ambitious garden projects in the country: the Sensory Gardens, fifteen themed and
interlinked gardens on a two and a half acre site;
fully accessible and, since May 11th of this year, officially
open to the public.
The first of their kind in Ireland, the gardens at Delta
combine the attraction of a tourist facility with a therapeutic
focus for the service users at Delta; but the real aim, is to
create a flexible, changing environment that will stimulate
and benefit all those who visit and work in them.
SO WHAT IS A SENSORY GARDEN?
Essentially, sensory gardens are gardens specially de-
36
signed to appeal to the five senses: touch, sight, sound,
smell and taste. Such a sensual approach has been proven
to have many benefits: including relaxation, improved attention, sharing, reduced frustration, reduced damage to
the environment and an improvement in interpersonal
relationships. Sensory gardens are designed to seduce us
at many different levels, making a visit a very engaging
experience.
At the Delta Gardens, the combination of the sensory approach with the vision of some of Ireland’s finest garden
designers has created an experience that, says Patsy
Nealon of Delta, certainly has a ‘wow’ factor for visitors.
Designer Gordon Ledbetter came on board in the early
stages and made a huge contribution to overall design, as
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living
gives a melodic background for the visitor.
Elma’s is just one garden among many, and there is a
rich variety of approaches, planting, and imagination on
offer at Delta. As a whole, the project is designed to invite
discovery, combining formal and informal landscapes that
allow visitors to meander round at will, watch splashing
fountains and waterfalls, enjoy herbs and perfumed plants,
many in raised beds, watch fish, reflect on sculptures, or
simply sit around and enjoy the flowers and foliage.
Jimi Blake of Huntingbrook also created a garden for
Delta. Well-known for his love of prairie style planting, Jimi
created what he calls a ‘contemporary meadow,’ using au-
“Sensory gardens are designed to
seduce us at many different levels,
making a visit a very engaging
experience“
‘The Circle of Life’ by
designer Elma Fenton
well as contributing a number of garden designs. Other
gardens have been designed by Chelsea Gold Medal winner, Mary Reynolds, Rachel Doyle from the Arboretum Garden Centre in Carlow, Jimi Blake from Huntingbrook – a
beautiful garden and training centre outside Blessington,
and Chelsea medal winner Elma Fenton.
I spoke with Elma about her garden: Circle of Life, which
takes a prominent position within the grounds of the Delta
Centre, making it a special space to coincide with the
building, which is also designed with a lot of creativity and
flair. Foremost, she sees the role of the garden as a gathering and social space. “In terms of
how I approached the garden, I
wanted the palette to be very simple.
For me the emphasis was about people gathering, and having an exterior
space that they can use. So the garden has a lot of seating.’ As a landscape architect, Fenton tends to be
very aware of how people actually inhabit gardens: ‘I think about their interaction with it and how people sense a
garden as a place they can use and a
facility for them. And then I try to focus
on the elements that help you to
spend time in that space to help people engage with it.”
The garden is not all about meeting
– it’s also a place of rest and play, with
an eye-catching water ball sculpture
‘Sculpture Garden’
that provides wondrous sounds and
relia’s from China, which are dotted through the garden
with a meadow underneath. It’s very thickly planted, with a
big selection of bulbs, grasses, and herbaceous perennials,
but that doesn’t make the garden dense, because so
much of the planting is of light ‘see-through’ plants that
don’t block up the space.
Jimi’s garden is clearly inspired by the sensory approach
at Delta. “I was down there last week,” he says, “and the
pheasant eye daffodil was in bloom, and the whole garden
was just covered in that incredible scent.” Creating a garden that appeals to the senses does not only attract humans: “I wanted to attract birds and butterflies too, and
the garden is really great for birds. Right through the winter
they’ll be able to feed off the seed heads and won’t need
to be fed.” Sound was another aspect that was important:
“the whole thing is enclosed in a wall of bamboo, which
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living
rustles, and the grasses add a more
These gardens will benefit not just
delicate sound too.”
the residents at Delta, but the whole
Visitors will discover for themselves
community beyond the gates as a first
what they like and don’t like, and of
class tourist facility in Carlow. It is
course, the gardens are continually in
easy to see how a visitor to Delta
flux along with the seasons, but some
might be overwhelmed by the creativgardens will have definite year-round
ity and ambition of this project. In part,
appeal. For children – and playful
because of its humble location: not
adults – the Interactive Games Garden
only is the project far from a major city,
will be a big attraction: A paved area
it’s also located on an industrial estate,
‘The Patio Garden’ with
copper water feature
has been laid out in chequered form
which makes these gardens even
and can be used as a giant draughts
more surprising. But once you’re
or chessboard. There are also giant tables of Carlow limewithin the Delta grounds, swears Jimi Blake, you forget the
stone for playing Noughts and Crosses – and, for slightly
location: the atmosphere within Delta, created by the garmore active types, a lawn area for playing boules and crodens, the building, and most of all, the residents – has an
quet.
allure of its own.
The whole approach at Delta is to honour creativity. The
Sculpture Garden plans to rotate sculpture on a regular
Delta Sensory Gardens, Strawhall, Carlow Town
basis, encouraging people in the community to get inTel: 59 914 3527, Email: info @deltacentre.org
volved. Meanwhile, The Water & Woodland Garden conWeb: www.deltacentre.org
sists of a large lily and fishpond fed by Carlow’s first
waterfall, which is completely accessible. In The Stolen
Garden opening times: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday – Friday.
Child Garden, Mary Reynolds took her inspiration from
Weekends 12 – 5 p.m. Groups by arrangement.
Yeats’ poem ‘Stolen Child’ to create a very atmospheric,
Admission €5 per adult.
particularly Irish garden: “There has never been a history of
Facilities: Car park, toilets, wheelchair accessible,
aesthetic gardening in the Irish tradition. The vision of the
restaurant.
romantic, wild Irish landscape is intrinsic to the image proDirections: Strawhall Industrial Estate is located off
jected by Ireland to the world. We all have a romantic noCannery Road on the outskirts of Carlow Town close to the
tion of the Irish landscape being a place of magic and
Athy Road junction.
faeries. The land to us, is so much more than a pretty garABOUT THE DELTA CENTRE:
den. It is full of mythology, history, pain, poetry, longing,
loss and passion. This is a garden that draws on this range Since its humble beginnings in 1989, The Delta Centre in
of emotions and reflects this wild landscape and its myster- Carlow has grown steadily. Delta is an innovative
organisation committed to providing an individually
ies reminding us that the land is a precious and living refocussed service to adults with learning disabilities and
source.”
their families in Carlow and the surrounding counties.
Mary’s approach may inspire other Irish gardeners to
think along similar lines: “Using wild plants in a structured
and simple way shows us the possibilities of their subtle
beauty and the depth of atmosphere created by a planting
scheme that is living on so many more levels than a herbaceous border. This garden is not a plant-hunters paradise
but an altogether different concept: An Irish Garden.”
Rachel Doyle of Arboretum created ‘The Five Senses
Garden’, using different tactile surfaces on the retaining
walls, charming visitors with the relaxing scent of lavender,
and offering the opportunity to taste vegetables, fruit and
herbs while listening to rustling grasses. This garden really
is a feast for the senses, with the Kugal – one ton of pink
marble floating on a cushion of water – apparently the
biggest water feature of its type in Ireland.
Another really special place is The Musical Garden: contained within the Sensory Theatre, this space houses a
computerised musical fountain, which changes jets and
lights to musical accompaniment. It also contains a studio
‘Courtyard Garden’ with
spectacular Thistle water feature
where visitors will eventually use interactive switches to activate a number of lighting/sensory effects.
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access
GOING FOR A
PINT
Being able to enjoy a
pint in your local without
having to rush home to
use the facilities is a basic
human right, says Ken Caulfield
THE SITUATION
I recently moved to Clontarf. Friday evening came after a
long week. I went to my new local, The Beachcomber on
the Howth Road, for a pint. After a bit of craic, a few
leisurely pints, nature called. As I went looking for the
accessible toilet, the call started to get a bit louder. After no
luck, I asked the manager where the accessible toilet was,
only to be met with, “We don’t have one”. I was forced to
leave the pub, trek home and use the toilet.
THE ISSUE
This is an issue I’ve come up against time and time again.
These premises are happy to take my money for entry,
drinks, food, etc. So why don’t they provide me with the
basic services in return? In my mind, a relaxed pint in your
local is a basic human need! Of course not every pub in
the country can be made accessible but for the ones that
can be, there’s just no excuse.
THE ACTION
It’s easy to be angry when
these situations arise. But
think about it, nothing is
going to be resolved by
shouting at a barman (even
though it might make you feel
better!). Bear in mind that the
solution is often as simple as
just making someone aware a
problem exists. In my opinion,
it’s always better to sort these
issues amicably by writing or
speaking to the management
or proprietor. So I decided to
write to The Beachcomber on
8th June, outlining the problem
THE FINAL SOLUTION!
If diplomatic attempts to improve accessibility fail,
you may decide to play hard ball. While it shouldn’t
come to it, here are some potential legal routes:
We all know that Part M of the Building Regulations provides rather weak access regulations. That
said, if your local has been built or substantially
modified since 1999, it is covered and should have
a basic level of accessibility including an accessible
bathroom. If you’re aware of a breach, lodge a complaint with your local county council’s Building Control Officer.
Under the Equal Status Act, a service provider is
obliged to demonstrate a reasonable level of accommodation to facilitate a customer with a disability. What is considered ‘reasonable’ is very flexible
and depends on various factors like how much it
would cost to accommodate the person and
whether the premises has the resources. In reality,
this means that a pub on O’Connell Street is more
likely to be expected to spend a few thousand euro
improving access than a quiet pub on the back
roads of Belmullet. Last year, Olan McGowan took a
landmark case against Searson’s pub in Dublin for
not having an accessible toilet, proving that not providing an accessible toilet could be judged as discrimination.
Each pub must be granted a licence to sell alcohol. This comes up for renewal every year in the District Court. If you are having problems with your
local, go to this court when the pub’s licence is
coming up. Make yourself known to the judge and
object that the premises won’t accommodate you.
and offering potential solutions. In my letter, I took the
following approach:
1 • Explained the problems.
2 • Suggested a practical solution. In this
particular case, there seemed to be plenty of space
for a purpose-built accessible bathroom. If this
wasn’t feasible, I suggested a back-up option of
simply placing grab rails in two of the existing toilets
– while this wouldn’t be ideal, let’s face it, a cheap
solution is going to be taken on board much quicker
than an expensive complicated one.
3 • Offered to come in and advise on access issues.
THE OUTCOME
On the 28th June, I went in for a pint, and spoke with
the manager. He said he got my letter, and showed me
a storage room which he plans to convert to an accessible toilet. Result! I’ll be dropping in regularly to check on
progress!
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access
café
CULTURE
Dublin’s developing café culture means that you can now eat
and drink at some great venues... Garreth Greene reviews two
of the best
CAFÉ EN SEINE
CAFÉ BAR DELI
39 Dawson Street, Dublin 2. Tel: 01 6774567
www.capitalbars.com
Grafton Street, Dublin 2. Tel: 01 6727720
www.cafebardeli.ie/grafton
The first place I have to offer is a personal favorite but I
don’t feel biased as it’s one of the most accessible and
friendly bars I’ve been to yet. The classy hotspot Café en
Seine on Dawson Street is a mix of restaurant, bar and
club which contributes to its high-level popularity. A
café/restaurant by day and continuing on into the night
with DJs on Friday and Saturday and live jazz on Sundays, the sheer size of the place is amazing… it’s gigantic! Double doors (27” + 27”) lead from an outside
smoking section into a nice area with comfortable chairs
and then on to the main bar (which can be hard to get
through at busy times). With a total of three floors available, wheelchair users will have plenty of space!
The other side of the coin is the extremely large volume of
people on weekend nights, for which they can’t be
blamed – but just take note! Added to that, is the hassle
of accessing the third floor wheelchair toilet via a
key-controlled lift. This is fine most times but with multiple
wheelchair users on a given night, you can see where the
problems might start! I can however quote General Manager John McGovern who is offering “any wheelchair user
a copy of the lift key to use and keep – just ask!” John
has been a very positive influence with his attitude towards wheelchair users even to the point of handing out
free drinks when the lift broke down! To be honest this
made matters slightly worse but it was a refreshing offer!
The entire operation from security to floor and bar staff
is extremely
professional,
classy and
friendly, and I
felt very comfortable and relaxed. Two
giant-sized
thumbs up!
The second offering is Café Bar Deli
on Grafton Street. This Mediterranean
restaurant is located in Bewleys Café
and offers a surprising mix of pizzas,
pasta and salads. They boast of “good
food at a good price” and I’d have to
say I agree! Although the place is very
spacious and airy, it’s quite busy so
you might find it a bit tight in certain
areas. Their ‘same-day-booking’ was
what myself and a friend arranged and
even though I stated there would be two wheelchairs, we
were still seated at the back of the restaurant on the far side
of a block of seats which led to a few tight squeezes with
other customers… clarity from the start is the key! Other
than that I was very happy with the service and attitude of
the staff. Prompt service with no hint of awkwardness.
Accessibility-wise the place has complete wide flat access straight into the waiting area. It boasts two mezzanines only accessible by stairs and third floor seating by lift.
This slightly temperamental lift ‘screeched’ its way down to
the basement floor to the very large wheelchair toilet. I was
a little unnerved about using the lift again but it liked me
better on the way back up and made no protests. Café Bar
Deli is a nice, spacious option compared to the more sizerestricted eateries throughout Dublin City Centre and with
its location on Grafton Street it leaves you nicely placed for
some after-dinner drinks… Definitely worth a visit!
ABOUT SMALLER WORLD
Fed up of spending your weekends in the same old places
but nervous about trying somewhere new? Garreth
Greene’s website www.smallerworld.ie gives people a
chance to share their experiences of going out in Dublin,
with reliable reviews of accessible places to eat, drink and
stay in Dublin.
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food
a taste of
PARADISE
Other restaurants have come and gone but
Eden Restaurant in Dublin’s Temple Bar has stood
the test of time. If you want to know why, try these
recipes from the new Eden Cookbook!
CHICKEN AND CHORIZO STEW
This dish is an easy, cheap way of serving a lot of
people. It can be made in advance and reheated.
Serves 6
100g chorizo sausage, sliced 3mm thick
250ml chicken stock
2 onions, sliced
250ml white wine
12 cloves of garlic with skins on
1 sprig of rosemary
6 chicken legs with thigh and skin on
400g chickpeas, cooked
100g of plain flour
1x400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons stoned kalamata olives
Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5. Heat a large
casserole dish on the stove. Add the chorizo and brown.
Add the onions and garlic. Toss the chicken legs in the
flour and paprika. Shake to remove excess flour. Heat a
frying pan. Add the olive oil and sauté the chicken legs
until golden brown.
Remove to the
casserole. Add the
chicken stock, wine
and rosemary.
Bring to the boil,
cover and place in
oven. Remove after
1 hour and add the
olives, chickpeas
and chopped
tomatoes. Return
to the oven for 30
minutes. Remove,
check seasoning
and serve.
BANANA NUT
BROWNIES
Serves 6
175g butter, cut into cubes
300g light muscovado sugar
175g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
100g chopped walnuts
3 eggs, beaten
2 ripe bananas, mashed
100g self-raising flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Butter and line a
20 cm square tin with silicone paper. Place the butter, sugar
and chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering
water. Stir until melted and remove from the heat. Cool
slightly. Stir in the nuts, eggs and bananas until well mixed,
then sift in the flour, cocoa and baking powder. Mix gently.
Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 50 minutes, until
firm to touch in the centre. Remove from the oven and cool
in the tin. To serve, cut in squares and serve with cream,
chocolate sauce or ice cream.
CHOCOLATE SAUCE
Serves 6
250g chocolate,
minimum 60% cocoa solids
60g caster sugar
350ml water
50ml pouring cream
Grate the chocolate into a saucepan.
Add the sugar and water and bring to
the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer
for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat
and add the cream. Whisk well and
serve.
The Eden Cookbook
by Eleanor Walsh
and Michael Durkin
contains over 150
recipes and is
published by Gill
& Macmillan.
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A mean-looking
Garrett in action!
a sporting life:
GARRETT CULLITON
Garrett Culliton is a leading athlete in many wheelchair sports,
including playing rugby with The Gaelic Warriors. He took time out
from his hectic training schedule to have a chat with Kiara Lynch
How did you get into wheelchair sports?
I’ve been C6/C7 Quadriplegic since I was 21. Fifteen years
ago I started partaking in sports while I was in the NRH in
Dun Laoghaire. I found it a good social outlet. It also helps
health and fitness, and improved my balance in the chair. I
got more involved through IWA after I left Dun Laoghaire.
Is it just wheelchair rugby you’re into?
No, a bit of everything! I play wheelchair basketball and I’m
also very involved in athletics. I’ve tried nearly everything in
athletics but I’m concentrating on Discus at the moment.
How much is a specialised chair for playing rugby?
A specialised chair can cost up to €5,500. Most people
have to pay the price themselves, but some manage to get
sponsorship. Sometimes there is some assistance through
IWA Sports or Sports Council funding. Don’t let this put
you off though – if you’re starting out at IWA’s Wednesday
evening sessions, you can borrow a chair from IWA Sport.
What have you achieved so far?
Various medals, from 1998 Pentathlon Bronze Medalist
at the World Championships, 2001 Shot Putt Silver
Medalist at European Championships, to 2001 Discus
Gold Medalist at European Championships. And, hopefully
a few more to come!
46
What are you aiming for sports-wise at the moment?
Over the next year I’ll be working towards competing in Discus at the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing.
On the rugby side, I’m just back from Finland where the
Irish wheelchair rugby team were competing in the European Championship. Things should be calmer over the next
few months. We’ll be concentrating on developing the sport
and getting more people to play the game. We’d love to see
another team get going in Ireland so The Gaelic Warriors
can start competing at home.
How often do you train and where?
I train nearly every day and sometimes twice a day depending on my program. I train all over the place. Sometimes in
IWA in Clontarf and sometimes in sports centres in
Clonaslee (Laois), Athlone, Wexford and Limerick.
It must be hard to fit a job in around all that, how do
you manage it?
I work part time as a Disability Sports Officer with the Laois
Sports Partnership. It’s ideal as it allows me to get my training done!
LOOK OUT FOR THE IRISH WHEELCHAIR RUGBY
TEAM AT THE RUGBY WORLD CUP IN SEPTEMBER
WHERE THEY’ILL BE PLAYING EXHIBITION GAMES!
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sports
WHEELCHAIR WARFARE
Ouch!’ is your first impression, but, ‘Wow, class!’ is
what you’re thinking when you leave a wheelchair
rugby game
One of the fastest growing disabled wheelchair sports in
the world is wheelchair rugby. It’s a sport developed specifically for quadriplegics which combines elements of American football, basketball and ice hockey. I went down to the
Wednesday night training game in Clontarf to see what it
was all about.
The game is played on a basketball court with an 8
metre goal area each end. A goal is scored when a player
carries the ball over the opponent’s goal line. There are four
players per team. Players are classified according to their
level of ability from 0.5 to 3.5 and the team total on court
cannot exceed 8 points. Because of the 8 point limit per
team, there is a role for all levels of ability.
There’s currently only one wheelchair rugby team in Ireland, The Gaelic Warriors. They’ve been competing in the
British League for the past seven years. This season the
Warriors finished fourth in the League!
The game itself looks quite brutal, but don’t be put off – it
actually requires speed, agility, and strength! And it looks
like great craic! The season reached its climax in Finland in
June when the Irish team competed in the European
Championships. Member of the Irish squad, Garrett Culliton, told me, “We didn’t get great results in some of the
games but overall we are happy with how it went. We’re
definitely moving in the right direction, getting better all the
time. The games we played were all tight but we weren’t
The team in
action
The lads and their
coaches in Finland
hammered by anyone!”
Garreth and his team mates are encouraging everyone to
get involved in the sport. So why not come and give it a
go? All ages are welcome, and both women and men.
Each week sees the number of athletes increasing. It’s
great fun and a good way to meet new people!
Training is held every Wednesday evening from 6pm to
8pm in the IWA Sports Hall, Clontarf.
Check out www.gaelicwarriors.com for more information
or email gculliton@hotmail.com
As a supporter of the Irish Wheelchair Association, you
will know just how much we value your loyalty. There are
numerous ways you can support us, one of those being through
the IWA Platinum Credit Card. In conjunction with MBNA, we are
now offering a unique IWA branded Credit Card.
Show your pride and support by
applying for one today.
The IWA Credit Card has a host of exciting features and benefits, which include:
• Competitive interest rates - 1.9% APR on balance transfers for the first 6 months the account is opened, 13.9% APR (variable) on card purchases
• 24 hour Customer Satisfaction line
• Exclusive Credit Card cheque book – you can use this highly convenient service to pay
bills or other large transactions
For each account that is opened, a contribution is made to
the Irish Wheelchair Association on your behalf. We also receive a percentage back on retail transactions made
with the IWA Platinum Credit Card.
The IWA Credit Card is issued by MBNA Europe Bank Limited, which is licensed
by the UK Financial Services Authority, and is registered as a branch in Ireland
under number E3873 at 46 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2. Incorporated in England and Wales under number 2783251. Registered Office: Stansfield House,
Chester Business Park, Chester CH4 9QQ. Credit is available, subject to status, to
Irish residents aged 18 years or over. Balances cannot be transferred from another MBNA account at the promotional rate. We monitor and/or record some
telephone calls. There is a stamp duty charged by the Government on all Irish
credit card accounts.
To apply for the IWA
Credit Card please
call: 1800 409 510
and quote reference
no: 32A2Z44V
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sports
RECOMMENDATION:
ACCESSIBLE GYM
FOOD
for sport
It’s no good trying to run on
empty. Before you exercise, you
need to eat appropriately and
keep your fluid intake up says
Nicky Hamill, IWA Sports
Facilities Manager
BEFORE EXERCISE
Name: Monkstown Pool and
Fitness Centre
Address: Monkstown Ave, Dun
Laoghaire
Years in operation: 11 years
Wheelchair parking: Three
spaces located at front door
Toilets and changing areas:
Fully accessible with two specific
wheelchair changing cubicles
Do you cater for people with
physical disabilities in any of
your programmes? Yes, all
sports camps, swimming lessons,
etc, cater for everybody.
Do you have a lift? The
centre is a single story building
with full access. We have a
chair hoist for full access to the
pool.
Is your gym equipment
accessible to wheelchair
users? Our new gym is expected
to open early September 2007. We
will have a minimum of 10 pieces of
dual use equipment.
Are your staff proactive with
disability issues? Our staff are
extremely pro-active with special
needs users. We have an ‘exercise
for everyone’ programme, giving
help and guidance to people with
varied needs.
For more information on the
centre or any of their programmes,
please contact Monkstown Pool
and Fitness Centre on 01 230 1462
If you have a gym or other sports
facility you’d like to recommend,
please email nicky.hamilton@iwa.ie
Hocoma Lokomat
LAUNCHED
No, it’s not a space ship but it could well mean the next step for thousands!
Hocoma Lokomat Robotic Treadmill, a state-of-the art, robot-assisted gait
trainer, was officially launched on the 17th April, by Minister for Health and
Children, Mary Harney TD, in the Sports and Fitness Department at the National Rehabilitation Hospital, Dun Laoghaire. This device will provide upright,
weight-bearing exercise through guided walking in an automated and efficient manner, freeing up resources and enabling longer training sessions.
• Have a good breakfast, i.e. cereal
with low fat milk, porridge, fruit,
toast and jam or low fat spread.
• For a main meal, a dish such as
spaghetti bolognaise, pasta salads,
baked potatoes with either tuna,
baked beans or chilli is filling and
slow releasing. Bear in mind that it’s
best to dine at least 3 ½ hours before the event.
• Avoid high fat foods and snacking
as these foods take longer to digest.
• Limit your caffeine and alcohol intake.
WHILE EXERCISING:
• Always carry a drink with you so
you can sip small amounts at regular intervals.
• Don’t allow yourself become
thirsty – this is a sign that you are
dehydrated already.
AFTER EXERCISE
• According to expert studies it is
advisable to eat a high carbohydrate
meal within two hours of exercise to
restore glycogen stores.
A pasta dish with
low fat sauce is
ideal.
• Fluid intake is vital
after exercise; water,
isotonic sports
drinks, regular soft
drinks and fruit drinks are all fine
provided they are not diet or sugar
free.
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sports
BALL IN PLAY!
With wheelchair tennis, able-bodied and disabled players play
against each other on the same court, says Jim Hayes
The latest craze to arrive in Ireland is
Wheelchair tennis! Having appeared
for the first time on the Paralympic
Programme in Barcelona in 1992, it’s
one of the fastest growing wheelchair
sports in the world with over 3,000
players worldwide. Wheelchair tennis
stands out among wheelchair sports
in that it lets able-bodied and disabled
players play against each other on the
same court. It’s quickly gathering a
following here, and involves high levels
of skill, fitness and strategy.
So how do you play tennis in a
wheelchair? The game follows
standard tennis rules, the only difference being that the ball is allowed to
bounce twice – the first bounce being
Wondering what to
do now school’s out?
Why not give the
Sports Camp a try!
IWA Sport is hosting a residential sports
camp for junior athletes aged 5-18
years. Participants will be divided into
groups as follows: 5-9, 10-14 and1518 years. The camp takes place in University College Dublin on Monday 30th
July to Thursday 2nd August, 2007.
A wide variety of activities will be on
offer including: archery, cue sports, tennis, track and field, swimming, basketball, rowing, orienteering, rugby, and
much, much more!!
Accommodation and meals will be
provided on campus in student apartment style units at UCD. Options are
available for fully inclusive packages for
the duration of the camp or day packages if preferred. Parents and siblings
of members are welcome to attend.
For further information, contact: Claire
Fitzgerald on tel: 01 818 6451, email:
clare.fitzgerald@iwa.ie, or Mairéad Farquharson on tel: 01 818 6452, email:
mairead.farquharson@iwa.ie
within the bounds of the court.
Learning mobility on the court is
challenging. The game helps build
strength and cardiovascular ability,
providing long-term health benefits.
Most importantly, taking part in
wheelchair tennis is fun!
Why not come and give it a go? All
ages are welcome and each week
sees the number of athletes increasing. It’s great fun, and a different way
to meet new people!
Coaching sessions take place
throughout the summer on Saturdays
from 5.30pm - 7.30pm at Carrickmines Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club,
Carrickmines, Dublin 18.
Junior Athletes (7yrs +) can com-
pete on an equal footing with
siblings and friends. This year we will
be holding our Second National
Championship (venue and date to be
confirmed).
If interested, please contact, Mark
Barry, IWA Sports Development
Officer, on 01 818 6476, or email
mark.barry@iwa.ie
GOLD IN SLOVAKIA!
Irish table tennis players recently travelled to Slovakia to take part in two
championships. Players Ronan Rooney, Phillip Quinnlan,
Rena McCarron and Kathleen Reynolds, along with
coaches Marie Hughes and Johnny Bridgeman and
helper Paul Quinnlan, made the journey to compete.
The first event was a table tennis tournament for people
with disabilities called ‘The Kranjska Gora’ which took
place in Piestany, Slovakia. Efforts paid off with
Kathleen Reynolds winning the gold medal with Alena
Kanova from Slovakia.
The second event was the Slovakia Open 2007,
where Rena McCarron and Kathleen Reynolds got Silver
in the Team Event.
CROKE PARK UPDATE
IWA staff have recently begun consultation with Croke Park Stadium
Management regarding a number of accessibility issues. Nicky Hamill,
IWA Sports Facilities Manager, and Mark Barry, IWA Sports Development Officer, met with stadium officials to highlight the concerns of
IWA members, including the poor visibility when spectators in front of
the wheelchair area stand up during matches.
According to Mark Barry, “At present, while consultation is at an
early and on-going stage, Croke Park officials are taking the matter seriously with a positive approach and considering all reasonable
solutions. If any readers have comments on this issue, please email
me at mark.barry@iwa.ie as we are endeavouring to improve the
Croke Park spectator experience for all IWA members.”
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news
Acquired Brain
Injury events
ABI Information and Education Events will be held by the
Peter Bradley Foundation around the county this autumn.
The events offer you a mixture of presentations and workshops. Emphasis will be placed on learning from other ABI
survivors, caregivers, professionals and service providers.
Dates and locations are as follows: Wednesday 22nd
August, Cork Radisson SAS Hotel; Wednesday 10th October, Sligo Radisson SAS Hotel; Tuesday 27th and Wednesday 28th November, Radisson SAS Royal Hotel, Dublin.
To book a place or make further enquiries, please contact Karen at kcahill@peterbradleyfoundation.ie or 01 280
4164 / 086 386 8851 or Geraldine/Joe on 01 2355501.
Spirit in the Castle...
A CELEBRATION FOR EVERYBODY!
The Spirit in the Castle, a unique festival celebrating the
principle of access for all, will be taking place in Kilkenny
Castle on Sunday August 26th 2007.
Members of IWA will start the festival by assembling at
Kilkenny Courthouse in costumes to receive a declaration
from the Mayor of Kilkenny. At 12.30pm, they will start their
march from the courthouse to Kilkenny Castle, working
their way through Kilkenny High Street led by a marching
band.
On reaching the gates of the Castle, ‘The Siege of
Awareness’ will commence. This is a small pageant to
symbolise the barriers to access for people with limited
mobility. Once the barriers are broken down, and the castle
accessed, the new rulers of Kilkenny City will deliver a declaration to the People of Ireland!
Entertainment will be happening throughout the day in
the castle grounds. It will include: live bands, the Black
Knights’ parachute team, arts and crafts stalls, clowns, stilt
walkers, jugglers, face painters, paralympic medallists,
hurling stars, information stands, military displays, and
much more! Some of the proposed music acts include
Scuba Dice, and Mick Hanley.
For more information or to participate, contact: Tony Coy,
Service Coordinator, IWA Kilkenny. Tel: 056 776 2775 / 087
9123119. Email: tony.coy@iwa.ie
TELEPHONE ALLOWANCE EXTENDED
As of April 2007, the Telephone Allowance has been
extended to include a mobile phone allowance. The
allowance of €24.70 is paid direct to the customer by
means of electronic payment to a nominated financial
institution or post office on the first Tuesday
of every month. You do not need to be in
receipt of existing Telephone Allowance or
Household Benefit to apply for this
allowance. For further information please
call 071 914 8371 or 01 704 3371.
As of June 2007, direct cash
payments in respect of Electricity Group
Account and Bottled Gas Refill Allowance
have also been introduced.
O2 Ability Awards
IWA’s Mark Barry joined the judging panel for this
year’s O2 Ability Awards
Earlier this year, our CEO, Kathleen McLoughlin asked me
if I would be interested in representing IWA as a preliminary judge for the Aisling Foundation’s O2
Ability Awards. This was and is a great opportunity for our
organisation to have representation within such a prestigious awards ceremony that recognises best practice in
the employment and inclusion of people with a disability.
Preliminary judging for the O2 Ability Awards 2007 took
place in Shelbourne Park on 17th and 18th April 2007.
The O2 Ability Awards mark a groundbreaking
commitment to people with disabilities from the Irish
business community. They commend those businesses
striving to change the culture of employment in Ireland.
Their aim is to create a network of companies and
organisations that will grow annually and provide a unique
knowledge sharing platform so that continuous
improvement will be a reality.
IWA member and four time Paralympian, John Fulham,
featured in the O2 Ability Awards advertising campaign,
which ran on billboard sites and in magazines and newspapers in the lead up to the Awards evening. The advertising campaign focused on John’s ability in the workplace
rather than his disability which was merely incidental.
Member John Fulham on the O2 Ability Awards Campaign billboard
spokeout
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16:42
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news
IWA NEWS UPDATE
Many pressing employment issues were highlighted by members at the recent IWA Conference.
The priority in the coming months will be to build on this work and open up new avenues to employment
says Kathleen McLoughlin, CEO
This is my first occasion to write to
you since our very successful AGM
and Conference. I was delighted to
see so many members come to the
Conference and participate so fully in
the debates and discussions. The task
now for all of us, is to build on the
work that was done and to seek to
develop feasible new methods of
ensuring that people with disabilities
can access employment and bring
their talent and ability to the workplace.
I believe that our Conference did
highlight the key barriers to accessing
employment. I plan to work with the
organisations represented on the
panel and members, to seek Govern-
ment support in opening new avenues
to employment for people with
disabilities. This edition of Spokeout
highlights the work that has been
done by one employer, Irish Life and
Permanent, to make their company
more accessible. I truly believe that
there are many other companies like
them, who, with the right support and
advice will provide opportunities for
people with disabilities. Let’s hope
their example will be followed by
many.
We, as an Association, must play
our part also, by encouraging members to apply for work, and providing
the support necessary for members to
present themselves as candidates for
positions available. I have met so
many highly talented and skilled
members who have so much to offer
to any potential employer. Many
members have expressed a desire to
enter/re-enter the workplace but
because of the barriers that exist
have been unable to do so. Whether
the issue is access to buildings, lack
of PA services, disability payment
issues or other issues, we must
continue to fight to dismantle these
barriers to full participation of our
NEW LOGO AND WEBSITE
IWA is working to strengthen its organisational identity with the development of a new logo and website.
Both were designed by IWA member
Garreth Greene, who was featured on the cover of the last issue of Spokeout. The new logo was introduced following a vote by members at the AGM
in May. Kathleen McLoughlin, CEO, said, “I am absolutely delighted to see
this logo introduced and want to thank Garreth for his fantastic design and
members for their positive feedback. I feel it’s vitally important that we project
a contemporary, professional image as an organisation.”
In the coming months, the new logo will be incorporated into the design of
all IWA leaflets, booklets, headed paper, and IWA’s fleet of buses around the
country. The logo is already part of IWA’s new-look website which is designed
to high web accessibility guidelines and is generally easier to navigate. The
homepage includes a downloadable PDF version of Spokeout.
members in the workplace.
It saddens me greatly that the situation is so difficult and that we still have
to ‘battle’ for so many, but I do believe
that we can succeed by working together to demand change.
Apart from the serious business of
employment to be discussed, the
Conference also provides a wonderful
opportunity for members to meet
other members, see old friends from
different parts of the country and to
‘feel’ the mood of the organisation. I
really enjoyed meeting everyone,
though because of numbers, I did not
get to speak to each of you individually. Hopefully, over the summer
months I may be able to do a little
more travelling and catch up with
more of you locally.
As you know, I have just completed
my first year with the Association, and
so it was a huge encouragement to
me to see so many at the Conference
and to see you were having a good
time. The Irish Wheelchair Association
is an incredible organisation, I have
been privileged to join you, and I re-iterate here, the promise I made to you
all – to fight for the best of everything
for all of you.
PATRON’S MONTHLY
DRAW: 2007 WINNERS
TO DATE
Lorraine Murray, Templeogue,
Dublin 12 €800
John S Faughnan, Santry,
Dublin 9 €800
James Grealish, Salthill,
Galway €800
Marie Foley, Edenderry,
Co Offaly €800
Brid Moore, Ballinasloe,
Co Galway €800
spokeout
55
18/07/2007
16:45
Page 56
IWA Annual Conference:
EMPLOYMENT – CREATING OPPORTUNITIES
Brian Geraghty from Santry joined IWA’s SPIRIT youth group
earlier this year. He reports on his first experience of an
IWA Annual Conference
Breda Gaffy and Bernie Hughes, Cuisle staff
members, at the Cuisle information stand
Kathleen McLoughlin and Councillor
Joe Corr, Mayor, Fingal County Council
William Attley, IWA Board member, Michael Doyle,
Regional Director, with Jimmy Byrne, Company Secretary IWA
O
n Saturday 19th May 2007, the Irish Wheelchair Association held its Annual Conference at the Crowne Plaza Hotel,
Northwood Park, Santry, Dublin 9. This
conference dealt with the problems faced by disabled
people when trying to gain employment in whatever
area they had chosen to aim for.
After the initial opening address, the conference was
split into four key areas or ‘workshops’ and various
questions were covered such as whether or not mainstream education had been a success or a failure for
those who had been through it (this was covered by
Workshop 4, which I was involved in). Despite all the
56
Molly Buckley, Chairperson, IWA,
addressing the conference
Eamonn Cleere, Kilkenny, Jim Sugrue and John Sugrue, Wexford,
with John Doyle, Kilkenny
growth in jobs and Ireland’s economic situation, the employment of disabled people has changed very little and
may have worsened over time – the group involved in
Workshop 1 wanted to know why things had changed
little.
The general feeling in Workshop 4 was that while the
mainstream education system had been successful for
some, it had been a failure for the majority of the group
with regard to support services during that time and also
employment issues after leaving the education system.
After tea break, the groups came back to give feedback to the invited panel that was made up of people
from IBEC, ICTU, Dept of Social, Community and Family
18/07/2007
16:45
Page 57
snapshots
Eileen O’Mahony (front), President IWA, with Nora O’Sullivan,
Killarney, Breda Keating, Carlow, Sheila O’Mahony, staff
representative on the IWA Board, and Breda Dwyer, Killarney
Board members Danielle Weldon, PJ Gorey,
and Joe Sargent
Kathleen McLoughlin, CEO, IWA, pictured with
members of staff from Kilkenny
Members of the panel who participated in discussion on the workshop
themes ‘Employment – Creating Opportunities’
Councillor Tom Kelleher, Deputy Mayor,
Fingal County Council, pictured with Molly
Buckley, Chairperson, IWA
The group from Belmullet at dinner
Affairs, Dept of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, plus
members of other related groups.
One other area that came up was the three percent
quota that employers have failed to meet consistently
since it was introduced in the 1970s. The point was
made by the various speakers on the panel that employers seemed to have the mindset that if there was a fire or
other emergency then how would they be able to react in
a quick manner.
I have to say that I never imagined that there would be
so many people in one room on the same day. It was a
great turnout and there were people from all over the
country representing their local branch. I came represent-
Former IWA staff members Micheál Saunders
and Paddy Saunders with founder member
Oliver Murphy
Micheál O’Muircheartaigh with members
from Ardee
ing the SPIRIT youth group in Dublin. I was proud to do this
as I had officially joined IWA as a member at the
beginning of April this year.
It was interesting to hear all the different views given by
people. I was surprised to hear however that a college that
I attended, which was specifically for those with a disability,
was not entirely accessible to wheelchair users.
On Saturday evening, there was a meal, followed by a
session with the Glenn Miller Tribute Band. I had a good
night and got talking to various people, keeping me there
until 1am the next morning. Overall, a good time was had
by all concerned and I am glad I went. I look forward to
next year!
spokeout
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18/07/2007
16:47
Page 58
Happy Birthday
CUISLE...
IWA’s national holiday centre celebrated
its tenth anniversary in June this year. Staff
member, Geraldine Coyne reports
O
ver 500 staff and members – including many
regular Cuisle guests – came together in June
to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the
Centre. The event provided an opportunity to
reminisce and reflect on the past ten years which have
seen many changes and many great holidays.
Cuisle was officially opened on June 10th 1997 by
President Mary Robinson. The Centre was developed
following an agreement between IWA and the Divine Word
Missionaries, based at Donamon, and was designed to
meet the need for accessible holiday and respite
accommodation. When the Centre opened, it offered six en
suite rooms. Since then, it has gone from strength to
strength, and now offers 35 en suite rooms.
Ongoing improvements have continued to update the
Cuisle facilities, including refurbishment of the bar area, the
installation of double glazed PVC windows and new toilet
facilities. Cuisle now employs four chefs, a far cry from the
early days when meals were brought in!
Cuisle has always depended on its committed staff.
Indeed, five members of staff have been there since the
centre first opened its door a decade ago: Ann Gacquinn,
Kathleen Kenny, Bernie King, Kathleen Morris and Leo
Hunt. Over the years, staff have worked hard to provide
first class care and cuisine for the thousands of people
who have passed through.
Celebrations got underway on the afternoon of Friday
15th June with a thanksgiving mass, followed by a
barbecue and live music from resident musician Joachim
Dunne. Many people from the local community joined the
celebrations and credit is due to all for not permitting the
rain to dampen their spirits!
Cuisle staff look forward to the next 10 years, when no
doubt many more milestones will be reached, including
further renovations, with the firm intention of providing the
best possible holiday centre for everyone.
WHAT A RECENT
GUEST SAYS...
sts who stayed in
Banner made by gue
k
wee
s
viou
pre
the
Cuisle
It was my first time there, and from the
moment I arrived I was afforded the most
courteous and warm welcome ….better
than I would expect (nor have ever experienced) in any hotel. Having been shown to
my room, I then made my way to the
lounge area where I immediately began
meeting friendly people, both staff and
guests. It reminded me of a poster which I
have seen in many Irish Pubs throughout
Germany… “In this house there are no
strangers… Only friends who have not yet
met”!
Kyran Geraghty, Lanesboro, Co Roscommon
Board member, Danie
lle Weldon
58
18/07/2007
16:47
Page 59
snapshots
Clontarf staff relaxing
with a drink at Cuisle
Cuisle staff cutting
the cake
Members at
Cuisle staff enjoying
the celebrations
Members at Cuisle
the celebrat
ions
18/07/2007
16:49
Page 60
RESEARCH STUDY IN NORTH WEST
ACHIEVEMENTS
The Department of Nursing and Health Studies, St Angela’s College, Sligo,
recently presented the CEO of IWA, Kathleen McLoughlin, with the findings of
a research study entitled ‘The Lived Experiences of People with Disabilities
Attending IWA ROCs in the North
West’. The study focused on the
experiences of people attending
local ROCs and involved a series
of focus group interviews with
40 members. The research was
supported by the HSE North
West.
Pictured: Kathleen McLoughlin, CEO, IWA, with Dr Michele
Glacken, Head of the Department of Nursing & Health
Studies, St Angela’s College.
‘EMBRACE’ PROGRAMME IN
CLARE
An exhibition featuring the work of
participants in the Clare County Arts
Office ‘Embrace’ programme was recently launched in Glór Music Centre,
Ennis. Since 2001 regular workshops
have been running in a number of organisations including Enable Ireland,
the Brothers of Charity, Irish Wheelchair Association, West Clare Mental
Health Service and Ennistymon Day
Hospital. Pictured: ‘Maple’ by John
Blake, IWA member.
BRIAN COWEN VISITS
BANDON ROC
Members of Bandon ROC met with
Brian Cowen, TD, in May during his
visit to Cork. During his visit Kathleen
McLoughlin, CEO and Michael Doyle,
Regional Director presented him with
IWA’s own Manifesto for Election 2007
which listed a series of questions IWA
members, their families and carers
would be asking election candidates.
Pictured back l-r: Cllr. Christy O’Sullivan,
Brian Cowen, TD, Kathleen McLoughlin,
Fiona McSweeney. Front: Liam Deasy
and Michael Doyle.
EVENTS
BOCCIA LEAGUE
Pictured: Michael Carthy, staff member,
Wexford ROC, with Myra Rawson,
member, Waterford ROC, receiving her
award for ‘Player of the Tournament’ at
the recent Boccia League between
Waterford and Wexford ROCs.
60
18/07/2007
16:50
Page 61
snapshots
FUNDRAISERS
KILIMANJARO CLIMB
James and Kerrie Collins from Annacotty
are pictured presenting the proceeds of
their fundraising climb of Kilimanjaro to
Marie Murphy, IWA Limerick.
ARATHON
McTHE PARIS M
urphy, Sharon
ther M
Pictured l-r: Es
and
A Cork Office,
IW
Garry Leahy,
t on route
or
irp
A
in Cork
ou
vr
ta
S
da
an
Am
hon. They
the Paris Marat
to compete in
which was
p
in sponsorshi
raised €2,500
sboro ROC.
donated to Bes
LADIES CHARITY CHALLENGE MATCH
Pictured l-r: Sligo members Claire Heslin, Peter Faulkner and
Louise Haughney holding the cup at the recent Ladies Charity Challenge Match between Ladies All-Ireland Junior Champions Sligo and Tyrone.
CAMBODIA WALK
A group of 90 walkers celebrated Easter this year in Siem Reap, Cambodia,
as part of IWA’s 22nd International Walk. Home to a truly rich mix of travel
experiences, from ancient monuments to remote ethnic villages, Cambodia
was one of the most spectacular and exciting walk destinations to date.
spokeout
61
18/07/2007
16:51
Page 63
small ads
Cars and accessories
Aixam A751 Super Luxe 2006.
Automatic, petrol, 950 miles. €6000.
Tel: 087 932 3098
Ford Focus 1.6 2002. 3 door,
hatchback, automatic. NTC 05/08, taxed.
Immaculate condition. €7,000.
Tel: 086 330 2213
VW Polo 1.4 1998. 2 door, automatic,
71,500 miles. €3,500 ono. Tel: 086 059
5178
Accelerator pedals. One set of
accelerator pedals and one set of flip accelerator pedals for Ford Focus 2001 automatic. One set of flip accelerator
pedals for Ford Fusion 2003 automatic.
Tel: 085 716 2998
Swivel seat. Base plate and arm rests. Excellent condition. Offers. Tel: 087 6322632
Elap swivel seat. Good condition. €500
ono. Tel: 085 108 6693
Swivel front passenger seat. Suit most 3
or 5 door cars. Swivel at push of a lever.
Immaculate condition. €500. Tel: 087 902
5651
Elap mobility swivel passenger seat.
Slide and swivel. Excellent condition.
€450. Tel: 01 455 8661
If you have an item for sale, a holiday contact or a personal advert,
please send approx 25 words to Small ads, Spokeout, IWA,
Blackheath Drive, Clontarf, Dublin 3. Small ads are free-of-charge
to members. Adverts for accessible holiday accommodation are
€20.00 (cheques or postal orders payable to IWA Ltd).
Elap mobility passenger seat. Slide and
turn. Excellent condition. Tipperary area.
€500. Tel: 086 165 7797
Wheelchairs, scooters and adaptive
equipment
Door opener. Automatic, electronically
operated, perfect order. Would require an
electrician to fit. Tel: 01 833 8903
Power wheelchair CTM 5600. Never
used. Also fold-up manual wheelchair.
€1,900 ono for both. Can be viewed in
Santry, near Dublin Airport. Tel: 087 741
5737
Manual wheelchair. Heavy duty, all
chrome. Mint condition. €250. Tel: 01 283
1732
Power chair. Left hand drive, never used.
Cost €3,365. Sell €2,000. Tel: 085 741 1504
Computer desk. Height adjustable, Cost
€1,600, sell €1,200 ono. Tel: 087 2034978
Three-wheel bicycle. Torso and leg
supports, steering rod, hardly used.
€1,000 ono. Tel: 046 924 1419
Accessible Holidays
France. Fully accessible mobile home.
Sleeps 4/5. 100 kms south of Bordeaux on
4 Star campsite. All amenities, close to
seaside, has own beach and lake. For
information call 087 6245453
Wheelchair. 18”, new. €400. Tel: 086 151
5359
Roma Medical Monaco scooter
(S-777NA). Unused, still in original
packaging. Cost €2,300. Sell for €1,500.
Tel: 064 421 97
Euro 889 Class 3 scooter. 4 wheel
suspension, 1.9hp, lights. As new. €2,000.
Tel: 087 418 2861
Shoprider RMA Monaco S777NA
compact scooter. 36” turning radius,
dismantles. 18 months old. As new.
€1,000. Tel: 087 418 2861
Adare, Co Limerick. Fully accessible 4
Star beautifully restored stone cottage on
its own ½ acre site. Ideal for touring, golf,
horse-riding. Tel: 061 396166;
email: info@carburycottage.com;
www.carburycottage.com
Pilgrimages
Pilgrimage to Medjugorje.
14th September. Accompanied
by Spiritual Director includes full religious
programme. For information please contact Jackie Carpenter on 01 847 0382
Specific notice for the
Midlands Region
The Midlands SPIRIT Group is
looking for photos from local
Midland SPIRIT events and/or
other IWA events. Twelve
photographs will be selected for
the 2008 SPIRIT Calendar, which
will be distributed nationwide!!!!!
So come on, get snap-happy and
help us to capture the SPIRIT of
IWA!!! Please send all photos to
daragh.kennedy@iwa.ie or
alternatively you can send them
to Dani Weldon, Springfield
Centre, Mullingar.
(To have your photos returned,
please enclose an SAE with your
entry).
Come on – Capture the ‘SPIRIT’ of the Midlands!!!
Spokeout_Sum_p64:Spokeout_Sum_07-p64
18/07/2007
16:54
Page 64
letters
YOUR VIEWS Got something to say? Write to us at Spokeout,
Irish Wheelchair Association, Blackheath Drive, Clontarf, Dublin 3
INACCESSIBLE POLLING STATIONS
Dear Editor
I wish to draw your attention to a situation that has possibly been replicated throughout the length and
breadth of the country on polling
day. I refer of course to the accessibility, or indeed as was more frequently the case, the inaccessibility
of polling stations in general for people with disabilities.
Having anticipated difficulties, I
contacted the relevant body in
regard to my local polling station and
was assured that the building was
wheelchair accessible. On polling
day I arrived at the appointed school
building and found that there were
four possible entry points, three of
which comprised at least two high
steps! The fourth entry point was at
the rear of the building and required
a lengthy detour from the front of the
building. This rear entry point comprised a narrow door with a rather
uneven ramp. I was using an electric
mobility scooter which just passed
through the opening, but I doubt if a
standard sized wheelchair would
have done so. It was obvious that
whoever was responsible for providing the portable ramp was not in the
least bit cognisant of the needs of
people with disabilities.
The bottom line here is that, as
these buildings are repeatedly used
at election times, and as there is
usually a few years between those
elections, there is surely sufficient
time to address accessibility issues.
Why has this not been done?
Yours sincerely,
Geoffrey N. Belton, Sallynoggin, Co
Dublin.
FRONT ROW ONLY AT ANOTHER
NEW CINEMA
Dear Editor
I refer to a letter from a Mr Tony
Ryan in the spring issue of
Spokeout. This letter was in relation to poor access in a cinema
complex in Swords.
My husband is a wheelchair user
and we have found the same poor
access in the new Gate Cinema
Complex in Midelton, Co Cork. All
the cinemas in this complex have a
front entrance and are tiered from
front to back. Therefore wheelchair
users have no choice but to sit in
the front row. This we have found
extremely uncomfortable.
I contacted management on the
issue. They replied promptly and
invited us to the cinema to see
how we might work around the
problem. However, they say they
cannot do anything to change the
situation as they are leasing the
complex from another company
who were responsible for building
it.
This complex was built a year
ago. Granting planning permission
for a building with such poor
access, within each cinema, does
not seem right.
Yours sincerely
Ita McMahon, Co Cork
THE VIEWS EXPRESSED ON THIS PAGE ARE THE VIEWS OF INDIVIDUAL
READERS AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE VIEWS OF IWA
64
INVISIBLE
DISABILITIES
Dear Editor
In the winter issue of Spokeout
magazine, there was a feature
about M.E. or Chronic Fatigue
Syndrome as it is other wise
known. I was delighted just to see
this article in print as it is sometimes an invisible disease, incapacitating and often leaving the patient
bedridden and out-of-sight / out-ofmind to the general public.
I suffer from a number of ‘invisible’ conditions such as post traumatic stress disorder, M.E., Chronic
Adjustment Disorder and blast
injuries to my ears as a result of
military service in the Middle East.
Any one of my conditions can in itsself, let alone combined, leave me
unable to function in ‘normal’
society and I am in fact classified
as 70 percent disabled. Incidentally,
only my ear injury is classed as
‘physical’, where as my other conditions are classed as psychiatric.
Problems for people with any
‘invisible’ condition arise when dealing with issues such as obtaining a
parking permit or attempting to
have a carer added to one’s travel
pass. The GP can’t tick any of the
boxes because there is no provision
for these illnesses on the form.
These matters need to be
addressed as a matter of urgency.
People need to realise that
amongst us there are many people,
of which I am one, that at a glance
seem to be in perfect health – but
of course in reality that couldn’t be
further from the truth. We, the
‘invisible disabled’, are the forgotten.
Yours sincerely
Tadhg Ó Gríobhtháin, Tallaght,
Dublin 24

- Irish Wheelchair Association

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