white wedding - Irish Wheelchair Association
Transcription
white wedding - Irish Wheelchair Association
SPOKEOUT €4.00 · SUMMER 2013 Lifestyle magazine for people with limited mobility published by the Irish Wheelchair Association WHITE WEDDING IWA custom-builds white wheelchair for special day p25 p17 IWA Annual Conference & AGM Spokeout_summer_13_cover.indd 2 Life begins at 50 p35 House swap holiday 05/06/2013 16:55 MEET OUR CONTRIBUTORS.... INTRODUCTION T he cover of this bumper summer issue features Debbie Smith, who recently celebrated her marriage to partner Paddy in a white wheelchair, custom-built by IWA’s new Wheelchair Solutions service. Inside, you can read Debbie’s emotional personal story (p5), or learn about wheelchair customisation (p7 & p9) and individualised mobility aids (p13). You can also enjoy interviews with Limerick-based Eithne Foley (p35), who is about to embark on her first house swap holiday, and with artist Ann Kennedy (p25), who talks about mental health, settling into her Greystones home and making the most of life. On p38, we have an update from Canadian sisters Maura and Kyra McMahon, who are planning a wheelchair trek of the Camino de Santiago this autumn. Finally, on p17 we bring you news from the IWA Annual Conference & AGM in Sligo, which saw the launch of IWA’s new strategic plan and the announcement of IWA’s first ‘Volunteer of the Year’ award. Joanna Marsden, Editor Kiara Lynch Regular Spokeout contributor Kiara Lynch is currently enjoying strawberry season on the family farm in Longford. She’s also busy finalising plans for her belated two-stop honeymoon this September. She’s wondering, should she go and see grizzly bears while she is in Vancouver, and will she be able to drag her husband away from Hawaii’s volcanos long enough to go snorkelling with turtles and dolphins? Jenny Kerr Jenny Kerr from Kells in Co Meath describes herself as a person “with more life experiences than qualifications”. Since joining the IWA Youth Media Group in 2012, Jenny feels she has a forum to openly express thoughts and feelings on issues that matter. She is also an active member of her local IWA centre, and says IWA has helped her build confidence by introducing her to new activities, such as powerchair football and boccia. Dave Humphreys Motoring journalist Dave Humphreys says he eats, sleeps and breathes cars by choice, not just because he has to. Despite being a self-confessed workaholic, when he gets those rare few hours to switch off, he enjoys music and film. Something of a social media guru, Dave always has one eye on technology and what’s going to be ‘the next big thing’. Anita Matthews EDITOR Joanna Marsden COVER PHOTO Robert Smith EDITORAL ASSISTANCE Kiara Lynch Colette Molloy Mairéad Farquhason DISTRIBUTION Shanahan Direct Marketing Ltd EDITORIAL DESIGN MANAGER Layla Hogan DESIGN ASSISTANT Jessica Fitzgerald ADVERTISING AND MARKETING DESIGN MANAGER & EDITORIAL DESIGN THIS ISSUE Diarmuid O’Connor EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES TO: The Editor, Spokeout, Irish Wheelchair Association. Blackheath Drive, Clontarf, Dublin 3. Tel: (00 353) 1 818 6455 Email: [email protected] ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES TO: Philip McGaley 01 2011052 / 087 2666568 The copyright rests with IWA and no material may be reproduced without the permission of IWA.The views expressed in the publication do not necessarily represent the views of IWA. recycle When you have finished with this magazine please recycle it. Spokeout is distributed quarterly by post to 20,200 IWA members and to Government bodies and other disability interest groups. ISSN NO: 1393-8517 Anita Matthews returned to IWA’s Communications Department in March 2013 after spending two years in Australia. Having adjusted to the wet and windy weather again, Anita is enjoying life at home and is indulging in the things she never thought she would miss about Ireland, such as a good cup of tea and homemade brown bread. SPOKEOUT ON CD AND TAPE Spokeout is now available on both tape and CD. Please contact Colette Molloy on 01 818 6485 or colette. [email protected] 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 2 Spokeout_summer_13-p2.indd 2 06/06/2013 12:40 Contents COVER STORY TRAVEL 5 White wedding Debbie Smith celebrates her wedding in a custom-built white wheelchair 33 Holidaying at home Accessible holiday accommodation in Ireland 35 House swap A guide to accessible house swapping 38 Camino wheelchair trek Update on Maura and Kyra McMahon’s Camino de Santiago trek MOBILITY 9 Wheelchair Solutions The opening of IWA’s new Wheelchair Solutions showroom 13 Bling your mobility aid! Ideas for mobility aids with personality ANNUAL CONFERENCE & AGM 17 IWA Conference 2013 News from IWA’s Annual Conference & AGM in Sligo, including CEO’s message 21 New IWA strategy launched The publication of IWA’s new strategic plan 23 Volunteer of the Year 2013 Winner Tony Hassett on his motivation for volunteering NEWS 41 Getting creative Cartoons by Johnny Connaughton 59 CIL Disability Studies Course Information on CIL’s annual Disability Studies Course 62 Fundraising news Fundraising events around the country 65 Inclusive Charity Cycle Fundraiser attracts cyclists, handcyclists and tandem enthusiasts LIVING REGULARS CARTOONS 42 Garden of your mind Seasonal gardening inspiration and advice MOTORING 45 Hitting the road Choosing the right car and adaptations FEATURE YOUTH 25 Life begins at 50 Artist Ann Kennedy on turning her life around 51 Young love Jenny Kerr on the challenges of relationships CAREERS & EDUCATION SPORT 29 A day in the life Myra Cummins, ALS Co-ordinator, on her unusual career path 55 Star of the future Nine-year-old track athlete Shauna Bocquet 5 9 38 66 My Life William Ahern’s personal view on living with a disability 67 Regional news What’s happening around the country 70 Crossword Crossword No 20 by Gordius 70 Letters Letters to the editor 72 Small ads Sell on items or pick up a bargain 55 SPOKEOUT Spokeout_summer_13-p1.indd 1 1 05/06/2013 16:56 COVER FEATURE BANNER WHITE WEDDING hen at ten years of age Debbie Smith was suddenly paralysed by the Transverse Myelitis virus, she adjusted quickly to life in a wheelchair. “So much had gone on in my life already. Two of my brothers and one sister had died from cystic fibrosis, and having seen my siblings ill, I was able to make the distinction between being ill and being disabled. I was still alive, so being in wheelchair didn’t seem like a big thing. Once I got function in my arms back, I focused on what I could do. I set about re-learning the basics and I didn’t dwell on negative thoughts.” Debbie returned to her family in Donaghmede after spending a year in the NRH. “Although my parents were advised to send me to the CRC school, they wanted me to go back to my own school and my own friends. I remember the school put in a big ramp for me, and the week before I went back my mum taught me how to play ball in the wheelchair and how to hold the rope for skipping in the playground.” As a teenager, Debbie became involved in sport and in 1989, at the age of 17, she was selected to represent Ireland at the New York State Games for the Physically Challenged. “It was while I was training in the Phoenix Park that I first met Paddy, who was a volunteer driver. It was a showery, freezing December day and after the training session we all went to the pub. From then on, the more I saw him, the more I liked him. We became friends and got together a year or so later. It was on and off because we were so young and I was busy studying – but at the back of my mind I always felt he’d be the person I’d marry.” Debbie adds: “When it came to disability, Paddy just sort of got it. He’d automatically get down to my height when “You have this image of all these perfect girls walking down the aisle in white, and I was worried about how this would work with a wheelchair” ALL PHOTOS BY ROBERT SMITH W Having experienced her share of tragedy, Debbie Smith saw her wedding to longtime partner Paddy as an opportunity to celebrate the positive things in their life. This meant making the process fun, and not allowing access requirements or a boring black wheelchair to get in the way! JOANNA MARSDEN reports Debbie and Paddy at Ross Castle, Killarney SPOKEOUT Spokeout_summer_13-p5-7.indd 5 5 05/06/2013 17:12 BANNER Both the priest and Paddy sat down beside Debbie for the vows we were chatting. He’d offer to help but if he wasn’t sure about anything he’d ask. And he was great at giving me a jockey back!” Debbie and Paddy got engaged in 2003. “We were in Holland for a few days when he first asked me, but it was all very informal, so I told him I’d think about it! When we got back I said, ‘You’ll have to ask me again properly’. So this time he bought a ring and got down on one knee by the cross in the Phoenix Park.” The couple were in no rush to set a date. “We were still studying so we knew it was going to be a long engagement, but Paddy was like one of the family already. My dad and my younger brother David used to argue over who would walk me down the aisle. David and I were very close so he’d always wanted to do it. In the end, David agreed with my dad that he would wheel me while my dad held my hand. That was their big compromise!” During this period, Debbie moved with her parents to Naas in Kildare, where she started working with Kildare Youth Services and later with IWA’s National Mobility Centre, where she still works today, maintaining the parking permit database and giving advice on motoring issues. In 2009, Debbie found out she was pregnant. “I was very surprised, because I’d assumed I wouldn’t be able to have children, although we’d hoped to adopt. But I was very lucky. After our son Josh was born, Paddy and I finally moved in together. We still hadn’t set a date for the wedding, but it was great to be a proper family and we wondered why we hadn’t done it sooner.” Just after Josh’s first birthday, Debbie’s brother David, who had cystic fibrosis, became ill and died. “He was only 28 and we’d been close all our lives, so I found it very hard. Life can be short, and it made me wonder what Paddy and I were waiting for, so we finally set a date for April 2013. We hoped our wedding would be something to look forward to, and an opportunity for the family to spend time together and celebrate the positive things in our lives.” Debbie and Paddy decided to limit the wedding to 100 family members and booked the Castlerosse Hotel in Killarney. “Killarney is a special place for my parents (Patrick and Bernadette) and for my brothers and sisters (Denise, Karen, Yvonne, Robert and Damien) because it’s where we had our big family holidays as children. The hotel was largely wheelchair accessible and they also had cottages and lodges on the grounds. Everyone has different requirements but for me it worked. We also found a great accessible florist – Blooms in Killarney. I did most of my wedding planning over the phone and it was a very positive experience – once I explained my requirements, people were very helpful.” One aspect that had always worried Debbie was finding a dress. “You have this image of all these perfect girls walking down the aisle in white, and I was worried about how this would work with a wheelchair. I knew I wanted to wear a dress, but I couldn’t get my head around how I was going to try dresses on. Even if I found a shop that was somewhat accessible, how would I get a perfect white dress on without touching it off my wheels? I knew most shops asked you to wear gloves to protect the dresses, and I was dreading the whole process.” In the end, Debbie’s mum suggested she try Classy Lass bridal shop in Clane “I was amazed because it turned out “These days, a wheelchair doesn’t have to be a horrible thing. They used to be heavy and black, but now they can build a lightweight chair around you, customising breaks, handles, seat backs and wheels” 6 Spokeout_summer_13-p5-7.indd 6 05/06/2013 17:12 COVER FEATURE to be a lovely experience. I went in thinking about practical things like not having an opening in the back of the dress because of my scars, not having a train, and not showing my arms, which are very muscly from pushing the chair! But all that went out the window when I fell in love with a really impractical dress than met none of my criteria. But it was ‘the one’, and the wonderful alterations lady worked with me to reduce the train and take out some layers, so it would look right with a chair.” Since her shoes wouldn’t be visible, Debbie decide to wear a pair of runners that her brother David had given her. “Most girls make a big deal about shoes for their wedding, but I wasn’t going to do this. Instead I thought, I need a new wheelchair anyway – maybe I could get something a bit special?” Debbie had heard about IWA’s new Wheelchair Solutions service. “After looking at some brochures, I decided to go for it, and the whole process was brilliant. The staff measured me up and ran through the pros and cons of all the different frames. I’ve had several spinal fusions so IWA’s Occupational Therapist Vijoy helped me explore a new type of back support. It wasn’t about wanting to hide my chair for the wedding. Choosing the chair was actually a fun experience, and I knew I was going to enjoy using it. These days, a wheelchair doesn’t have to be a horrible thing. They used to be heavy and black, but now they can build a lightweight chair around you, customising breaks, handles, seat backs and wheels. And of course you can have absolutely any colour – so naturally, I went for a specific shade of white that matched my dress!” When the day of the wedding finally arrived on Saturday April 20th 2013, Debbie’s father (with some help from Josh) wheeled her down the aisle. “Of course there was a sadness that David wasn’t around, but on my wedding morning my mum had a surprise for me. She had embroidered David’s name into the end of my veil, so I could feel that in some way he was behind me as I went down the aisle, as he’d always wanted to be. That meant a lot to me.” At the altar, both Paddy and the priest sat down beside Debbie. “We faced each other with our knees together, and the priest sat between us on a small seat. For a few minutes, we felt like we were the only people in the room.” Debbie adds, “The whole wedding was a lovely, personal occasion. Instead of me working around access issues, everybody was flexible and it felt like my chair and my dress were made to work for me. Sometimes if you are in a chair, it’s easy to look at what you can’t do, but if you get out there and go for what you want, people really do their best to accommodate you.” Debbie, Paddy and Josh are now planning their family honeymoon in late June. “It’s nice to have something to look forward to. Most of the time, we’re busy getting on with life like any other family. As well as working fulltime, I do the usual things any mother does, like the crèche dropoffs and pick-ups. Josh is used to the fact that his mummy A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO PURCHASING A CUSTOMISED WHEELCHAIR 1. Contact Wheelchair Solutions on 01 818 6453 or email [email protected] and speak with a member of the team about your requirements. Alternatively, complete and submit an enquiry form available online at www.iwa.ie/wheelchair 2. Arrange to meet with a member of the Wheelchair Solutions team to discuss your individual requirements and personal needs when it comes to the design and specification of the new wheelchair. (This is a nationwide service and members of the team can arrange to meet you at a convenient location.) 3. Wheelchair Solutions will prepare a quote and include additional details including colour preference, finish and extras. 4. Place your order for your brand new customised wheelchair and pay your security deposit. 5. Your wheelchair will be delivered to you personally by a member of the Wheelchair Solutions team. The wheelchair will be tested and any necessary adjustments will be made on the spot. 6. Final payment is made in full. 7. One month later, Wheelchair Solutions will contact you directly to ensure all is going well and you are completely satisfied with your purchase. 8. One year later, Wheelchair Solutions will contact you to arrange a complimentary annual service.** **Terms & Conditions Apply uses a wheelchair, and he recently looked at me and said, ‘Some mummies are in a wheelchair but all daddies can walk!’ He also said, ‘When I grow up, I want to have big muscles like Mammy!’ I never expected it, but I got my ‘normal life’, and a normal life is a very big thing if you think you can’t have one.” Josh, Paddy and Debbie xxxx SPOKEOUT Spokeout_summer_13-p5-7.indd 7 7 05/06/2013 17:12 MOBILITY BANNER WHEELCHAIR SOLUTIONS W Weatherman Martin King forecast a bright future for IWA’s new Wheelchair Solutions division when he officially opened the Clontarf showroom in April. ANITA MATTHEWS, IWA Communications Coordinator, explains the services on offer heelchair Solutions, the newest division of the Irish Wheelchair Association, was officially opened by TV’s best-known weatherman, Martin King, at the end of April. Martin joined CEO Kathleen McLoughlin to celebrate the opening of the Wheelchair Solutions showroom, which provides an accessible and welcoming environment for all customers. The event was attended by IWA members, staff, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and representatives from the HSE. Wheelchair Solutions provides an extensive range of manual wheelchairs and mobility scooters, as well as a nationwide wheelchair rental service. The new division can be utilised by people with disabilities and mobility issues, people who have been recently discharged from hospital, people with a short term injury or other illness, and elderly people who would like to rent a wheelchair for a period of time. The rental service is designed to be flexible, offering hire periods from one day to ten weeks, and is also open to tourists travelling to Ireland who require a wheelchair while on holiday. Customers of Wheelchair Solutions can expect an allinclusive service with specialist advice on their individual requirements and needs. Wheelchair Solutions carries a high quality, modern and functional range of manual The Wheelchair Solutions team (l to r): Clive Hough, Colin Whelan, Paddy McInerney, Eric Molloy Cutting the ribbon on the new showroom are: CEO Kathleen McLoughlin; Francis Genockey, who was involved in IWA’s early wheelchair repair services in the 1970s; and weatherman Martin King and powered wheelchairs, and other products available include daily living aids and appliances designed to assist those with mobility and dexterity issues. While in the shop, customers can also access advice, product information and technical resources. In addition, products can be purchased online from www.iwa.ie/wheelchair and will be delivered within 3-4 working days. The range of products available online includes: kitchen utensils, adapted cutlery, walking aids, communication equipment including mobile phones and a variety of wheelchair accessories. Two new products, which recently arrived in stock and are proving very popular, are wheelchair gloves in a variety of styles and sizes and ‘gel therapy balls’ designed to provide variable resistance training for hands, fingers and forearms. The Wheelchair Solutions team is highly experienced and expert in the area of assisted living requirements, clamping equipment and wheelchair supplies. Located in IWA Clontarf, the showroom includes a workshop where repair specialists can assist individuals with general wheelchair SPOKEOUT Spokeout_summer_13-p9-10.indd 9 9 05/06/2013 18:25 MOBILITY WHEELCHAIR RENTALS – A FOUR-STEP GUIDE 1. Contact Wheelchair Solutions on 01 818 6453 or email [email protected]. A member of the team will discuss the rental procedure and specifications suitable to each customer’s individual requirements. Wheelchairs can be rented from a period of one day to ten weeks with prices starting at €10.00. Customers can also contact the team directly by completing an online enquiry form ww.iwa.ie/wheelchair 2. Wheelchairs are available throughout Ireland and can be collected or delivered from various IWA locations nationwide. The Wheelchair Solutions team will liaise directly with customers to arrange a suitable drop-off or collection point. 3. Wheelchair is collected and payment is made in full upon collection. 4. Wheelchair is returned to IWA location. repairs and parts replacements. Customers can browse the range of products in a modern, purpose-built store which was designed specifically to meet the needs of people with physical disabilities. IWA Architect André Negri designed the layout of the building and features include a gentle ramp to the front of the building leading to automatic opening doors. The floor finish is level throughout with wide doors and all specifications are as per the IWA Best Practice Access Guidelines. The shop also has an accessible bathroom for customer convenience, fitted to the highest standards. Niall McDonnell from Kildare was one of the first customers to purchase a new manual wheelchair from Inside the new Wheelchair Solutions showroom Wheelchair Solutions. Niall ordered a custom-designed wheelchair which met his personal requirements and was pleased with the end product. “I am delighted with my new wheelchair. The service has been excellent, from the initial fitting to the final adjustments once the chair had arrived,” said Niall. “Wheelchair Solutions were great at giving me information about how the various parts of the chair needed to suit my personal requirements. This included selecting a much improved back support system which will address issues I had been having with my back.” As part of IWA, Wheelchair Solutions understands the many challenges people with disabilities face in regard to budgetary constraints and difficulties in accessing the appliances required to meet their individual requirements. With this in mind, Wheelchair Solutions aims to provide an affordable line of products that are functional and which assist people with all aspects of their daily activities. For further information visit www.iwa.ie/wheelchair or contact Wheelchair Solutions on 01 818 6453 10 Spokeout_summer_13-p9-10.indd 10 05/06/2013 18:25 MOBILITY Bling your MOBILITY AID! Are you sick of boring old black everywhere on your wheelchair, power chair or walking aid? Then why not inject some personality into your mobility equipment with these ideas from KIARA LYNCH? INVACARE DECORATIVE SPOKE-GUARDS The Invacare decorative spoke-guards are available on the Action 3 Junior manual wheelchair with 20” or 22” wheels. Designs available for the Action 3 spoke-guards are a spider web, a yellow smiley face or a flower. The Kuschall wheelchair range also has a number of decorative spoke guards available on 22” and 24” wheels. The designs include aliens, pirates, snakes, and Kuschall branded options in black and red. Available at from approx €130-€200 per pair excl. p&p from Invacare. Email ordersireland@invacare. com or call the office on 01 810 7084 for further information. SUGRU Sugru is a new self-setting rubber that can be formed by hand. It moulds like play-dough, bonds to almost anything and turns into a strong, flexible silicone rubber overnight. It feels like modelling clay, and it’s that easy to use too. It can be moulded around brake levers on a manual wheelchair or around a joystick on a power wheelchair to add colour and bling to your wheelchair or create a better grip. Available in different sizes and colours at approx €8 - €15 excl. p&p from www.sugru.com ‘BURGUNDY FLOWER’ FOLDING CANE These folding adjustable walking sticks with T- shaped handle are lightweight and easy to use. They fold away neatly for easy storage when not in use. Cane is suitable for a maximum user weight of 114kg (18 stone). Available at €18.99 excl. p&p from the Irish Wheelchair Association’s Wheelchair Solutions online shop. Tel: 01 8186 453. Web: www.iwa.ie/wheelchair EASICARE SPOKE-GUARDS Easicare spoke-guards are available for 20”, 22” and 24” rear wheels. There are standard designs in the range and custom designs are also available. Script or print can be put on all of the spoke-guards, but customisation is subject to copyright! There is an extra charge for the spokeguards if an image has to be purchased. Available at approx €170-€230 per pair excl. p&p from Vicki Murphy at MMS Medical. Email: vickiodonoghue@ mmsmedical.ie. Tel: 021 461 8000. Further information can be found at www.mmsmedical.ie SPOKEOUT 13 Spokeout_summer_13-p13-14.indd 13 05/06/2013 17:26 MOBILTY PRIMO VTRAK TYRES The Primo Vtrak tyres are rubber tyre covers available in 24”, 25” and 26”. (You also need an inner tube.) The tyres are used on everyday wheelchairs and in sports such as wheelchair tennis. They are available in grey, red, yellow or blue. Available at approx €19 excl. p&p from www.epc-wheelchairs.co.uk OHYO Ohyo is a collapsible dishwasher-safe water bottle with a nozzle that can be re-used over 10,000 times. The nozzle means it can be used one-handed instead of having to unscrew a bottle cap each time you want a drink. The wide bottle neck of Ohyo makes it very easy to fill and refill. Available at approx. €10 for a pack of two excl. p&p from www.ohyo.me ‘WILD ROSE’ FOLDING ADJUSTABLE COLOURED WALKING STICK These folding height-adjustable walking sticks have received a hard anodised treatment that prevents damage to the attractive surface. The wooden handle is shaped to fit comfortably in either hand. Made from aluminium, making them extremely lightweight, they are available in three height-adjustable lengths. User weight limit is 115kg /18 stone. Available at €25 excl. p&p from Murray’s Medical. Tel: 01 866 3330. Web: www.murrays.ie Other products worth looking at.... www.glamsticks.co.uk www.coolhubcaps.com www.pimpmychair.com www.zazzle.co.uk www.conformuk.com SPOKELIT Just clip a SpokeLit bike light onto the spokes of your wheelchair and give it a squeeze – the bright LED light inside glows or flashes making your wheels highly visible! In the flashing mode, SpokeLit lights will trace a dashed arc of light as your wheel spins along, whereas the glow mode will keep your wheel illuminated when you’re not moving. 2 x CR2016 batteries are included and fitted. Each pack contains one SpokeLit wheel light with glow and flash modes. Available in a range of colours at approx. €8 excl. p&p from www.glow.co.uk OHYO GIVE-AWAY The guy behind Ohyo is Guy Jeremiah, an environmental scientist from Sheffield, UK. Guy came up with the idea of a collapsible water bottle in 2008 after witnessing first-hand the environmental damage caused by bottled water. It takes a 1/4 litre of oil and 7 litres of water to make 1 litre of bottled water, and there are enough plastic bottles discarded every year to stretch to the moon and back 50 times! Very few plastic bottles are recycled – most end up in landfills taking centuries to decay – and research shows that bottled water isn’t any cleaner, better for you or tastier than tap water. The guys at Ohyo have kindly given us ten Ohyos to give away. To be in with a chance of winning, send your name, address and contact number to: Ohyo Competition, Spokeout, Irish Wheelchair Association, Blackheath Drive, Clontarf. All entries will be entered in to a draw that will take place on Friday 27th July. UUTENSIL SPUDNIK POTATO MASHER GIVE-AWAY WINNERS Oliver Patrick Hickey, Co Offaly and William Cooper, Co Wexford. These are just ideas! Spokeout does not endorse any specific products or suppliers. We advise readers to shop around and, if appropriate, check with an OT to ensure a product is suitable for an individual’s needs. 14 Spokeout_summer_13-p13-14.indd 14 05/06/2013 17:26 ANNUAL CONFERENCE & AGM IWA Conference 2013 I Delegates at IWA’s recent Annual Conference & AGM in Sligo enjoyed an afternoon discussion with Charlie Bird and an inspirational keynote address from John Lonergan, Former Governor of Mountjoy Prison. ANITA MATTHEWS, IWA Communications Coordinator, reports WA’s AGM and Annual Conference took place on Saturday, 18th May 2013 in the wild and beautiful countryside of Rosses Point, Co Sligo. Members and staff joined community and voluntary organisations, public sector representatives and not-for-profit agencies at the Radisson Blu Hotel for the largest event in the IWA calendar. The AGM was extremely well attended with members travelling across the country to participate in an election of the Board, receive updates regarding the business of the Association during 2012 and to witness the launch of the new three-year strategy: Driving on – Determining Our Future: A Strategy for People 2013 – 2016. Following lunch, delegates returned to the conference, eagerly anticipating the afternoon session which was chaired by broadcaster, journalist and television documentary presenter, Charlie Bird. The highlight of the conference was an inspirational and moving keynote address from John Lonergan, Former Governor of Mountjoy Prison, in which he drew attention to the work IWA has undertaken over the past 53 years and how the organisation has influenced a major change in the public’s attitude and perception of disability. He also acknowledged the importance of raising awareness in relation to issues which affect members. John joined CEO Kathleen Mc Loughlin; Liam O’Sullivan, Director of Care Alliance Ireland; and President of IWA, Eileen O’Mahony on stage, while Charlie Bird opened up the conference to the floor for members to express their opinions, highlight pressing issues and draw attention to challenges facing them in the economic climate. The Minister for Small Business, John Perry TD, attended the latter part of the conference to address delegates and assured them he would bring the many urgent issues he had heard on the day to the attention of Government. Marian Harkin, Independent Member of the European Parliament for North West constituency, later attended the conference dinner and presented the IWA’s Volunteer of the Year Award to Tony Hassett, who is from Tipperary and has volunteered with the Association for thirteen years. Charlie Bird facilitated an open forum during the conference. Pictured is Donal O’Boyle, Donegal, posing a question to the panel Helen O’Neill, Josie Buckley and Kathleen Wolfe from IWA East Cork SPOKEOUT 17 Spokeout_summer_13-p17-20.indd 17 05/06/2013 17:31 Patrick Gogarty from Laytown, Co Meath, with his mother Kathleen MEP Marian Harkin presents Tony Hassett with his award for ‘Volunteer of the Year 2013’ John Lonergan delivering his key note address John Finn and Michael Hickey catch up at the conference Tomas McCluskey and PJ Gorey enjoy the range of stands promoting IWA services John Lonergan and Martin Naughton share a joke before the afternoon session begins 18 Spokeout_summer_13-p17-20.indd 18 05/06/2013 17:31 ANNUAL CONFERENCE & AGM CEO’s message CEO KATHLEEN McLOUGHLIN reflects on the recent Annual Conference and the launch of IWA’s new strategic plan President of IWA Eileen O’Mahony and Finance Director Geraldine Etchingham Minister for Small Business, John Perry TD, with Kathleen McLoughlin, CEO Josephine Dywer, National Development Coordinator, with IWA Director Tony Cunningham IWA’s Annual Conference is an occasion that says a great deal about the spirit of IWA. Each year every one of our 20,000 members receives an invitation to this event, and many of them make an extraordinary effort to attend and have their say in the running of our Association. This year’s Annual Conference was particularly vibrant. Charlie Bird was our charismatic facilitator and we also had many excellent speakers and special guests – John Lonergan, Former Governor of Mountjoy Prison; Liam O’Sullivan, Director of Care Alliance Ireland; Minister for Small Business, John Perry TD; and Marian Harkin, Independent Member of the European Parliament for North West constituency. The event provided an opportunity to discuss the current challenges facing IWA, and to examine some of the ways in which IWA is responding to these challenges by changing the way it does its business in order to safeguard services. An important part of this has been the recent organisational restructuring, which has seen us move from a regional model to a national, servicedriven model. This new structure enables our directors to focus on critical service areas, and also provides for a dedicated customer service unit and a stronger focus on volunteerism. These changes place us in a strong position as we embark on our three-year strategic plan: Driving on – Determining Our Future: A Strategy for People 2013-2016. This plan, which was launched at the Annual Conference, reflects the views and ambitions of over 2,000 members and other stakeholders who engaged in our year-long consultation process. You can read more about the plan on p21 of this issue, or perhaps take time to download it from our website or request a copy from your local centre. I hope, as you read through the pages, you will see some of your own priorities reflected. Underlying the whole plan is our shared determination to provide the highest quality services, and to ensure that these services continue to be built around the individuals who receive them. SPOKEOUT 19 Spokeout_summer_13-p17-20.indd 19 05/06/2013 17:31 ANNUAL CONFERENCE & AGM IWA member John Mangan chats with Charlie Bird after the conference Founding member Oliver Murphy with Former Governor of Monutjoy John Lonergan Liam O’Sullivan, Director of Care Alliance, Ireland Kathleen McLoughlin, CEO of IWA, opens the conference Arun Assen from Limerick puts his views forward Kayleigh McKevitt from Dublin participates in the open forum during the afternoon session 20 Spokeout_summer_13-p17-20.indd 20 05/06/2013 17:31 ANNUAL CONFERENCE ANNUAL CONFERENCE & AGM NEW IWA STRATEGY LAUNCHED A IWA’s new strategic plan, which was launched at the Annual Conference, is the result of an extensive consultation process during which IWA listened to members and other stakeholders, and acted to address the issues that matter to them, writes Strategy Facilitator NATASHA SPREMO t the recent Annual Conference and AGM, IWA’s new organisational strategy ‘Driving On – Determining Our Future’: A Strategy For People 2013-2016 was presented to members. This strategy was developed following extensive consultation with IWA members, staff, branches, funding agencies such as the HSE, and other statutory bodies including local authorities. During this consultation, over 2,000 individuals attended consultation meetings or submitted their views regarding the issues the strategy should address and the direction IWA should take over the next three years. The guiding principle underpinning the strategy development was: “We Asked, We Listened, We Heard, We Acted.” A huge number of messages heard during the consultation related to the general economic environment within Ireland at the moment. Members expressed real fears that service and funding levels would be cut, impacting significantly on the lives of individuals. To address these fears, six key objectives are identified in the strategy and these are to: 1. Support independent living and enhanced quality of life; 2. Retain and enhance services; 3. Ensure financial stability and sustainability for the Association; 4. Raise our profile; 5. Continue to develop sport and youth activities; 6. Mobilise support. developed, shaped and delivered as a strategy for people by our members. It signposts what we are planning to achieve over the next three years.” For further information on the new IWA strategy ‘Driving On – Determining Our Future’: A Strategy For People 2013-2016, log on to www.iwa.ie/strategy or contact your local IWA Resource and Outreach Centre. Under each of these objectives, a number of immediate and specific actions have been identified to ensure that IWA acts to address the issues identified by members. Speaking to members about the strategy, CEO Kathleen McLoughlin said: “We have set ourselves an ambitious plan and together, with courage and determination, we can make our objectives a reality. This plan has been SPOKEOUT 21 Spokeout_summer_13-p21.indd 21 05/06/2013 17:45 ANNUAL CONFERENCE ANNUAL CONFERENCE & AGM VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR 2013 T “ IWA’s inaugural ‘Volunteer of the Year’ award was won by Tony Hassett, who has been running a weekly wheelchair basketball club in Nenagh for 13 years. Tony told JOANNA MARSDEN about his very personal motivation for volunteering he main reason I got involved in sport for people with disabilities is that I came very close to being a wheelchair user myself,” says Tony Hassett, who is a retired public servant from Nenagh. “About 20 years ago, I broke my neck in an accident and ended up spending six months in the NRH. I had several spinal fusions and doctors told me I was unlikely to walk, but I was very lucky and made a better recovery than expected. Nonetheless, the whole experience gave me an insight into what it is like to live as a wheelchair user. To this day, I remain appreciative of the fact that, of all the people in St Joseph’s Ward at that time, I was the only one to walk out.” In 1999, Tony was approached by a local IWA member. “They suggested I get involved by setting up a sports group, and our current Wednesday night basketball group evolved from there. Over the years we’ve also played indoor hurling, boccia and wheelchair rugby, but wheelchair basketball is the sport the group enjoys most.” Tony has always been involved in sports coaching and also organises a charity run every Christmas. “Seeing people get active is what makes me tick. Over the years I’ve coached athletics, hurling, soccer and aqua jogging. I enjoy watching people improve. The wheelchair basketball group started off at a pretty poor standard but they have come on hugely and are now at a good level.” Tony adds, “Recently some grant opportunities have opened up and we are hoping to acquire new sports chairs for the team. The ordinary chairs are just not suitable for serious basketball. Once we get new chairs, our aim is to get into the National Wheelchair Basketball League.” Despite this ambition, Tony emphasises that the club is not solely about competitive basketball. “We also cater for those who have a recreational interest. Competitive or not, everyone gets the same enjoyment. It’s a mixed group of all ages, with about 20 members in total. People come from Limerick, Thurles, Borrisokane and Nenagh. The social aspect is huge. After the session we always have tea and coffee, and when we travel around the country playing matches, there is great old banter along the way.” Tony says new members are always welcome. “I know there are lots of wheelchair users out there – maybe some of them are shy, but new blood is good for the whole team. And it doesn’t matter how good or bad you are, you will still be looked after! Sport is a fantastic way of breaking down barriers. And it’s not just about disability – our group includes guys from Sir Lanka and Afghanistan. “What I do well is motivate people and get the best out of them. No matter how disabled a person is, they still have potential. Nothing showed that like last year’s Paralympics. I’ll never forget the blind soccer for example – simply unbelievable!” When Tony heard he had been selected from 83 nominations to win ‘Volunteer of the Year’, he says he felt “very humbled.” “My family are very proud. My wife, Ann, and my children Danny and Lily, all work in caring professions so they understand why it’s special. They also know I was only a fraction away from being a wheelchair user myself and that I’m only too glad to have an opportunity to ‘pay it back’ in some way. I do look at volunteering as a way of giving back, but I also get a lot out of it. I have a great relationship with the members and if I ever feel depressed or like I’ve had a bad day, it disappears when I catch up with them.” Tony Hassett speaking at the Annual Conference, following the presentation of the award SPOKEOUT 23 Spokeout_summer_13-p23.indd 23 05/06/2013 17:47 FEATURE BANNER LIFE BEGINS AT 50 Artist Ann Kennedy, who lives in Greystones, Co Wicklow, tells JOANNA MARSDEN how, after decades struggling with undiagnosed Asperger’s Syndrome, her life only really began in her 50s Ann (front) with her twin sister Margaret. Ann is a keen gardener and this photo was taken at last year’s Bloom festival in the Phoenix Park. Photo courtesy of Brenda Fitzsimons I “ always wondered why I was different,” says Ann Kennedy. “I remember in the 1970s when I was in art college in Dun Laoghaire, I felt so depressed and disconnected from other people. I did the rounds of various psychiatrists and every so often I would get dragged up to St John of God’s where they’d fill me up with drugs. It was a revolving door and in the end I lost all my confidence. I became a shadow of myself and it got to the stage where I couldn’t talk to other people, even at family events.” Ann struggled with her sense of being different during her 20s, 30s and 40s, until in her early 50s she was finally diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome. “It had taken a very long time to get a diagnosis, because awareness of Asperger’s and similar conditions is a relatively recent phenomenon, but finally I had an explanation that accounted for some of the ways in which I was different – for example, why I identified more strongly with elements of my environment than I did with the people around me, and why I found communicating verbally difficult at times. It was also explained to me that these personality traits had been exacerbated by the fact that I hadn’t been given hearing aids as a child even though I had severe hearing loss.” In 2002, a few years before this diagnosis, Ann recalls an incident which changed the direction of her life. “I had undergone surgery for Crohn’s disease and afterwards I was placed in an old folk’s home for the recuperation period. One night, at about 3am, I became very ill, and it later transpired that my wound had burst because of infection. It took some time for the staff to take me SPOKEOUT 25 Spokeout_summer_13-p25-27.indd 25 05/06/2013 17:51 BANNER seriously because they had become so accustomed to my ‘so called’ mental health issues, which included regular self-harm. The episode frightened me because it made me realise that my behaviour was causing serious physical health problems to be overlooked. I said to myself, ‘If you don’t do something now you are going to end up like this forever.’ I realised that by allowing people to treat me as if I was insane, I was actually putting my life in jeopardy.” Resolving to change her life, Ann sold a family heirloom – a collection of art journals created by her Great Aunt Ginnie – to the National Library in Dublin, and she used the money to pay for psychotherapy. “My goal was to get off all the medication, give up smoking and stop self-injuring. I wanted to make the most of my life and to preserve my physical health.” Looking back, Ann says the counselling was “short and effective”. “I’ll never forget my counsellor. She was an angel who gave me back my life. I began to realise how lost I had been – trapped in my world with only my dog for company – and I decided to take control of my life.” While Ann’s mental health has improved dramatically since 2002, far exceeding her initial hopes, her physical health has deteriorated. Both she and her twin sister, Margaret, suffer a rare combination of a Parkinson’s-type neurodegenerative process and a muscle-wasting disorder, and are now wheelchair users. “Margaret gave me a plaque which I have on the wall in my house,” says Ann. “It reads, ‘Once I sorted my head out, my body fell apart’. It certainly feels that way sometimes!” Ann and Margaret face an ongoing battle to find the best ways of treating and managing the conditions with which they live, and are also committed disability activists. “People with disabilities are less vocal than they used to be. When Margaret moved back to Ireland about three and a half years ago, after working as a lecturer in the UK for 30 years, I found it very upsetting to see her having to beg Ann’s Jackson Pollockstyle studio for basic services. Sometimes it feels like you have to fit in a particular box just to be allowed to live! There is no tolerance for difference in this country. And there are so many human rights concerns – I mean we still haven’t even ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities! We are backward, and now it seems like we are embracing the conservatism spreading across Europe and getting worse.” Ann uses her mixed media art as a way of expressing her frustration on political issues, creating unique posters or placards for use as part of advocacy campaigns like last autumn’s successful Dáil campaign to reverse Government cuts to PA services. She also aims to highlight “the discrimination and misperceptions that have at times led to poor physical healthcare for people with mental health issues.” Equally, she uses her art to celebrate the positive aspects of her experiences. Currently, funding from the Arts and Disability Forum in Belfast is enabling her to photographically document the work of the Dublin Dental University Hospital in Dublin 2. “This hospital has a wonderful ethos of care – something that you rarely come across today – and I want to do everything I can to ensure it is recognised and preserved.” Art is also a way of managing her thoughts and emotions, and communicating with other people. “I use art as a tool for my personal sanity and as a way to explain things to myself and to others. There are so many misconceptions about people with disabilities, particularly in relation to mental health. Whatever people may think, I’m not a ‘mental case’ – I am just different. In the years I have left my aim is to put together a body of work that is more than the sum total of how others perceive me.” Ann adds: “Before I became completely overwhelmed by mental health issues, I was a successful professional artist. After college, I became a published children’s writer and illustrator, a greeting card artist and designer, and I “I’ll never forget my counsellor. She was an angel who gave me back my life” Ann with her beloved therapy dog Maggie Mai 26 Spokeout_summer_13-p25-27.indd 26 05/06/2013 17:51 FEATURE “I use art as a tool for my personal sanity and as a way to explain things to myself and to others” even worked on the animated film Watership Down. I also rented out a small studio space which allowed me to paint in oils. But being diagnosed so late in life has left me with a relatively short time to devote to my work. I sometimes feel like my life was taken away from me at 19 and given back to me in my mid 50s. It makes me sad to think of the wasted years. But I don’t think I’m alone in this situation – lots of people with disabilities feel disappointed when they think about the time they’ve had to waste trying to get the right support. In an ideal world this just wouldn’t happen – I mean we have enough to deal with just living with a disability…” Despite these regrets, Ann feels very positive about her life going forward. “Today I am unrecognisable – a different person – because I have come so far. I don’t get it right all the time but I adore life. I think technology is wonderful (my laptop is a lifeline to me) and I astounded everybody by learning to drive at the age of 53! I can’t imagine not driving now because it has given Margaret and I such independence.” Ann is currently busy adapting the bungalow she bought close to her sister Margaret in Greystones, Co Wicklow. When she is more settled in the area, she is hoping she can get her Chihuahua, Maggie Mai, back to working as a therapy dog. “Having worked with older people in the past, I would like to try her with a disability group this time,” says Ann. Ann is also an enthusiastic gardener, and has already relandscaped her new garden, creating a circular accessible pathway, and transforming an ordinary shed into an art studio with a Jackson Pollock-style exterior. “It’s a bit avant-garde for some of my neighbours, but has been admired by others!” When the workmen finish, Ann says she is looking forward to “documenting her life experiences”, exploring her new locality and working on her garden. “I spent decades feeling alienated from a world I never understood, but I am in a much better place now, and I can finally focus on my art and enjoy the world around me. I feel I now have a window in which I am still young and energetic enough to really ‘love’ life and that is what I intend to do!” EXAMPLES OF ANN’S ART Above: A mixed media piece on the theme of disability Above: A photographic piece titled ‘Sunflower homegrown’ Left: A mixed media piece titled ‘Reflections with my heart’ A photographic piece titled ‘When someone tells me God is watching’ SPOKEOUT 27 Spokeout_summer_13-p25-27.indd 27 05/06/2013 17:51 CAREERS & EDUCATION Myra Cummins A DAY IN THE LIFE... From her upbringing in a rural farming community, through 25 years with the Presentation Sisters and nearly 15 years as a Co-ordinator in IWA’s Assisted Living Service, Myra Cummins tells JOANNA MARSDEN why she has always been inspired by community spirit and the warmth of people I “ grew up in a farming family in a close knit rural community in County Roscommon,” says Myra Cummins, who works as an Assisted Living Services (ALS) Co-ordinator in IWA Tuam. “In times of difficulty, people called on each other to help. That kind of connectedness with others can be hard to achieve these days, with most of us living in urban housing estates and driving off to work every morning. That’s one of the reasons I value the great sense of community that exists in IWA. It is wonderful to know that if I am struggling with any situation, I can call on my colleagues for support and guidance. I also feel incredibly honoured to be welcomed into the homes of so many members. They invite me into their lives and show me such trust, warmth and hospitality. For me, the time I spend face to face with members has always been the most meaningful part of my job.” Myra began working in IWA in 1999, having followed a somewhat unusual career path since leaving school in the late 1960s. “I went to boarding school at the Presentation Convent in Tuam, and when I finished I decided to stay on and join the Presentation Sisters. In those days it was normal for a handful of students to do this, and I hoped that it would be a rewarding life. Like all young people I had moments when I used to daydream about a wildly different life – like becoming a beautician and moving to Hollywood – but above all I knew I wanted to work with people and not be stuck in an office.” As part of her work with the Presentation Sisters, Myra undertook training in institutional management and “For me, the time I spend face to face with members has always been the most meaningful part of my job” SPOKEOUT 29 Spokeout_summer_13-p29-30.indd 29 05/06/2013 18:35 BANNER CAREERS & EDUCATION catering, so she could assist in the running of the school and convent premises. She worked in this area until 1987, when she moved to Dublin to undertake a Diploma in Pastoral Development in All Hallows College, Drumcondra. This lead to a change in career direction and when Myra returned to Tuam, she started working with local community groups. “New housing estates were springing up around Tuam and there was a demand for community support services such as household management courses for young couples. I also became involved in youth groups and women’s groups, including domestic violence support.” Community-focused work suited Myra and in the early 90s she undertook a Diploma in Community Development in NUI Galway. Inspired by the course, she got together with other likeminded individuals to begin working on a proposal to establish a Community Development Resource Centre in Tuam. “This project was successful and when the centre opened in 1992, I became its first chairperson.” Since the late 70s, Myra had also been volunteering with the Tuam Branch of IWA. “IWA organised a holiday to St Jarlath’s College in Tuam in 1976 and soon after the Tuam Branch was founded. Within a few years, IWA Tuam was organising regular holidays and running two afternoon sessions in the local social service centre. “Those were great times in IWA. Decades later, I still regularly meet people who talk about IWA holidays as the best days of their youth. For many members, it was the first time they’d been away, and their sense of excitement at the newness of everything was contagious. There was such a bond of friendship between members and volunteers. Those were the days before health and safety – we’d just hire a few holiday cottages and off we went! There were no accessible bathrooms, no hoists – but we certainly never said no to anyone because of their requirements. “IWA was very small in those days, and you got to know members from all over the country. We all grew to love Paddy Byrne, who was the main contact at national level, and if we could think of any excuse at all, we’d invite him to Tuam. I look back on those holidays and know I wouldn’t be the person I am today without them.” In the late 90s, Myra found herself questioning her role in the Presentation Community. “For some time, I had been questioning the future of that way of life for me. I was working with marginalised people and I started wondering whether my own life was cut off from the reality they faced. How could I empathise with people struggling to survive if my own bills were paid and I didn’t have to think about earning a living? I began to feel it was time for me to forge an independent life and in August 1998 I left the order.” Myra admits the year she left was a challenging time. “For the first time in my life, I needed to find accommodation and paid work to survive.” Fortunately, around this time, IWA was beginning to develop services in the west and in 1999 Myra successfully applied for the position of Community Development Officer. “The ALS was in its infancy so my role was to work with various community groups and regional developments partnerships, and also to oversee Resource and Outreach Services in Clairemorris, Belmullet, Tuam and Galway. There was a big push for ALS service development and a huge sense of optimism in IWA at the time.” Within a couple of years the expansion of services meant that dedicated service coordinators were taken on in Resource and Outreach Centres, and Myra’s role became that of dedicated Assisted Living Services Co-ordinator. The rapid pace of change continued, as supported housing and independent living units were developed and more and more members starting using ALS. “The only downside for me has been the increased administration,” says Myra. “When I started, payroll meant simply sending an email up to the Finance department. These days, payroll is done locally and it takes us about 30 hours each month. I have to be honest and say I’d rather be out there meeting people!” Despite increased administration, Myra believes changes to the ALS service have been very positive. “Our PAs are a wonderful group of people – multicultural, highly flexible and committed. Increasingly, working as a PA is being viewed as a profession, and people are leaving other areas of employment and undertaking a FETAC qualification because they want to work in the area. And in recent years it’s been great to see so many men moving into this type of caring work and really enjoying it.” She also feels the introduction of training in the administration of medication has made a great difference to the lives of many members. “IWA has always been good at seeing a need and adapting its services to meet that need. These days we use the word ‘person-centred’. We didn’t have that word back in the 70s or 80s, when volunteers were running holidays, but I think we already had that ethos. Basically, every person is recognised as an individual – there are no boxes or categories into which we fit people.” Like many staff, Myra says she is regularly inspired by the attitudes of the members with whom she works. “I meet people with such physical challenges and such acceptance. I ask them how they are and they say things like, ‘I couldn’t be any better!’ Everyday they find something to be grateful for. It has changed the way I see my own life, and I know over the years I’ve got so much more than I’ve ever given.” “Basically, every person is recognised as an individual – there are no boxes or categories into which we fit people” Myra Cummins retires in June. For information on Assisted Living Services, please contact your local office, or contact Claire Crehen Dowdall in IWA’s Clontarf office on 01 818 6400 or [email protected] 30 Spokeout_summer_13-p29-30.indd 30 05/06/2013 18:35 Spokeout_summer_13-p32.indd 32 05/06/2013 17:59 BANNER TRAVEL Holidaying AT HOME These accessible hotels, reviewed by KIARA LYNCH, might prove handy bases if you fancy a night away or feel like taking advantage of some of the festivals around the country this summer THE LOUIS FITZGERALD HOTEL Naas Road, Dublin 22 Tel: 01 403 3300 www.louisfitzgeraldhotel.com The luxurious four-star Louis Fitzgerald Hotel is a family hotel located on the outskirts of Dublin City, close to the M50 and N7. This Dublin hotel might suit those staying in the capital or travelling further afield. The main hotel entrance has level access and there are nine designated parking spaces located between 6m-12m from the hotel entrance. There are 190 bedrooms and 11 of these are wheelchair accessible. The accessible rooms are all on the ground floor. The accessible rooms all have low pile carpet and space to fit a hoist under the beds. The en suites have a high toilet with surrounding grab rails, and a roll-in shower with a fixed shower seat and surrounding grab rails. The bar and restaurant are fully wheelchair accessible. There is a bus stop approximately 100m from the hotel, from where the number 69 bus services the city centre. The Louis Fitzgerald Hotel is offering IWA members a special rate of €35 per person sharing for overnight stay plus full Irish breakfast. Just quote ‘IWA’ when booking. HODSON BAY HOTEL & SPA Athlone, Co Westmeath Tel: 090 644 2000 www.hodsonbayhotel.com The Hodson Bay Hotel & Spa sits on the shores of Lough Ree. The hotel allows you to enjoy the scenic countryside and is only a five-minute drive from Athlone town centre. The four-star hotel mixes traditional charm with modern luxury and has much to offer by way of facilities and services. The chief hotel entrance has level access and there is a designated parking space 25 yards from reception. There are 181 bedrooms and six of these are wheelchair accessible. Accessible rooms are available on every floor. The accessible rooms all have low pile carpet and space to fit a hoist under the beds. The en suites have a standard toilet with surrounding grab rails, and a roll-in shower with a fixed shower seat and surrounding grab rails. The bar and restaurant are fully wheelchair accessible. The Hodson Bay Hotel is located 1 hour from Dublin and Galway and is easily accessible from the M6. FIND OUT MORE: For more access information on these hotels, visit the new ‘Holidaying at home’ section on IWA’s website www.iwa.ie Although IWA does its best to ensure the information provided is accurate, we always advise you to contact the hotel directly before booking to ensure facilities meet your requirements. HOIST HIRE: Need to hire a hoist? In the east, contact JS Dobbs, Baldoyle, Dublin 13. Tel: 01 839 1071 or visit: www.jsdobbs.ie In the north/north-west, try Evolution Healthcare, Co Tyrone. Tel: 028 8772 7855 www.evolutionhealthcare.co.uk SOMEWHERE TO RECOMMEND? If you have visited a good hotel, or perhaps are a hotel owner interested in having your hotel featured, email: [email protected] SPOKEOUT 33 Spokeout_summer_13-p33.indd 33 05/06/2013 18:01 BANNER TRAVEL HOUSE SWAP Over the years, Eithne Foley from Limerick has often been disappointed by hotels that claim to be fully accessible, but are actually not. Eithne is now about to embark on her first house swap and she tells seasoned house swapper SUSAN DENNEHY about her experience so far First time house swapper Eithne Foley (left) on a recent trip to the London Eye with her sister Cora, who she describes as a “wonderful travelling companion” E ithne Foley is 44 years old and lives in a beautiful home, designed with her needs in mind, in rural Limerick. Eithne has MS and currently uses a wheelchair full-time. She loves to travel, although in general she finds that Ireland is far more accessible than mainland Europe. Eithne likes to be independent when she can and that’s why it is so crucial that holiday accommodation doesn’t have things like carpet or doors that open towards you. It was frustration that led Eithne to look into house swapping as she thought to herself, ‘I cannot be the only person in a wheelchair who needs a real holiday.’ House swapping, also known as home exchange, is where you, literally, exchange homes with another person or family for a specific length of time. Usually it is a simultaneous exchange, where you occupy each other’s homes on the same dates. It has been popular in mainland Europe for years and is fast growing in popularity here in Ireland. Essentially, it is an exchange not a transaction and so no money changes hands. In theory, it seems like SPOKEOUT 35 Spokeout_summer_13-p35-37.indd 35 05/06/2013 18:03 BANNER a brilliant way to have a holiday that costs less – but is it really? And how does it work if you are a wheelchair user? In my own case, I first began to consider a house swap because myself, and my family, really needed a holiday but we were on a tight budget. My youngest daughter uses a wheelchair and so we too were looking for accessible accommodation. Initially, I had some concerns about strangers staying in my home but I put them to one side and began by doing a search online. There are many websites listing homes of people who are looking to exchange. In fact, you may be overwhelmed by the results when you google ‘house swap’ – I know I was. The sites fall into three categories: there are general sites, general sites with an option to search for wheelchair accessible listings, and listings that are specifically for people who need accessible/adapted accommodation. In our case, we limited our search to two websites, www. matchinghouses.com, a site specifically for people with disabilities that contains adapted homes only, and Intervac, which is a general site with an option to search for disabled access. First we had to register and create our own profile on the website. This consists of filling out a form online where you must answer standard questions about you, your home and your location. You may also be asked ‘do you require pet care?’ or ‘would like to exchange cars?’ and so on. You are also given the option to post photographs of your home. The photographs are most important as this is what people tend to look at first. It is a good idea to have a good exterior picture of your home, and good clear pictures of access and adaptations are really helpful. Potential house swappers will often scrutinise your home in advance of making an offer to exchange. It was exciting checking the emails from people wanting to swap. We received several, but unfortunately we had to dismiss most of these, as they were not accessible. It’s worth noting that accessible and adapted mean different things in different countries. For example in the US, an accessible home means one with adequate wheelchair pathway access. If you need a roll-in shower or a raised toilet you need to ask specifically for an adapted bathroom. This summer Eithne plans to exchange her home and her car with a woman who lives in Toulouse, France. They have been emailing back and forth for two months. “You have to build a relationship first,” says Eithne, “then you start looking at detail.” While Eithne can transfer herself, the other woman cannot and so they have had to get down to the nitty gritty of how they will manage in each other’s home. However, according to Eithne, while it has been time consuming, at least it has been pleasant as her swap partner understands the issues. As Eithne puts it, “At least I am talking to a person instead of a travel agent.” Once you have found a partner and have agreed a swap, it is a good idea to prepare a document that will let your partner know what is ‘do-able’ in your local area. A list of local restaurants and amenities that are accessible can make or break a holiday for a wheelchair user. In Eithne’s case, she has sourced one hour of nursing care a day for her guest, something that makes house swapping invaluable when you think how difficult that would be to organise without local contacts. In addition, Eithne’s mum and dad live next door to her, and her sister lives on the other side, so this means that her French guest and her boyfriend will have people to call on if they have any questions or problems. Likewise Eithne hopes to benefit from the network of family and friends of her house swap partner in Toulouse – “People are only too happy to help a friend.” Some organisations with house swap listings have their own standard contract. Once you agree to exchange with a partner, you both fill out and sign the contract. Terms might include whether or not you pay for telephone calls, obligations such as pool cleaning etc. If you are swapping cars as well, which is very common, then you need to ensure you are covered either on your When looking for a house swap partner, Eithne focused on posting good exterior and interior photos of her home, which highlighted access features. The exterior of Eithne’s home, The fridge and sideopening oven in Eithne’s showing the large garage and kitchen level access to front door Eithne’s living room with reclining chair The en suite roll-in shower at Eithne’s house 36 Spokeout_summer_13-p35-37.indd 36 05/06/2013 18:03 TRAVEL An impressive wooden ramp stretching to the water’s edge on Gruissan Beach, close to the house where Susan and her family stayed in the South of France Susan’s husband, Stephen, and their children, Martha, Sean and Grace in the ancient village of Minerve last summer own or your partner’s insurance. Eithne has a brand new adapted car and will be careful to ensure her swap partner’s boyfriend has fully comprehensive, and not third party, car insurance, just in case. Eithne sees this holiday as an experiment. It’s her first house swap and she says she will “try it this time and see if it works” – “It may not, but I am willing to give it a go.” House swapping may not be for everyone. It can take a lot of time to set up your holiday. It would also be fair to say that there is some work involved in preparing your home and gathering information for your partner before the swap. However, on the plus side, you do not have to pay for accommodation and can have a terrific holiday, all for the cost of your flight. I’m glad to say, our own exchange holiday last year was a huge success, so much so that we will exchange again this summer. The house we stayed in was a little gem – a bungalow with its own small swimming pool situated in a tiny village among the vineyards of the Minervois region of Southern France. The real bonus, however, was the friendliness of the neighbours. One dropped by with recommendations of places to go that were accessible. His father was a wheelchair user and he knew where we should go and where we should avoid. He gave us directions to a great beach with a wooden ramp that stretched all the way to the water’s edge, which meant that our daughter had her first swim in the sea since she was a baby. Now that is the stuff of real holidays. As for my fears of having strangers in our home, it is true we never met our house swap partners face to face, but in many ways we did get to know them. We exchanged several emails. We lived in their home. We enjoyed their belongings and their lovely garden. We spent time with their neighbours and they spent time with ours. When we arrived we found they had left us a welcoming gift, just as we had left one for them. As I think about it now, giving and receiving is what house swapping is really about, and all you really need for that is to be to be open to both. USEFUL SITES Matching Houses: A fee-based listing service of accessible homes. No charge until database fills up. www.matchinghouses.com Intervac: A fee-based listing service for all homes with an option to search for ‘disabled access’ homes. 12 days free trial available. www.intervac-homeexchange.com Green Theme International: A fee-based listing service with some accessible homes. www.gti-home-exchange.com FURTHER READING: There is also a book to guide you through the process. The Home Exchange Guide: How to find your free home away from home by M.T. Simon and T.T. Baker SPOKEOUT 37 Spokeout_summer_13-p35-37.indd 37 05/06/2013 18:03 BANNER Maura and Kyra with their mother Erin, taking advantage of the wheeleasy boardwalks in Portugal while on holiday last Christmas CAMINO WHEELCHAIR TREK T In October this year, Dublin-based Canadian MAURA McMAHON and her sister Kyra, who lives in Vancouver and is a wheelchair user, are hoping to trek part of the Camino de Santiago. In our spring issue, Maura sought help from Spokeout readers in planning the trip, and she now tells us about the fantastic response she received, as well as her recent five-day ‘recce’ to the Camino he world is an incredible place. When my sister first had her car crash over 20 years ago, it was a major reconnaissance mission to find restaurants and footpaths that would be accessible. Today, we are planning to do the final (and minimum) section of the Camino de Santiago by wheelchair. Thank you to all the Spokeout readers who have contacted us since the Spring 2013 issue to help us plan our journey. We have heard from people across Ireland and Spain about trail and accommodation accessibility, and are now more convinced than ever that we can accomplish this incredible feat by chair. In the last issue Spokeout, I wrote of about my sister’s car crash which happened in the mid 1980s, and how she has dealt with the challenges of her spinal cord injury since then. Over the years, Kyra has inspired, awed and, as sisters do, infuriated us with the courage she has adopted to live life in every way possible. Doctors told us then that her lifespan would be shortened from the usual 70 odd years expected for women, to something in the order of 50 years. And now, as that time approaches, we do what we have always done – we push the limits of life to see how far we can go… in a chair. It seems Barack Obama really had something with his Irish mantra: Is féidir linn. Taking the lead from the inspirational people we see all around us in Ireland, we have started making plans for each of the five stages we will travel through this October from Sarria to Santiago. Elevation is an issue for every stage, and although there are cycling paths, I know firsthand these are not always accessible for chairs. We are currently debating about whether my sister’s typical modus operandi, a Quickie chair, is the best option in light of the sporting options available now from places like Trekinetic or hand-cycles such as the Quickie Shark RT. We are hoping that some Spokeout readers might be able to get in touch and help us make an informed decision about this. In challenging my sister to do the 100 kilometre Camino trek, I realise it will be the hardest thing we have ever physically done. For inspiration, we look to Irish role models like Mark Rohan who literally blew the wheels off the competition in the recent Paralympics; Mark Pollock, who continually challenges the limits of medical science and physical endurance; and Edel Reck who conquers extreme sports around the world from her chair. We have never accepted “no” as an answer since the day of Kyra’s crash, and we have no intention of doing so now. Fingers crossed, is féidir linn! Contact Maura at: [email protected] or visit Maura’s blog at http://caminowheeleasy.blogspot.ie/ 38 Spokeout_summer_13-p38-39.indd 38 05/06/2013 18:05 TRAVEL MAURA’S CAMINO GUIDE SPOKEOUT As I write, it’s late May and I’m just back from an information-gathering preparatory ‘recce’ during which I walked five days from France into Spain on the Camino, trekking over the Pyrenees, past Pamplona and into Puerta la Renta. Over the five days, I made some observations and gathered some tips which may be of use to other travellers: • Flights to/from airports near the Camino mean the usual waits for wheelchair users. On my flight to Biarritz this was compounded by the fact that airlines deplane directly from their steep metal stairs onto the tarmac. • The hostels/auberges/albergues en route are not wheelchair friendly and cannot be booked ahead for the most part. Some do have private rooms but access to these rooms would require able body hoisting, lifting, and pushing to get a chair inside. Linens are provided in the nightly rates but towels are not. (Penneys still has quick dry sports towels for a fraction of the price elsewhere!). Bring a pillow case and sleeping bag liner to help keep you warm when blankets aren’t available. • Camaraderie everywhere on the Camino is incredible. You will be walking with the same group of people from town to town and everyone is willing to help in any way they can and share whatever they have. It helps you to just keep going and find your way even on long, tough days. • Food and drink are available at all of the local shops for next to nothing. We brought a packed lunch each day but found we had too much food as it was nice to stop to rest over a cuppa and delicious pintxos (Basque tapas) in the little towns we passed through. Vegetarians can make do with the local menus but vegans would find it difficult. • Phone reception is generally good, even in the mountains. There is a dedicated phone number for medical assistance (112) but I’m not sure how quickly someone would be able to find you on the Camino if there was an emergency. SmartPhone Apps can help with GPS coordinates. • Internet access at the hostels and small towns is spotty, and the limited number of machines makes accessing them tricky at times. • Toileting is troublesome on the Camino even for the able bodied. Stop in every town you walk through just in case, and be prepared with toilet roll or tissue. • Medical assistance is available from chemists and doctors in the towns you walk through each day so you can always stock up on plasters and paracetamol. • Money is one thing that is not an issue. Accommodation includes breakfast; packed lunches from local shops are inexpensive; and our three course dinners (including all the wine you can drink) were only a tenner! Breakfast was always bread and tea/ coffee so we bought local cheese and fruit for sustenance. • Footpaths on trails were generally hard-packed surfaces that would make for easily rolling. Steep declines are much worse than the inclines, and often these were covered in loose stone and difficult for Maura McMahon in full even the able bodied. trekking mode Footpaths through towns are paved and in good condition even in rain, but some of the roads have heavy traffic including large lorries. • Weather varies just like in Ireland. You need at least three changes of clothes for sun and rain, and two pairs of reliable walking shoes or sets of wheelchair tires. I also packed a light pair of sandals for evenings so my shoes and feet could dry out. I wore a fleece hat and running jacket every day which kept me dry in the lashing rain but most people had ponchos to keep them completely covered. A poncho will easily cover my sister and whatever chair she uses but I am concerned about its bulkiness and impact on her peripheral vision. • Pack as little as possible even if you intend to use luggage transportation services between stages. These are available for a few euro a day but your bags will be collected early so you still have to decide what to carry for the day. Bring a small rucksack and handheld LED torch. If you’re staying in hostels, they turn the lights off early and it’s hard to find your way back from the loo! Other indispensable items are earplugs and an eye mask for when early trekkers turn on the lights at 5am, teabags, flask, and nuts to maintain protein levels. • Before you go, train, train and train some more! We naively thought if we were able to do the Aware 16 mile Harbour to Harbour Walk without falling apart, we would be ready for the Camino, but nothing could be farther from the truth! You will need to build up enough stamina to cover 4-5 hours of terrain walking, rolling or even crawling for at least five consecutive days. My sister swims, lifts hand weights, and does CrossFit when she can afford it. • The craic on the Camino is mighty but bring along a book to read for when you find yourself in the middle of nowhere. Famous fiction like Paulo Coehlo’s The Pilgrimage, and The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemmingway will get you in the mood. For fact, John Brierley wrote the proverbial Bibles for different stages of the Camino; and John Higginson has an excellent cyclists’ guide. Michelin also has a pocket guide, Camino de Santiago, with detailed elevation and amenities (including wheelchair accommodation) for each stage of the French Way, available at Eason’s for Kyra’s shadow less than €7. 39 Spokeout_summer_13-p38-39.indd 39 05/06/2013 18:05 CARTOONS GETTING CREATIVE When it comes to the elusive creative gene, some of us have it and some of us clearly don’t! Cartoons by JOHNNY CONNAUGHTON with inspiration from Kiara Lynch. Sixteenth Birthday SPOKEOUT 41 Spokeout_summer_13-p41.indd 41 05/06/2013 18:06 GARDENING Outdoor eating area with pergola GARDEN OF YOUR MIND I One of the greatest pleasures of gardening is the time spent contemplating, dreaming and planning, writes HELEN ROCK t has been said that most gardening is done in the head, which could very well be true. All keen gardeners, by their nature, invariably spend long hours happily thinking about their gardens; about its function and design, its planting, its seating arrangements, and so forth. Getting it right takes time and careful observation of the site and its unique spirit. Time must be spent patiently watching the fall of sunlight and shadow, before a big decision can be made, such as where to pave an area for eating al fresco – and should you put a pergola over it, for hanging grape vines, perhaps. It takes time to find the right place to put a pond, a place where birds can have a bath and wonderful irises and lilies will grow in the water and dramatic looking dragonflies will flutter and hover on sunny days. Perhaps you’d like a summerhouse with trellised sides and shingle roof, tucked away in the scented heart of the garden, with lavender and lilies planted at your knees and roses, jasmine and honeysuckle twining up all around. More gardening time could be spent there in contemplation of nature, or sitting and reading about gardening and browsing through the seed and plant catalogues, taking notes and perhaps sketching out ideas for the vegetable plot. And we must not forget a hive for the honeybee, if at all possible. All over the world, honeybees are dangerously in decline, a dire state of affairs accelerated by the overuse of pesticides known “More gardening time could be spent there in contemplation of nature, or sitting and reading about gardening and browsing through the seed and plant catalogues” 42 Spokeout_summer_13-p42-44.indd 42 05/06/2013 18:10 CAREERS LIVING Roses Oriental poppy “Everything grows so quickly in June, with its optimum conditions of light, warmth and moisture. It can be a heady time in the garden” as neonicotinoids, mass killers that were finally banned by the EU at the end of April, though only for a two-year trial period, despite damning scientific evidence against them. As we all must know, without bees and other wild pollinators, entire ecosystems will collapse, and the future production of all the food on the planet will be in jeopardy. An appalling vista. If anyone with a medium to large sized town garden has the right conditions in which keep a happy hive, they can help stop the decline, particularly that of the native black Irish bee. In old Ireland, everybody with a plot of land seemed to keep bees, and cows. It wasn’t called the land of milk and honey for nothing. So important were the pollinating bees and their honey that enshrined in the Brehon Laws is a whole set of bee laws and bee statutes. If you have a quiet, sheltered part of the garden, ideally facing south-east and away from prevailing winds and away from house windows, then that could be where you put your hive. Contact the Federation of Irish Beekeepers to find out more. IN THE GARDEN This has been an exceptionally cold year to date. Even so, it’s fairly safe to say that by the time you read this in June, all danger of frost will be over and tender plants, including hardy varieties of tomatoes, can go outside by day, to be hardened off gradually. This means bringing them in at night, for at least five days. The sweet tasting, smaller and bushier kinds don’t need staking and will grow very happily in prepared ground or in big pots, in sunshine and with protection from the prevailing wind. Give them a high potash feed every week after they’ve set their first truss of yellow flowers. Everything grows so quickly in June, with its optimum conditions of light, warmth and moisture. It can be a heady time in the garden, surrounded by classically beautiful flowers, such as roses, paeonies, honeysuckle, Oriental poppies, hardy geraniums, irises, alliums, delphiniums, billowing herbs and strawberries. But all this loveliness fades and you cannot rest on your laurels for too long, if you want Honeysuckle Geraniums WHAT’S ON • 16 JUNE (Sun): Irish Specialist Nursery Association (ISNA) Plant Fair. Lodge Park, Straffan, Co Kildare, 10.30am-4.00pm. www.isna.ie • 19 JUNE (Wed): Workshop, ‘Identifying Irish Butterflies’, Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, 10am4pm. Includes a presentation, an educational walk and a follow-up discussion. Places are free but limited. Bookings can be made online at www. biodiversityireland.ie/home-page/event-registration/ • 21 – 23 JUNE (Fri – Sun): Mallow Home & Garden Show at Cork Racecourse, Mallow, Co Cork. • 29 JUNE (Sat): ‘Growing Cut Flowers for Pleasure’, Lavistown House, Kilkenny, 10am-4.30pm. Ciarán Beattie of Leitrim Flowers chemical free enterprise shows how to grow wonderful cottage flowers for yourself and how to cut and display them to best effect. €80 including lunch, coffee and snacks. €50 deposit to reserve. Tel. 086-840 7754; [email protected] • 6 & 7 JULY (Fri – Sun): Galway Garden Festival, Claregalway Castle. www.galwaygardenfestival.com • 13 JULY (Sat): Botanical Painting course with Lynn Stringer, Lavistown House, Kilkenny. Suitable for novices and improvers. €70 including lunch, coffee and snacks. Deposit and contact details as 29 June. • 20 & 21 JULY (Sat & Sun): Rose Festival, St Anne’s Park, Dublin 5. • 27 JULY – 4 AUGUST: Carlow Garden Festival. See www.carlowgardentrail.com • 27 JULY (Sat): ‘Painting for Pleasure’, Lavistown House, Kilkenny. Artist Trevor Geoghegan guides you through painting outdoors in the garden. €70 includes lunch, coffee and snacks. Deposit and contact details as 29 June. • 18 AUGUST (Sun). Annual Farmleigh Plant Fair, Phoenix Park, Dublin 8, 10.30am-4.00pm. Adm free. SPOKEOUT 43 Spokeout_summer_13-p42-44.indd 43 05/06/2013 18:10 LIVING Mildew can be a problem now, particularly in late June if the weather is very dry. You’ll see it on roses, pulmonarias, early geraniums, acanthus and spurge, for example. Rather than spraying with a dangerous fungicide, cut all the culprits hard back and water them really well. You’ll be rewarded with a second, fresh flush of leaves and often a second, lesser, flush of flowers. Early potatoes should be ready to harvest by the end of June, once the first flowers have opened. If the weather is wet and blight strikes now, act quickly by cutting off all foliage and burn, if possible, but don’t compost. Early potatoes should be okay beneath the ground if you do this. And very importantly, keep on top of weeds, as they too love the optimum growing conditions in June and July. By August, you’ll deserve to relax in your garden and it will look all the better for your timely interventions. to keep the flower garden looking great until the end of the season. There are certain things you can do to keep the show going, and summer bedding is a good way to start. Some people grow their own bedding plants from seeds and cuttings but more buy them in. There are some great easy annuals, including Cosmos, which are best grown from seed to ensure you get the tall, graceful varieties. When buying bedding, make sure the plants are firmly rooted in their pots or plugs: if they are wilting and coming away too easily, don’t buy them. They could be infested with the dreaded vine weevil. When planting up pots with summer bedding, or indeed with anything, including tomatoes, salads and most fruit, use a soil or loam based compost, rather than a lighter, peat based one. It will be more nourishing, need less watering, last all summer and, because it’s much heavier, your pots are most unlikely to blow over in a strong wind. 44 Spokeout_summer_13-p42-44.indd 44 05/06/2013 18:10 HITTING THE ROAD Turlach Cotter beside his Volkswagen Golf D DAVE HUMPHREYS talks to two IWA members about learning to drive, choosing the right car and adaptations, and what driving means to them riving can mean different things to different people. It is something that most able-bodied people take for granted, whereas for others – including many people with disabilities – it can completely change their way of life and have a hugely beneficial impact on their confidence. I recently met up with Turlach Cotter from Drumcar in Dundalk and David Griffith from Finglas in Dublin to discuss exactly what driving means to them. Turlach hadn’t driven a car before his accident in 2002 as the cost of motoring was quite high at the time, but during his time in the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dun Laoghaire, he had an opportunity to go out with an instructor and see what driving would be like. This was his first taste of the freedom that motoring can offer. As it turned out, several years passed and it was only when he moved into a new home further out of town with his now wife that the idea of becoming a driver became more prominent. “I didn’t want to be hanging around waiting for lifts and once we got the house out of town I just had to do it. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done.” Turlach admits he was nervous starting out, but once he had met driving instructor Steve McManus through the IWA in Navan, his nerves were soon put at ease; “Not only did I pass my test with him, but he was brilliant throughout and I consider him a friend now. I passed my test first time and the sense of achievement was great.” Turlach saw this as a huge milestone in his life and it set him up for the next step, which was to find a car that would be right for him. “I’d done my test in a Ford Focus, which I had enjoyed driving, but when I went looking for one I found it a bit too sporty, and getting the chair in and out wasn’t that easy. I didn’t really want a saloon car as it would be a bit too big for parking, so in the end I went for a Golf”. Turlach’s three-door Volkswagen Golf does make for a very suitable car as the doors are longer and open wider, compared to a five-door version – making getting in and out that little bit easier. His hand controls are quite a straightforward affair and, crucially, don’t get in the way when he is getting in and out of the car. Since getting the car, Turlach’s sense of independence and freedom has grown a great deal and has allowed him to do things that before would certainly have been a lot harder. “I play a lot of basketball now, and being able to drive myself to events all over the country means a great deal to me. Not long after getting the car I was able to drive my wife up to Donegal 46 Spokeout_summer_13-p46-47.indd 46 06/06/2013 12:38 MOTORING David Griffith behind the wheel for a break, and it was great being able to drive her, whereas before she had always been the one driving me”. Turlach’s says factors like this are often overlooked but can mean so much to somebody – because as well as giving a person great freedom, driving enables them to give lifts to friends and family. For Turlach, the right car and the right adaptations have made driving hassle-free. “I even know which petrol stations to go to, so I don’t have to get in and out of the car. It’s things like that which make such a difference”. One of Turlach’s favourite things to do is to drive to football matches in places like the Aviva with his twin sons. I then met with David Griffith who has spina bifida and is without doubt a fully qualified petrol-head! Naturally given his love of all things car-related he was eager to get motoring as soon as he reached a certain age. One of the catalysts that prompted David to get on the road was a visit to Rally School Ireland, where he got to experience passenger rides in some of their race cars. Although the day was great, it left him with a desire get behind the wheel for himself and drive. David began the process of learning when he was 24 and took the sensible approach of doing all his license work before investing in a car. Once he had gotten his lessons and passed his test, he then set about looking for a car, ultimately deciding on a pre-owned car rather than a new car as the cost of adaptations needed for him wasn’t as high as it can be for others. Like Turlach, David also settled on a three-door Volkswagen Golf to which he has been able to add some of his own touches. “It’s opened up my world. I have a job now which I couldn’t have managed before due to the public transport situation. These days all my close friends live in Dublin, which isn’t very convenient, so I have to travel to see them – but at least having the car means that I can do this whenever I want.” Passing the test was a massive confidence boost for David, and he says it has acted as a motivation to other people he knows to start motoring themselves. David did point out just how many different adaptations are now on the market, making it possible for virtually anybody to get behind the wheel for themselves, should they desire to. “There’s a number of different companies out there that can do almost anything now,” he adds. But he is also keen to stress that anyone considering learning to drive should give it some careful thought and consideration first. “There will be a few people who, once assessed, will find out that they can’t drive, and this can be a very upsetting thing if they have already set their heart on the idea. My advice is, before you make any decisions, go and get an assessment done and then you’ll know.” David’s love of driving now extends to rally driving in an adapted vehicle at Rally School Ireland. (For more information, read David’s article about Rally School Ireland in the Autumn 2012 Spokeout, available online at www.iwa.ie). For someone like David who is so into cars, being able to drive gives him a great sense of pride, especially now that he owns his own car. He also knows that his knowledge of cars stood to him when it came to making the purchase. “Some things that people don’t always consider is practicalities like the seats and how much side support they offer. I need lumber support and when I used to travel in my mam’s jeep, the seats were very flat so when we came to roundabouts I’d have to really hold on or else I’d be sliding across the seat”. Given that David is such a keen car enthusiast, I had to ask him what would be his dream car, to which he replied instantaneously – a Nissan GTR. SPOKEOUT 47 Spokeout_summer_13-p45-46.indd 47 05/06/2013 18:07 Spokeout_summer_13-p49.indd 49 05/06/2013 18:11 FEATURE YOUTH Young LOVE Inspired by the example of people close to her, 27-year-old JENNY KERR from County Meath is looking for a relationship based on honesty and respect, but is worried that in a world of casual relationships and social media this might be hard to achieve E veryone has their own image of what being in love should be like. When I imagine it, I tend to focus on the relationships of the people closest to me. For example, my parents, who were married two years before I was born. Both their families lived in Kells, and I guess you could say they were childhood sweethearts. They tell me it was “love at first sight” and they still laugh and have fun together. This is the kind of relationship I would like to experience one day. I feel the reason I am single at 27 has a lot to do with my specific vision of what being in love should be like. I would one day like to meet someone who brings out the best in me and who loves me for who I am, not how he would like me to be. Unfortunately, it often feels like this ideal is lost in today’s society. From what I have experienced, being in a relationship has become a very casual concept for many young people, with a disproportionate focus on appearances and dressing in a way that will attract attention. To me, being in a relationship seems to have become more Fifty Shades of Grey and less PS I Love You. Jenny Kerr “...online people often treat each other in ways they would never do in person” Since I was a teenager, the presence of social media in our lives has increased dramatically. It has helped us keep in touch with friends and family, and has also helped fans of music, sport and entertainment to keep up to date with their idols. However, there is also a downside to using social media as a way of connecting with others. Take the boy-band One Direction, for example. Their fans have been using social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to abuse other fans and even the band members’ girlfriends. This is where social media sites are not very helpful, because online people often treat each other in ways they would never do in person. This makes me wary of using online dating websites or social media to meet people. Do you really get a full picture of what a person is like in real life? I would much prefer to meet a person face to face. Of course, being in a relationship when you have a disability can be particularly challenging. When starting out, a disabled person has to factor in many different issues. They have to work out where to go on their date and make sure the place is accessible and has all the SPOKEOUT 51 Spokeout_summer_13-p51-52.indd 51 05/06/2013 18:12 YOUTH facilities required. They then have to arrange for accessible transport to take them to and from the venue, a simple thing which I have found has become very difficult due to the recession. And very importantly, a disabled person has to consider how their disability affects their body – talking to my friends, I have discovered that it’s the personal care issues that are often the most challenging when it comes to dating and being in a relationship. A disabled person should also consider the issue of their personal assistant, if they require one. Don’t get me wrong, having a personal assistant is great because it gives a disabled person independence, but I just wonder, is having an assistant with you on a date an invasion of your privacy? I think that relationships should be based on love, trust and respect. I feel that what’s on the inside should be as important as what is on the outside. Take the classic film Grease for example. I didn’t like the ending because it implied that women had to change their appearance to attract a guy. In my opinion if you want a guy to like you, you should just be yourself. Concentrate on the most important thing which is your happiness and hopefully the rest will fall into place. As the saying goes, “If it is meant to be, it will be”. Take your time and don’t rush things, and always remember to treat people the way you would like to be treated. This is my philosophy – and I’m hoping it will work for me! “Is having an assistant with you on a date an invasion of your privacy?” Jenny Kerr is a member of IWA’s Youth Media Group. She can be contacted at email: [email protected] To read more views on young people and relationships, visit the IWA Youth microsite at www.iwa.ie/youth or if you would like to share your views on relationships in a future issue of Spokeout (whatever your age), email the editor at [email protected] 52 Spokeout_summer_13-p51-52.indd 52 05/06/2013 18:12 SPORT STAR OF THE FUTURE KIARA LYNCH talks to one of our likely future athletics stars, nine-yearold Shauna Bocquet from Galway, about her sporting achievements so far and her hopes of one day becoming a Paralympian S hauna Bocquet is an up and coming wheelchair athlete from Galway. She first started to play with a wheelchair basketball team, the Tornadoes (now known as the Galway Speeders) in Galway City, when she was four years old. Over the years, she’s tried many other sports such as table tennis, hand-cycling, wheelchair racing, swimming and kayaking. She enjoys all sports – “They are great fun and a good way to make friends”– but she has shown a particular natural talent for wheelchair racing. “Wheelchair racing is my favourite sport. I love how I can go so fast and get my speed up all by myself,” says Shauna. Last September Shauna was loaned a track chair by IWA-Sport and she hasn’t looked back since. Paul Ryan, IWA Sports Development Officer for the Munster region, suggested Shauna take part in a few 5-kilometre races to see how she got on. Since then, Shauna has completed six 5-kilometre races and one 4-mile race, and she has also won the IWA ‘Wheelchair Track Athlete of 2012 Award’– and she’s only nine years old! Shauna’s parents, Loic and Elaine, have always enjoyed sports and Loic says they wanted Shauna “to have a chance be a part of the fun and comradeship that comes from being part of a team”. With this in mind, in 2008 they contacted IWA-Sport to find out what sports were available in Galway. Mark Barry, IWA Sports Development Officer, put them in touch with a volunteer who was starting up a wheelchair basketball team in Galway, and that was how Shauna’s involvement with the Galway Speeders began. Loic adds: “It’s so important to get your child involved in sport – we simply can’t encourage the parents of children with disabilities enough. It helps your child grow their personality, self-esteem, self-confidence, not to mention their circle of friends!” Shauna’s younger brother and sister provide her with her own personal cheer squad at her track races and other competitive events! As part of the Galway Speeders team, Shauna at the finish line in Claregalway on 16.9.2012 Shauna also loves attending the basketball blitzes, which are run by IWA-Sport and take place monthly from October to May in various locations around the country. “I’ve made friends from both the Rebel Wheelers from Cork and the Dublin Swifts,” she tells me. Shauna’s parents are both very supportive and proud of her sporting achievements. Elaine says, “There are too many proud moments to pick just one! The first time Shauna scored in a basketball blitz, her first 5K, seeing her swim with her school friends… the list is endless!” Shauna was glued to the TV last summer watching the Paralympic games and she’s even met some Irish Paralympians. “I like Mark Rohan because he is funny, friendly and he won two Gold medals at the Paralympics in London – he’s my favourite Paralympian.” She met Mark Rohan at the Paralympic Talent Search Event in UCD last October and got to spend time with him again at the IWA Angel Campaign photo-shoot in Croke Park last November. Shauna was also delighted to meet Orla Barry at the IWA-Sport Athletics Games in Cork last September, and it was Orla who presented Shauna with her IWA Wheelchair Track Athlete of 2012 award in February at IWA’s head office in Clontarf. Shauna says, “Orla is very nice because she SPOKEOUT 55 Spokeout_summer_13-p55-56.indd 55 05/06/2013 18:13 SPORT Shauna with Michael McKillop at the Paralympic Talent Search in UCD, October 2012 Shauna and her friends with Orla Barry at the IWA-Sport Athletics Games in Cork in September 2012 Shauna at the finish line in Westport House on 27.3.2013 brought her Bronze medal to show everybody.” Shauna met Michael McKillop at the Paralympic talent search in UCD as well. She tells me excitedly, “He’s friendly and very fast at running and he let me wear his two Gold medals!!” Now, having held these Paralympic medals, Shauna’s greatest hope is to get some medals of her own SHAUNA’S BIG RACES SO FAR! RACE 1: 16.9.2012 A 5k race in Claregalway for SelfHelp Africa. Shauna’s time was 28 minutes and she won a candle. RACE 2: 11.11.2012 A 5k race in in Athenry for Western Alzheimer. Shauna’s time was 30 minutes. Her school principal ran it with her and Shauna won a medal. RACE 3: 2.12.2012 A 5k race in Carnmore for the local GAA club Carnmore. The name of the race was the ‘Turkey Trot’ by competing in wheelchair racing at the Paraylmpics one day. FURTHER INFORMATION Galway Speeders: www.speeders.ie IWA-Sport: www.iwasport.com and there were turkeys at every cross road! Shauna’s time was 29 minutes. RACE 4: 27.1.2013 Shauna’s first 4 mile (6.5 km) race in Coldwood for Coldwood N.S. Shauna’s time was 38 minutes and her teacher ran with her. Shauna won two lights, a water bottle and a calculator. RACE 5: 27.3.2013 A 5k in Westport House as part of the ‘Join Ray for 5K’ national campaign. It was a very cold day and Shauna completed the race in less than 30 minutes. RACE 6: 14.4. 2013 This was a 5k race in New Inn, Galway, for St-Killian’s Secondary School in New Inn. Shauna’s time was 31 minutes and she won a box of chocolates. RACE 7: 28.4.2013 A 5k race in Athlone. Shauna’s time was 28 minutes. 56 Spokeout_summer_13-p55-56.indd 56 05/06/2013 18:13 ANNUAL CONFERENCE NEWS CIL DISABILITY STUDIES COURSE The Center for Independent Living is currently inviting applications for its annual certificate in Disability Studies, a course which is designed to challenge thinking about disability and how to create a fully equal society T he Center for Independent Living (CIL), Carmichael House, runs an annual certificate course in Disability Studies from October to the end of April. This part-time course is accredited at level 7 on the National Framework of Qualifications and is run in conjunction with the National University of Ireland Maynooth. All participants are welcome however CIL advises that those with some experience of disability, either in a personal, academic or professional sense, will gain the most. The course is designed to explore theories and perceptions of disability in society, as well as accessibility issues. It aims to challenge participants’ thinking around disability and how as active citizens we can create a society that fully accepts social equality for all. Aaron Foley, who completed the course this April, says. “The course content was very interesting from the start, and it deeply affected the way I think about society and challenged my perceptions of equality, offering valuable insights into the real life difficulties and obstacles faced by people with disabilities in Ireland. To get the most from this Aaron Foley course, participants need to immerse themselves in the recommended reading material and to actively think about the issues raised in the course literature. The course then allows you to find an area of disability you are passionate about, to research your chosen subject and produce an academic research paper. For me that was a really fulfilling experience, and I would highly recommend the course to any individual interested in this area. The tutor, Paul Fagan, has a depth of wisdom and life experience that he imparts with the course content, and this makes for a really interesting course.” For more information, please contact The Center for Independent Living team. Email: [email protected] Tel: 01 873 0455 SPOKEOUT 59 Spokeout_summer_13-p59.indd 59 05/06/2013 18:16 BANNER NEWS FRIENDS OF IWA MONTHLY DRAW February 2013 winners 1st Prize €2,000: Mary Fitzgibbon, Dublin 2nd Prize €1,500: Patrick Scully, Dublin 3rd Prize €500: Anna May Bohan, Co Longford March 2013 winners 1st Prize €2,000: Julie Graham, Dublin 2nd Prize €1,500: Stephanie McNamara, Limerick 3rd Prize €500: Angela Crossan, Co Donegal Friends of IWA Draw March Winner Julie Graham and April Winner Dave Barry, both employees of IWA, are presented with their cheques by Francis Genockey, Fundraising Development Officer, at IWA Headquarters, Clontarf April 2013 winners 1st Prize €2,000: Dave Barry, Dublin 2nd Prize €1,500: John Downey, Dublin 3rd Prize €500: Philip Kiernan, Cavan To enter the Friends of IWA Monthly Draw, visit www.iwa.ie/Friends-of-IWA or contact Verona Doyle, Friends of IWA Monthly Draw Co-ordinator, on 01 818 6418. Join IWA’s Marathon Team Ireland has an exciting calendar of marathons in 2013. CHARLENE HURLEY, Fundraising Development Officer, encourages readers to join the action Today Irish people tend to enjoy a more active and healthy lifestyle, and in recent years walking and running has increased in popularity. IWA is currently looking for people who enjoy keeping fit socially to join the IWA team and take part in events across Ireland, while raising funds for IWA services at the same time. As we go to print, the Association has approximately 80 participants taking part in the Flora Women’s Mini Marathon. Ladies are taking part at an individual level or as a group and are actively raising funds for the Resource and Outreach Centres located in their communities. Each year IWA is delighted to have a dedicated team participating in Ireland’s largest female event. If you missed this year’s Flora Women’s Mini Marathon, there are plenty more local marathons and events to take part in later in the year. Budding marathon enthusiasts will be preparing for the Dublin City Marathon which takes place on Monday 28th October 2013 and the Evening Echo Cork Women’s Mini Marathon, which will be held on Sunday 15th September 2013. To support IWA and help raise funds for the essential services the Association provides throughout Ireland, consider participating in one of the many events taking place nationwide over the coming months. For full listings of events visit www.iwa.ie/events. For more information about how to get involved, contact Helen Power on 01 818 6469 or alternatively email [email protected]. You will then receive your sponsorship cards and t-shirt. SPOKEOUT 61 Spokeout_summer_13-p61.indd 61 05/06/2013 18:16 Spokeout_summer_13-p63.indd 63 05/06/2013 18:17 BANNER NEWS INCLUSIVE CHARITY CYCLE IWA’s 2013 Inclusive Charity Cycle is different from other fundraising cycles because it will unite cyclists, hand-cyclists and tandem enthusiasts, says organiser and participant CIARAN TIGHE At the finish line in Eyre Square Galway last year are (l to r): Robert Kuzma (IWA volunteer), Stuart McLindon (IWA staff), David Barry and Ciaran Tighe L ast year, myself and a few other lads who work in IWA-Sport and the IWA Youth Service decided to raise funds by cycling from Dublin to Galway. The event turned out to be great fun, and a real personal challenge for us all, so this year we decided to take things a step further by formally launching the IWA Inclusive Charity Cycle 2013. The cycle will take place on August 1st 2013, starting in the Phoenix Park, Dublin, and ending in Eyre Square, Galway. The route will pass through some of Ireland’s most beautiful countryside and will arrive just in time to celebrate Ladies Day at the Galway Races. The event is open to all we are hoping that people with disabilities will participate using hand-cycles or adapted cycles. The 200-kilometre route is an ideal event for both beginners and experienced sportive cyclists. We hope that approximately 50 participants – be they cyclists, handcyclists and tandem enthusiasts, and regardless of age or experience – will sign up for the event and assist us in raising money for the services provided by IWA-Sport and the IWA Youth Service. This year the event is being organised by myself and Dave McGrath in IWA-Sport, together with Youth Officer Dave Barry. We’ve done a bit of research and we believe the inclusive nature of the event will make it the first of its type in Ireland. Joining our team will be Irish Paralympic cyclist Cathal Miller and comedian PJ Gallagher, both members of the Clontarf Cycling Club. Cathal is keen to encourage more cyclists to get involved: “It is the perfect platform to promote disability cycling, and cycling as a whole. This cycle is a tough challenge, but a great introduction to sports cycling and events. I encourage all cyclists, whether you are a beginner or advanced, to register for the challenge!” To register for the IWA Inclusive Charity Cycle, visit the IWA-Sport Facebook Page or email [email protected]. Cyclists have the choice of registering for the event as an individual or as a team of three (relay or in stages). Individual entry is €60 with a minimum of €200 sponsorship, and a team of three is €60 each with a minimum €500 sponsorship. Cost includes overnight accommodation, barbecue, goodie bag (including a t-shirt for each cyclist), cycle support vehicles and mechanic, discounted gym membership, and organised training spin sessions. For further information, contact Ciaran Tighe (IWA-Sport) on 087 244 4601. And remember hand-cycles are available to lease from the IWA Gym in Clontarf. Three of the participants in this year’s cycle (l to r): Paralympic athlete Cathal Miller, David McGrath (IWA-Sport) and comedian PJ Gallagher SPOKEOUT 65 Spokeout_summer_13-p65.indd 65 05/06/2013 18:18 VIEWS MY LIFE WILLIAM AHERN, from Carrigtwohill, Co Cork, values his independence and affectionately calls his home a ‘three-roomed palace’. He sent Spokeout this reflection on living with a disability I am an OAP, an amputee who walks with the aid of two artificial limbs and two walking sticks, a polio survivor and have Asperger’s Syndrome. All these are what make me what I am and even though they have placed a few limitations on me I have lived a full and satisfying life. I have been a disability activist at local and national level for over 35 years and feel that the current budget cut-backs have set policies towards the disabled back by several years. Over the years I have been an active member of my local IWA branch but in recent years my social life has been restricted by my study commitments – it is one of my aims to get active with them again when I get going! I live in my own apartment which is built on to my sister’s bungalow and I call it my three-roomed palace, because everything I need is within those four walls. I am independent in all aspects of personal care; a lady comes in once a month to clean the place, and my laundry is done by my sister. Last October I completed an honours arts degree in UCC. I studied sociology and philosophy. It was hard work – a 24/7 lifestyle – but I enjoyed it. As part of my degree I had to write a 10,000 word thesis and as the subject I chose ‘happiness’. It was a fascinating subject but I am still vague as to what happiness is. As part of my thesis, I questioned what is this euphoric state we are always striving William at his recent for but never graduation from UCC seem to achieve because, no matter what we have, we always want more? I looked at my grand nephew and grand nieces, who live every moment of every day and are happy, and I thought as adults we should learn from them. I noted that while there are many studies of the ills of the mind, such as depression and anxiety, and their possible treatments, happiness has only been studied for the past thirty years. There are no legitimate drugs or treatments to suddenly give you happiness and only you can make this work. I have been writing all my life and have been published in England and in this country. I write short stories, long stories and – when I cannot find an ending – poetry (both rhymed and free verse), as well as the occasional newspaper article. Often, an idea for a poem will start to germinate in the middle of a lecture and it will have to be jotted down; sometimes it reaches a satisfactory conclusion – often it does not work out and is binned! I have noticed that in the past year or so my mobility has declined and the idea of walking a half mile to the village, getting a bus into town and spending a couple of hours there before returning home is no longer realistic. My family are very good to me and there is always a car and driver at my disposal but now I have to hire a wheelchair if I want to go any further. I have started the process of acquiring one of my own. Time will tell if this decline will lead to further limitations. I have many interests such as local history, the subject of men’s health and reading. I have many books – they seem to stick to my fingers when I enter a bookshop! My other main hobby of the moment is spending time with my grand nephew, aged four, and my three grand nieces aged seven, three and one. I find watching them grow up fascinating. “I looked at my grand nephew and grand nieces, who live every moment of every day and are happy, and I thought as adults we should learn from them” If you would like to submit a 500 word article on your life, or what your local IWA centre means to you, write to ‘My Life’, Spokeout, IWA, Blackheath Drive, Clontarf, Dublin 3 or email [email protected] 66 Spokeout_summer_13-p66.indd 66 05/06/2013 18:18 REGIONAL NEWS EVENTS CARD GAME HELD IN MEMORY OF OLD FRIENDS Members and staff in Clane Resource Centre recently held a ‘25’ card game in the centre in memory of members Margaret McEvoy and Fran Connolly, who passed away last year. Both Margaret and Fran were avid card players, and the event provided an opportunity to share good memories and a few stories about their much-missed friends. The winner was Christy Kenny, a former IWA staff member, who came back to participate and support the event. The event will be held annually. John Fox, Danny Phelan and Jim Daly KARAOKE NIGHT BENEFITS DONEGAL SERVICES Aoife McClean (winner) with Hughie McClean and Nathan O’Donnell A charity karaoke night was held in February at Arena 7, Letterkenny, with all proceeds going to IWA Donegal services. The X-Factor-style event was well attended and everyone enjoyed the entertainment. Thanks to the great support, €1,000 was raised. Daniel Boyce and Mary Brogan dancing at the event SPOKEOUT 67 Spokeout_summer_13-p67-68.indd 67 05/06/2013 18:19 REGIONAL NEWS Thursday Computer Club in Clontarf As part of the weekly computer club in the Clontarf Day Centre members of the Dochas Programme (under 65s) showed members of the Sonas Programme (over 65s) how to complete their property tax payment online. MALIN CELEBRATES VALENTINE’S DAY Members in Malin Day Centre had a ‘black and red’ dress-up day to celebrate Valentine’s Day. A hamper was raffled on the day raising €430 for local IWA services. Back (l-R) is Brian Mellon, Arthur McMonagle, Marie McGonigle, Patrick McLaughlin, Eunice Toland, Eleanor Farren (Connolly Foundation), Shane Mellon, Gerard McElaney, Geraldine Fullerton, Des Doherty, Liam McLaughlin. Front (L-R): Brendan Doherty, Paula Connell,Vincent Doherty, Brendan Cavanagh, Ernie McLucas, John Barr 68 Spokeout_summer_13-p67-68.indd 68 05/06/2013 18:19 Spokeout_summer_13-p69.indd 69 05/06/2013 18:20 CROSSWORD Crossword To be in with a chance of winning one of two €50 ‘One4all’ gift tokens, which can be used in 4,500 outlets nationwide, simply send your completed crossword along with your name and address to: Spokeout Crossword, Irish Wheelchair Association, Blackheath Drive, Clontarf, Dublin 3. Correct entries will be entered into a draw on Friday 27th July and two winners drawn. Crossword No. 20 by Gordius ACROSS 1. Evil. (3) 3. Run-down, in ruinous condition. (11) 8. I creep about with cooking directions. (6) 9. Added together. (8) 10. Begin with the southern floozy. (5) 11. Pavarotti was such a singer. (5) 13. Flower. (5) 15 & 19d. What is displayed on a windscreen - might the average ruler give it a hairdo? (7,6) 16. Wherein to embark on or disembark from a train. (7) 20. Command. (5) 21. Give way. (5) 23. Sadistic. (5) 24. A camping mix-up for the military undertaking. (8) 25. Views. (6) 26. Soft drink made by a molten tribe. (6-5) 27. Arid. (3) DOWN 1. These hunters sound disrespectfully like nuns! (5,2,4) 2. Ruler with absolute authority. (8) 3. The storage facility opted out. (5) 4. At which goods are sold to the highest bidder. (7) 5. Charge for reassembling the bidet. (5) 6. Temporary occupant. (6) 7. Performed. (3) 12. It’s sought out by one with a nose for surgery! (11) CROSSWORD WINNERS FOR SPRING 2013 13. Five-stringed instrument. (5) 14. Engine or car. (5) 17. Offended. (8) 18. Go forward. (7) 19. See 15 across. 22. Male duck. (5) 23. Such a grave has many gravestones! (5) 24. The young of a wolf. (3) P Twomey, Raheny, Dublin 5 J Phillips, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10 YOUR VIEWS Got something to say? Write to us at Spokeout, Irish Wheelchair Association, Blackheath Drive, Clontarf, Dublin 3 MOTOR SCOOTERS AT THE RDS Dear Editor I live near the RDS in Ballsbridge and, if I want to attend an event, I can easily drive there and park in a disabled space. I have a Disabled Person’s Parking Card and I cannot walk far. I was wondering, could the IWA arrange for motor scooters to be available for hire at the shows? Yours, etc. June W Moran, Dublin Editor’s note: We discussed your letter with Clive Hough, Manager of IWA Wheelchair Solutions. Clive explained that IWA manual wheelchairs are available to hire at many RDS events, and if not available, can be booked directly with IWA’s Wheelchair Solutions team at email [email protected] or tel: 01 818 6453. Unfortunately, mobility scooters are not currently available for hire, but Clive will forward your comments to the RDS, and will let them know that IWA would be very happy to work with them if they were to consider introducing scooter hire at events. The views expressed on this page do not necessarily represent the views of IWA 70 Spokeout_summer_13-p70-71.indd 70 05/06/2013 18:21 LETTERS SPOKEOUT SPRING 2013 Dear Editor Hearty congratulations to you and all concerned with the spring issue of Spokeout. The articles were first class, especially those dealing with the benefits of watching wildlife, especially the beautiful birds. The article on Sligo dealing with the IWA Annual Conference was chockfull of information on the whole of this sometimes forgotten county. The cartoons bring a smile A blue tit feeding. Photo by Terry Flanagan to your face and sometimes a nudge in the direction of NEED FOR SHOWER CHAIRS IN HOTELS Dear Editor Today, Spokeout arrived and I’ve been studying it with a view to organising a few days in a hotel during the summer for my adult daughter Romy, my husband and me, and a carer. The Cavan Crystal and the Pillo are mentioned by Kiara Lynch as being accessible but there is an immediate problem. Each of them has a fixed seat in the shower and there is no mention of a proper shower chair on large castors and with a seat opening. Last summer, we went to the Carlton in Galway and, while customer care, bedrooms and food were of high standard, showering Romy was a major problem as the shower area had a tray with a lip and there was no shower chair. Eventually, a substitute shower chair was provided but it was not suitable for hygiene and washing purposes. It is such a pity that so many otherwise high quality hotels are falling down on this aspect of accessibility. What is required is really simple and easy to organise – they just need to spend a few hundred euro on a properly designed shower chair. Another common problem in our experience is toilet bowl location. We are aware of very few hotels or other buildings where the bowl is located on the long wall with a space of a metre on either side to accommodate transfer from both sides. Almost all toilet bowls are located either on the short wall or in a corner, rendering them unsuitable for many wheelchair users. It is beyond belief the occupational therapists, architects and local authority planning officers are still allowing this to happen. understanding the many problems of wheelchair users. The gardening stories make me ashamed of my puny efforts. These people are so inspired! Yours Marie McDonagh, Dublin Dublin Editor’s note: Thank you for taking the time to write such a kind letter. We passed your comments on to Patrick Harte, Declan Hamilton and Terry Flanagan in the Clontarf bird-watching group, who were delighted to hear that you enjoyed reading their stories. Staff in IWA’s Sligo were also pleased at the feedback – they are very proud of their county and are keen to encourage more people with disabilities to visit! In light of the challenges of finding hotel accommodation which is suitable for Romy, we have decided against taking a holiday this year and will settle for a few day trips instead. My hope is that by raising this issue, more hotels will invest in proper shower chairs and upgrade bathroom access, so that in the future we can all enjoy the many other wonderful facilities they offer. Yours, etc. Sheila Ward, Co Monaghan Editor’s note: We understand your frustration and know it is shared by other members. In the past few months, IWA’s Communications Manager Mairead Farquharson has been working with IWA’s Access team to review the type of information provided in Spokeout’s holiday reviews. As a result, you might have noticed that in the spring edition we reduced our reviews to two rather than three per issue, to enable us to provide more detailed information regarding accessible bathroom facilities. By highlighting features such as fixed shower seats, we hope readers will be able to make an informed choice based on their requirements. We would love to feature hotels that provide a separate shower chair of the type you describe, however, in our experience these are very rare and, where shower chairs are provided, they tend not to be the type that would suit your daughter’s needs. Another option that has worked for other members in the past is to hire a suitable shower chair from a local provider. If any readers are aware of any hotels with showering facilities that might suit Romy and others with similar requirements, we would love to hear about them! SPOKEOUT 71 Spokeout_summer_13-p70-71.indd 71 05/06/2013 18:21 SMALL ADS If you have an item for sale or wanted, 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 and services are €20.00 (cheques or postal orders payable to IWA Ltd). FOR SALE Cars and accessories 2006 TOYOTA YARIS LUNA 1.3 PETROL AUTOMATIC Red, five-door hatchback. Immobiliser and CD player. Spinner on steering wheel. Adapted to left accelerator, can easily be removed for right accelerator. Adaptation receipts available. 40,000 km. €6,000. Tel: 087 386 6764 (Waterford) 2000 RENAULT KANGOO PETROL Automatic, lowered-floor conversion, full wheelchair restraint plus 12 volt winch and ramp. Immaculate condition. 48,000 miles. Tel: 087 774 3943 (Limerick) 2010 RENAULT MASTER Drive from wheelchair. Ricon lift, automatic open/close doors, lightened steering, hand controls. Bought December 2012. Cost €39,995, sell €30.000 ono. Tel: 074 952 0200 (Donegal) 2004 SUZUKI WAGON R 1.3 PETROL AUTOMATIC Complete independence allowing driver to drive from their motorised wheelchair – no need to transfer. Remote operated rear door opening with ramp. Dual controls, hand controls, electronic clamp system. 13,000 miles. €6,500. Tel: 086 896 4598 (Meath) BRITAX CHILD’S CAR SEAT Five-point harness, chest clip, adjustable crotch and head strap. Excellent condition. Suit 3-11 years of age; 15-36 kgs weight. Price €85. Tel: 087 205 2468 (Dublin) SWIVEL SEAT Perfect condition. Cost €1,600, sell €500. Tel: 085 737 2525 (Dublin) SWIVEL SEAT WITH BASE Ready to go. €300. Phone 087 970 7141 (Galway) ELAP MOBILITY SWIVEL CAR SEAT Complete with head rest. Good as new. €500. Tel: 086 824 5946 (Wicklow) Wheelchairs, scooters and adaptive equipment YAMAHA JW ACTIVE (JWX-1) POWER CHAIR Great for getting around, easy to lift and fold for travel. Very strong structure. Can be used on curbs. Practically new, perfect condition. Two batteries and chargers, including one long distance Lithium ion from UK. Can also be used as a manual chair. Serviced regularly, history available. Included: brand new rain cover and cushions. Extending ramps at extra cost. €7,000 new, asking €2,650 euro. Tel: 086 087 0718 (Wicklow) MANUAL CARBON FIBRE WHEELCHAIR Excellent condition. Detachable wheels, 15” seat. Frame weight 4lbs and is four times strength of steel. Cost €4,200 new. Will consider any reasonable offer. Tel: 065 682 0589 (Clare) TRILO TRIKE Specialised hand cycle bike recommend for kids with Spina Bifida or kids with lower limb restrictions. Excellent condition as was never used. Suitable for boys and girls 6 years up as it can be adjusted as they grow, to give years of fun. Cost €1,400. Sell €1,000 ono. Tel: 086 317 5647 (Roscommon) ULTRALITE 480 MOBILITY SCOOTER Battery operated. Portable and lightweight. Excellent condition. Used once. €850 ono. Tel: 085 103 7569 (Dublin) RECK MOTOMED VIVA 2 Upper limbs and lower limbs. Little used. Purchased Lyncare €4,712.95 in 2012. Best offer secures. Will deliver. Tel: 087 917 9065 (Tipperary) PREMIERE HEAVY DUTY MOBILITY SCOOTER Indicators back and front. Needs a charger. Good condition. €500. Tel: 01 298 8060 (Dublin) INVACARE ACTION 2000 MANUAL WHEELCHAIR Perfect condition. One lady owner. Best offer secures. Tel: 086 858 6584 (Dublin) DELTA PLATFORM LIFT Electronic wheelchair lift, suit indoor or outdoor setting. Used nine times. Space saving design, robust construction. €5,000 ono. Tel: 01 296 6747 (Dublin) WANTED PORTABLE FOLDAWAY HOIST Portable foldaway hoist wanted. Reasonable price. Tel: 086 362 1380 CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN IWA Interested in working with the Irish Wheelchair Association? If so, make sure to regularly visit our website (www.iwa.ie) for the latest vacancies. IWA is an equal opportunities employer. 72 Spokeout_summer_13-p72.indd 72 05/06/2013 18:22
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