People with Disabilities in Ireland
4th Floor Jervis House
Jervis Street
Dublin 1
Telephone: 01 87 21 74 4
Fax: 01 87 21 77 1
Email: info@pwdi.ie
Congratulations to Lotti McClure, Chairperson of the Clare Network, on her re-election as Vice-Chairperson of the PwDI National Board.
Lotti brings a lot of experience, professionalism, encouragement and empowerment to the Organisation. She has a special interest in Advocacy from her time in the USA, and is always understanding, compassionate and courteous. With her integrity and sterling values, Lotti is always extending the goal-posts of excellence for PwDI.
We wish her continued success.
Kildare Network recently welcomed devoted and long-serving Secretary Frank Mulcahy and his wife, Maire, to their monthly meeting to mark his retirement. Frank has decided to take some time out to rebuild his health after being ill for some time. However, despite this major constraint, Frank's commitment to disability issues never faltered. Thanks to his example and attitude, the Kildare Network always resembled an extended family as much as a countrywide organisation.
Mary Walsh presented Frank with a small token of appreciation for his dedicated work over many years on behalf of the disabled community throughout Ireland and beyond. Mary recalled that he was one of the key people concerned in the setting up of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities. In the early days, Frank worked tirelessly, travelling the country and laying the foundations for the current network structure. Thankfully, the tentative start has now settled into a solid framework from which the various Networks can co-operatively progress. Frank can take great pride in this success which has made him a household name throughout the country
However, it is arguably in Europe that Frank played his greatest role on behalf of the disabled community, bringing his knowledge and enterprise to the EDF and, in return, bringing their collective endeavours and achievements back home to Ireland and attempting to place disability issues firmly on the national agenda.
How did Frank manage to keep up with such a demanding lifestyle? There is really no simple answer. He has a good team around him, led by his wife Marie. She was ably assisted by her odler children Brian, Colm and Imar, who sat through many a long network meeting.
On behalf of Kildare Network, Mary Walsh wished Frank and his family many years of happiness and good fortune. All other PwDI Networks and National Office join in her sentiments.
Anne & Martin Kelly
The Kerry Network of People with Disabilities have moved to N0. 3 Basin Court, Tralee. This is around the corner on Basin Street at the back of the Brandon Hotel.
Here in Kilkenny and Carlow, we have a new radio station, KCLR 96FM and I was delighted to be asked to co-ordinate a team of people with disabilities, their parents and carers to produce a 30 minute radio programme on the new station. Five members of the Kilkenny Network, one from the Carlow Network and other local people with disabilities from both counties have joined the team to promote all people with disabilities and to raise awareness of the issues.
Join us on Tuesday nights from 7 pm for "the good, the bad and the different of Disability'.
Meanwhile, the Kilkenny Office is slowly getting off the ground and people are getting to know where we are, 5a Upper New Street. You can contact us on 056-7756680, or kilkennypwdi@unison.ie. Watch out for news of the official opening of the office in July.
Unfortunately, Kilkenny County Council is still one of a very few councils to apply discriminator restrictions on the Disabled Person Grant. They tell us that only a handful of people have been turned down. What they fail to say is a lot of people are told not to even apply as it is a waste of paper. The Kilkenny Network is asking everyone who reads this to challenge all the candidates in the upcoming elections on all the disability issues that affect all our lives.
Nigel Brander
Recently, the airwaves and the print media were full of reports of the TV3/UTV programme 'Help I'm a Celebrity. Get Me out of Here.' It was a programme that grabbed the public interest and ended with Kerry Mc Fadden emerging as the winner.
With this in mind, one now wonders would similar airtime be given over to people with disabilities and the access problems they face, with a possible programme titled 'Help I'm a Person with a Disability, Get Me In Here.'
The programme could invite a team of people with disabilities to apply to represent their County (PwDI Networks ideally) to participate with the aim being that the team is able to access most buildings and services in their area deemed the winner.
The list of access targets set to cover so many or certain areas each week and points totted up to a final showdown of two teams.
The teams could be made to represent cross-disabilities. That is a person with a physical disability, a person with a visual impairment and a person with a hearing impairment, so as to ensure all aspects of access are covered.
Each week the programme could focus on a different service like:
Financial Institutes
Doctors/Dental Surgeries
Pubs/Restaurants
Hotels/Guest Houses
Public Toilets
Local Authority / Government Depts.
Buses / Taxis / Trains
Leisure/ Sports Facilities
Retail Outlets
Parking Spaces/Car parks
Nightclubs/Theatres/Cinemas
Museums/Art
Galleries/Libraries
Hospitals
Come on RTE, TG4 and TV3 open up the airwaves and make them accessible to people with disabilities in Ireland now!
Malachy Foots
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