Life can be hard enough but having a disability can often make it all the harder or present so many more challenges. These include physical challenges faced on a daily basis – which just goes to underline the scale of the achievements of our Irish Paralympians in London. These Irish athletes have shown by their incredible courage, discipline and sheer hard work, how they can achieve the highest levels of performance and success and that is an inspiration to all of us, able-bodied and disabled alike.
The other thing about having a disability is that it makes us different, which is not always easy to deal with for people with disabilities and their families. I found that the first personal challenge was accepting my sons disability, then embracing the person he was, not who either I or society expected him to be, or to conform to being. Today, I wouldn’t change a thing about him, and I celebrate each and every single success he has in the same way as the parents of our wonderful Paralympians are celebrating this week. What I would change however is the care path for all children with disabilities, from birth all the way through their lives. I would make it easier and less frustrating for parents. I would link up the service providers into one cohesive unit, who actually talk to each other. I would give each child a “support team”. I would give each child a Voice – Nothing About Me Without Me ! I would create a dedicated Advocacy Service for Children with Disabilities – this is critical. I would ensure information supply to parents to make sure they know their childs rights.
Watching the Paralympics has been like a celebration of diversity and has provided us and the world at large with a positive and life-affirming picture of people with a huge range of disabilities.
They are achieving because of their abilities, not their disabilities, and it provides such a stark contrast to the way people with disabilities are often painted or seen by society at large.
As we celebrate their success, let’s also enjoy the success of this week’s Carers Association protest against the Minister for Health’s planned cutbacks – another inspirational victory for us to cherish!