It is hard to believe that our month in Ireland is officially over. We finished at the conference on Friday with the moot trial and then had a fun last night in Galway listening to a local band. After getting home and showering, I found out that my flight home to Newark was canceled, so I called my parents and we scrambled to find a new flight. Thankfully, it worked out that there were seats left on the plane to Philly, and I was able to to fly home with the rest of the girls. So at 3:45 am, we took a bus to the Dublin airport, where we checked in, made it through customs, and waited until our flight at 11:30. We landed in PA at 1 pm where my dad picked me up and brought me home to see family and friends. While it is great to be back home, I cannot believe that the trip is over. It was an experience of a lifetime and I am so grateful for the friends and memories made.
kpm5309
This week, we are attending the International Summer School on Disability Law. I was not sure what to expect, but I have been pleasantly surprised. I really enjoy learning about the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities and how it is applied to different countries around the world. I have also thought about how the United States’ has signed, but not ratified, the Convention and it is upsetting. Ratifying the Convention would not impact the nation’s budget or existing laws; however, it did not receive the necessary amount of votes from the Senate because of distrust of the UN. I hope that the Senate votes on this treaty again and is able to officially ratify the CRPD.
Our group also had the opportunity to speak with Tom Harkin, former Senator of Iowa and one of the founders of the Americans with Disabilities Act. He asked all nine of us what we are doing for the rest of the summer, and we said working. He then explained how people with disabilities would have different answers because of the lack of employment opportunities for PWD, and that the United States needs to focus its attention on employment for this population. He continued to speak about disability and made a comment that I have thought a lot about. He said that certain people react to different disability suggestions by saying, “we are setting them up for failure,” to which Senator Harkin responds, “and what’s wrong with that?” Failure creates learning opportunities and should not be viewed as something that PWD need to be protected from. Success is a often a product of failure so we need to create equality and accessibility in order for PWD to both fail and succeed.
kpm5309
On Wednesday, we packed our bags and left Dublin for Galway. It was bittersweet because I loved Dublin but was so excited for our impending adventures in this new, smaller city. We wasted no time exploring Ireland’s west coast and on Thursday traveled to the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare. This quickly became one of my favorite parts of the trip. I have seen a lot of pictures of other people at the Cliffs; however, the pictures did not do it justice. It was a breathtaking view and the weather was amazing, which made the day even better. We explored Galway on Friday while doing some shopping, then on Saturday, we left for the Aran Islands. We took a ferry to the largest island, Inis Mor, where we drove around and learned about the island. It is weird to think that this was our last weekend in Ireland and that next week at this time, I will be back home.
kpm5309
Today was another great day in Dublin! We visited Deaf Village Ireland – which felt like the heart of the Deaf community in Ireland. It was a center for a variety of services for the Deaf, including DeafHear and the Irish Deaf Society. It can be thought of as a “one stop shop” for many services that people with hearing impairments may need. However, I also found it interesting that hearing people are welcome in the center as well. They have a gym that all people can pay to use, and the profits are used to support the Village. I have never heard of a center like this in the United States; however, it is another example of a service from Ireland that the US can learn from.
After the Deaf Village, a few of us made our way over to the Guinness Storehouse. We visited the Guinness Academy where we learned how to pour the perfect pint. I had never had a Guinness before today but I actually really enjoyed it! It was also fun to talk to some of the employees and to some other people visiting from the United States. We made our way up to the Gravity Bar, and considering it was our last full day in Dublin, it felt appropriate that we were able to look out over the city that we have called home for the past three weeks.
kpm5309
This past week we had the opportunity to visit St. Michael’s Raheny School. This is a special school for children with moderate learning disabilities, and may have other disabilities as well. It was great to tour the school and see the different resources they have for the students, including the sensory room and the soft play room. These provide the children with a space to either calm down or become more energized, so that they can go back to the classroom and focus on their learning.
The most surprising part of the visit was when Mary told us about the occupational therapists. We have heard about the lack of OTs multiple times; however, she explained how children who need help with simple life skills, such as tying shoes, are not a priority need and therefore not seen by the OT. These types of skills are a priority three; however, the priority one’s can wait up to nine months to be seen. I am planning on becoming an OT in the future and think that a lot of my work will involve helping people with life skills. I was shocked that kids at this school cannot get this kind of help because of this shortage of occupational therapists.
Yesterday, we visited Cork and Blarney. Cork is a cute city that felt like a smaller, less crowded Dublin. We also went to the Blarney Castle where we kissed the Blarney Stone. I expected a rock in the middle of the ground; however, this stone is built into the top of the castle. After walking up steep, tiny spiral staircases, you make it to the stone where you have to lay down and do a backbend to reach the stone. By kissing the stone, you are supposed to become a more eloquent speaker. I’m hoping this “gift of gab” sets in before my next blog!
kpm5309
Our second day trip this weekend was the Wicklow Mountain tour. We drove from Dublin to Wicklow and made stops at the “PS I love you” bridge, Guinness lake, Glendalough, and Avoca. My favorite part was Guinness lake, where we stood on the mountain overlooking the beautiful landscape. The tour guide explained how the iron makes the lake very dark and the sand is white, which replicates the dark beer and light foam made by Guinness.
This week also included a site visit to Trinity Disability Services. Kieran, an occupational therapist for Trinity, explained the work that he and his colleagues do for students with disabilities at this university. His work as an occupational therapist is very different from the work that I hope to do as an occupational therapist in the US because he does not work with the physical needs of the students. Trinity’s OTs take a holistic approach and helps students with their wellness, school accommodations, professional placements, etc.
After learning about Trinity’s services, we had the opportunity to watch students in the Certificate in Contemporary Living course talk about their experience. They explained some of their expressive art projects, work placements, and research. The program seemed extremely unique and inclusive for people with disabilities, and after speaking with some of the students afterwards, it was obvious that they loved it. It somewhat reminded me of LifeLink PSU because both programs give PWD a taste of college life and provide them with work opportunities. However, after seeing the work this program does, I think that Penn State has a lot of room for improvement.
kpm5309
The final site of the week was Empower Ireland. This organization works primarily with physical disabilities, specifically cerebral palsy. I loved how there was an integrated preschool in the building that includes children from the local community. This preschool promotes independence and disability and all the families love it. It made me think about the impact that a preschool like this could have had on my life. I wonder how it would have impacted my understanding and viewpoint of disability. The woman was also able to explain Ireland’s healthcare system and I now understand how it differs from America’s. All services and equipment are free, but the wait-lists for these things (wheelchairs, MRIs, etc.) are incredibly long. While it is amazing that everyone is able to get the help they need, the fact that someone’s disease could potentially kill them before they are able to get this help is a major problem.
This past Saturday, we took a bus to our first day tour – Belfast. We were able to visit the Titanic Museum, Giant’s Causeway, and the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. My favorite part of the tour was the rope bridge. You walk on the mountain along the coast until you reach the little bridge. It is a little wobbly but when you reach the little island, you are able to look back at the amazing landscape and see the clear water below perfectly. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.
kpm5309
It has been a hectic but exciting start to this trip to Ireland! We have begun to explore Dublin and started making Trinity our temporary home. The first two sites that we visited as a class have certainly set the bar high. John at Fighting Blindness and Steven at St. Michael’s House are both doing great work and are very inspirational individuals.
Fighting Blindness is an organization with the goal to cure, support, and empower people with visual impairments. The most interesting comment was when John said that they set out with the simple goal to cure blindness; however, they realized this was more complex than they thought. John’s unique perspective on his disability, their research advancements, and his counseling experience was enlightening. He was so comfortable with being blind and said that even though the name of the organization is Fighting Blindness, he does not fight his own blindness.
St. Michael’s House was the second site visit and I loved their approach on providing services for people with intellectual abilities. They assist their service users in becoming active citizens in the local community by educating, training, and placing. The House is a wonderful place with colorful, fun rooms, such as the art room. I was inspired by the art teacher, who emphasizes the importance of the service users expressing their creativity, especially through their fairy project. This project allows the service users to create different pieces of art for their “fairy tree” in a local park which all community members can then enjoy. This project is a perfect example of how St. Michael’s House uses their services to encourage community involvement. Another part of this visit that I found amazing was how happy Steven was at the fact that not many people were at the House that day. I first thought “why would he be happy that they are not taking advantage of this wonderful place?” However, he explained that if the House is empty, that means the people are participating in the community through jobs or activities. I realized that while they are not physically in the building, they are making the most of this organization.
It is hard to believe that our month in Ireland is officially over. We finished at the conference on Friday with the moot trial and then had a fun last night in Galway listening to a local band. After getting home and showering, I found out that my flight home to Newark was canceled, so I called my parents and we scrambled to find a new flight. Thankfully, it worked out that there were seats left on the plane to Philly, and I was able to to fly home with the rest of the girls. So at 3:45 am, we took a bus to the Dublin airport, where we checked in, made it through customs, and waited until our flight at 11:30. We landed in PA at 1 pm where my dad picked me up and brought me home to see family and friends. While it is great to be back home, I cannot believe that the trip is over. It was an experience of a lifetime and I am so grateful for the friends and memories made.
This week, we are attending the International Summer School on Disability Law. I was not sure what to expect, but I have been pleasantly surprised. I really enjoy learning about the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities and how it is applied to different countries around the world. I have also thought about how the United States’ has signed, but not ratified, the Convention and it is upsetting. Ratifying the Convention would not impact the nation’s budget or existing laws; however, it did not receive the necessary amount of votes from the Senate because of distrust of the UN. I hope that the Senate votes on this treaty again and is able to officially ratify the CRPD.
Our group also had the opportunity to speak with Tom Harkin, former Senator of Iowa and one of the founders of the Americans with Disabilities Act. He asked all nine of us what we are doing for the rest of the summer, and we said working. He then explained how people with disabilities would have different answers because of the lack of employment opportunities for PWD, and that the United States needs to focus its attention on employment for this population. He continued to speak about disability and made a comment that I have thought a lot about. He said that certain people react to different disability suggestions by saying, “we are setting them up for failure,” to which Senator Harkin responds, “and what’s wrong with that?” Failure creates learning opportunities and should not be viewed as something that PWD need to be protected from. Success is a often a product of failure so we need to create equality and accessibility in order for PWD to both fail and succeed.
On Wednesday, we packed our bags and left Dublin for Galway. It was bittersweet because I loved Dublin but was so excited for our impending adventures in this new, smaller city. We wasted no time exploring Ireland’s west coast and on Thursday traveled to the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare. This quickly became one of my favorite parts of the trip. I have seen a lot of pictures of other people at the Cliffs; however, the pictures did not do it justice. It was a breathtaking view and the weather was amazing, which made the day even better. We explored Galway on Friday while doing some shopping, then on Saturday, we left for the Aran Islands. We took a ferry to the largest island, Inis Mor, where we drove around and learned about the island. It is weird to think that this was our last weekend in Ireland and that next week at this time, I will be back home.
Today was another great day in Dublin! We visited Deaf Village Ireland – which felt like the heart of the Deaf community in Ireland. It was a center for a variety of services for the Deaf, including DeafHear and the Irish Deaf Society. It can be thought of as a “one stop shop” for many services that people with hearing impairments may need. However, I also found it interesting that hearing people are welcome in the center as well. They have a gym that all people can pay to use, and the profits are used to support the Village. I have never heard of a center like this in the United States; however, it is another example of a service from Ireland that the US can learn from.
After the Deaf Village, a few of us made our way over to the Guinness Storehouse. We visited the Guinness Academy where we learned how to pour the perfect pint. I had never had a Guinness before today but I actually really enjoyed it! It was also fun to talk to some of the employees and to some other people visiting from the United States. We made our way up to the Gravity Bar, and considering it was our last full day in Dublin, it felt appropriate that we were able to look out over the city that we have called home for the past three weeks.
This past week we had the opportunity to visit St. Michael’s Raheny School. This is a special school for children with moderate learning disabilities, and may have other disabilities as well. It was great to tour the school and see the different resources they have for the students, including the sensory room and the soft play room. These provide the children with a space to either calm down or become more energized, so that they can go back to the classroom and focus on their learning.
The most surprising part of the visit was when Mary told us about the occupational therapists. We have heard about the lack of OTs multiple times; however, she explained how children who need help with simple life skills, such as tying shoes, are not a priority need and therefore not seen by the OT. These types of skills are a priority three; however, the priority one’s can wait up to nine months to be seen. I am planning on becoming an OT in the future and think that a lot of my work will involve helping people with life skills. I was shocked that kids at this school cannot get this kind of help because of this shortage of occupational therapists.
Yesterday, we visited Cork and Blarney. Cork is a cute city that felt like a smaller, less crowded Dublin. We also went to the Blarney Castle where we kissed the Blarney Stone. I expected a rock in the middle of the ground; however, this stone is built into the top of the castle. After walking up steep, tiny spiral staircases, you make it to the stone where you have to lay down and do a backbend to reach the stone. By kissing the stone, you are supposed to become a more eloquent speaker. I’m hoping this “gift of gab” sets in before my next blog!
Our second day trip this weekend was the Wicklow Mountain tour. We drove from Dublin to Wicklow and made stops at the “PS I love you” bridge, Guinness lake, Glendalough, and Avoca. My favorite part was Guinness lake, where we stood on the mountain overlooking the beautiful landscape. The tour guide explained how the iron makes the lake very dark and the sand is white, which replicates the dark beer and light foam made by Guinness.
This week also included a site visit to Trinity Disability Services. Kieran, an occupational therapist for Trinity, explained the work that he and his colleagues do for students with disabilities at this university. His work as an occupational therapist is very different from the work that I hope to do as an occupational therapist in the US because he does not work with the physical needs of the students. Trinity’s OTs take a holistic approach and helps students with their wellness, school accommodations, professional placements, etc.
After learning about Trinity’s services, we had the opportunity to watch students in the Certificate in Contemporary Living course talk about their experience. They explained some of their expressive art projects, work placements, and research. The program seemed extremely unique and inclusive for people with disabilities, and after speaking with some of the students afterwards, it was obvious that they loved it. It somewhat reminded me of LifeLink PSU because both programs give PWD a taste of college life and provide them with work opportunities. However, after seeing the work this program does, I think that Penn State has a lot of room for improvement.
The final site of the week was Empower Ireland. This organization works primarily with physical disabilities, specifically cerebral palsy. I loved how there was an integrated preschool in the building that includes children from the local community. This preschool promotes independence and disability and all the families love it. It made me think about the impact that a preschool like this could have had on my life. I wonder how it would have impacted my understanding and viewpoint of disability. The woman was also able to explain Ireland’s healthcare system and I now understand how it differs from America’s. All services and equipment are free, but the wait-lists for these things (wheelchairs, MRIs, etc.) are incredibly long. While it is amazing that everyone is able to get the help they need, the fact that someone’s disease could potentially kill them before they are able to get this help is a major problem.
This past Saturday, we took a bus to our first day tour – Belfast. We were able to visit the Titanic Museum, Giant’s Causeway, and the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. My favorite part of the tour was the rope bridge. You walk on the mountain along the coast until you reach the little bridge. It is a little wobbly but when you reach the little island, you are able to look back at the amazing landscape and see the clear water below perfectly. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.
It has been a hectic but exciting start to this trip to Ireland! We have begun to explore Dublin and started making Trinity our temporary home. The first two sites that we visited as a class have certainly set the bar high. John at Fighting Blindness and Steven at St. Michael’s House are both doing great work and are very inspirational individuals.
Fighting Blindness is an organization with the goal to cure, support, and empower people with visual impairments. The most interesting comment was when John said that they set out with the simple goal to cure blindness; however, they realized this was more complex than they thought. John’s unique perspective on his disability, their research advancements, and his counseling experience was enlightening. He was so comfortable with being blind and said that even though the name of the organization is Fighting Blindness, he does not fight his own blindness.
St. Michael’s House was the second site visit and I loved their approach on providing services for people with intellectual abilities. They assist their service users in becoming active citizens in the local community by educating, training, and placing. The House is a wonderful place with colorful, fun rooms, such as the art room. I was inspired by the art teacher, who emphasizes the importance of the service users expressing their creativity, especially through their fairy project. This project allows the service users to create different pieces of art for their “fairy tree” in a local park which all community members can then enjoy. This project is a perfect example of how St. Michael’s House uses their services to encourage community involvement. Another part of this visit that I found amazing was how happy Steven was at the fact that not many people were at the House that day. I first thought “why would he be happy that they are not taking advantage of this wonderful place?” However, he explained that if the House is empty, that means the people are participating in the community through jobs or activities. I realized that while they are not physically in the building, they are making the most of this organization.