Author: brd5239

I can’t believe my time in Ireland is ending 🙁 I don’t want to leave!!

On Thursday at the conference we listened to speakers who talked about how to pivot after crisis and include disabled people in responses. One of the speakers Frederico Batista Poitier said that accessibility has benefits for everyone for example ramps are good for strollers and cyclists. He said that when his team talked to NYC they said they wanted to be the most accessible city in the world… NYC needs some improvements for this to be true. They should learn from Dublin’s crosswalk noises and the arrows that vibrate. A speaker in the afternoon Mahbub Kabir said something that stood out to me; that persons with disabilities should not be viewed as vulnerable, they have the power to change the world. We need to view PWD this way in order for things to change and so that they can be active contributors in the conversation. The speaker that stood out the most this day was Rebecca Cokley. She was from the United States and was really engaging and funny. She was the last speaker of the day and knew we were all tired so she made it entertaining. She is the program officer for the Ford Foundation’s first-ever U.S. Disability Rights program. She also said to not view the disability community as vulnerable, they are strong and will hold leaders accountable. She has such a strong passion for advocacy and mental health. Dr. K asked her how to prevent burnout and she said one of the things that she does is to tweet about lunch everyday, she says “Hey Disability Twitter, what did you have for lunch today?” to ensure that people are eating and taking care of themselves instead of constantly focusing on what they need to get done.

That night we went to barbecue provided by the conference. It was at a really nice hotel called The Galmont Hotel. We ate burgers, corn, baby potatoes, fried chicken, ice cream and more! It was really good and after we ate we talked to Rebecca and her kids and it was nice to actually get the chance to talk to her and learn more about her. After the barbecue we went back to NUI and our professors wanted to have one last meeting to wrap things up 🙁 They bought us some treats and we all shared our favorite memories and what we took out of this trip. It was sad to think about the trip being almost over but fun to think about all the amazing memories made.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friday was the last day of the conference and it was only a few hours because it was a moot court about a scenario violating the rights in the CRPD (Convention for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) that people had been preparing for all week. It was really interesting to watch and hear the points that people made as well as their ability to respond to the questions the judges threw at them. Then we all got certificates for completing the summer school.

 

After the conference my parents picked Steph and I up so we said goodbye to everyone 🙁 We headed to Lahinch where we were staying in an airbnb. When we got there we could not figure out where to go or where to park, once we finally figured out out we had to use a burner phone to open the gate to the garage… just our luck the burner phone kept saying insufficient funds when we called the number to open the garage. We contacted the property management and she opened it for us and was going to contact the owner. We walked around a little to see the town and then went to dinner at this place right on the water called Vaughan’s on the Prom. After that we went to a pub called the Nineteenth and became friends with the workers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday we went to Doolin and walked around even though it was windy and raining. It was still really pretty though the water was beautiful and there was a chip and putt golf course that was really cool. We saw a bunch of cows that came up to talk to Steph and I. We went to lunch at a pub and then headed back in the car because it was pouring. We tried to drive by the Cliffs of Moher because my parents wanted to see it but it was so cloudy and foggy because of the rain that we couldn’t even see the ocean so we didn’t go. We headed back to Lahinch and did some shopping. I got a new shirt and a new “jumper” (sweater). We went to a restaraunt right next to where we were staying called the Edge and got 4 different appetizers to split and they were soooo good. We got fish tacos, wings, fried shrimp & fries, and a goat cheese salad. After that we went pub hopping to check them out and ended up back at The Nineteenth where we were the night before. That’s the best one in my opinion. We were there until they closed and then Steph my mom and I thought we were going back to the apartment but my dad took us to a nightclub lol.

 

 

Sunday we packed up early and drove across the country to a town called Enniskerry about 30 minutes outside of Dublin. We are staying at Powerscourt Hotel and it is amazing. My parents have their own room and Steph and I have a room. They’re huge suites with a living room and a massive closet that’s literally almost the size of a bedroom. Apparently our room was upgraded from a twin bed room and we got full sized maybe queen beds and a huge patio outside the room overlooking a fountain and garden. My parents were jealous of our room because they don’t have a patio and it faces the other side. The hotel has a spa and a pool and a bunch of things to do so we are probably going to go to the spa and use the gym, pool, sauna, and the huge showers in the spa soon.

I’m sad that we leave on Tuesday but excited to spend the last few days at this amazing resort. I’m so glad I got to experience this opportunity traveling all over Ireland and can’t wait to come back someday to explore more of the country!

 

 

This week we have been attending NUI Galway’s International Disability Law Summer School. This is a conference attended by people from all over the world both in person and through zoom. This is the 13th one they have had. The topic this year is ‘Disability in an Age of Conflict, Crisis, and Climate Change’. Each day is split up into 2 sessions with coffee breaks and a lunch break in between. Each session had 3 speakers – one who addressed climate, one who addressed conflict, and one who addressed health.

 

Monday was about the Global Challenges of disability inclusive responses to Conflict, Crises, and Climate Change. The morning session was addressing the question – What are the biggest lessons for disability inclusive responses to ongoing crises? There were 6 speakers in total and they all had very insightful information to share. One of the main takeaways I got was to ensure that information is accessible for PWD. Something that I noted was how many accommodations the conference itself had – they had 3 International Sign Language interpreters who would take turns interpreting the speakers. I thought this was really cool and I was amazed by their ability to interpret so fast and with such fluency. They also had a written transcript projected onto the wall which I enjoyed because sometimes it was a little challenging to understand what the speakers were saying or they were going too fast. They also had a zoom option available which is good to allow those who cannot attend in person to still get the same access to the conference. It was really interesting to hear all of the perspectives from all over the world and what they had to contribute to the conversation. We got so many yummy pastries during breaks and also had really good lunch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Later that night Steph, Alyssa, Anna, and I went to get sushi from a place called WA Sushi and sat outside by the water to eat it. It was really good and I hope they have the kind of sushi I got at home – Salmon Katsu. Then we got some ice cream and I was a mess trying to pay my coins were falling everywhere and then as we were walking Alyssa’s ice cream fell out of the cone… so she had to go back and ask for a new scoop – I’m sure he wasn’t surprised as I was such a mess when we were in there… I’m surprised it wasn’t my ice cream that fell.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday was about marginalized groups of PWD and the intersectionalities of identities as well as how to include disabilities into preparedness policies.   The first session addressed the intersections of disability, and the 3 speakers talked about children, gender, and the LGBTQI community. The first speaker Kristin Lange was really interesting to me because she talked about children with disabilities and how exclusion from education can have devastating impacts on them. She also talked about Assistive Technology and how it enables PWD to access their rights. One thing that really interested me that she mentioned was an inclusive playground in Jordan – this allows children with disabilities to play alongside their peers and is a great idea that should be seen more. For some reason she looked really familiar to me and I have no idea why. One of the other speakers talked about Britney Spears and her whole guardianship case, it was really interesting to hear it from the perspective of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of People with Disabilities. The afternoon session was about How to develop disability inclusive preparedness and planning. Again there were 3 speakers who spoke on climate, conflict, and health.

 

 

 

 

 

 

That night Steph, Alyssa, Eliza, Morgan and I walked into town again and got dinner from a place called Taco’s Tacqueria. Everyone liked theirs but I wasn’t a huge fan of mine but that’s okay I made sure I saved room for ice cream. We stopped at the convenience store on campus and I got a pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. I got a flavor that I’ve never seen before – Caramel Brownie Party and it was really good can’t wait to eat more of it tonight!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday the conference was about disability perspectives during periods of crises. The morning session addressed how disabled people have experienced crises. First there were 2 speakers that both had disabilities, one had Asperger Syndrome and is a support worker for an organization called DESTINED that empowers people with learning disabilities, the other one didn’t disclose his disability but he was a former development officer with DESTINED. I loved hearing their stories and their advice on how to make people with disabilities feel heard and respected. Another one of the morning speakers was from Gallaudet University in Washington D.C. and she was deaf so she was using sign language and there was an interpreter who was interpreting the sign language and turning it into verbal language. I was impressed by her ability to do that so fluently. The afternoon session was about disability inclusion in immediate crisis response. One of the speakers talked about institutionalized children with disabilities in Ukraine. She talked about the horrible conditions of institutions and the makeshift housing for children after they had to be evacuated. She showed us a video that was really hard to watch but very important so that there is awareness for the atrocious living conditions children are in. These children were moved to a space that is not meant for people to live in with several beds lined up frame to frame with no easy way to get in or out. Most of these children are in bed all day everyday with no physical therapists or occupational therapists helping them to get movement. These conditions are causing them to develop even more disabilities. She encouraged us to spread awareness for these children and make sure that they are not invisible. Something needs to be done.

Tonight some of us are going to go to the bright colored houses near the water that is one of the first pictures you see when you look up Galway to take pictures. It’s called The Long Walk and I can’t wait to get pictures because that’s what I think of when I think of Galway!

It has been a long week and I am so happy to finally be out of my room. I’ll give a brief overview of what I did this week but mainly just later in the week and this weekend since I didn’t do much earlier in the week.

On Thursday we had our disability comparison presentations. We all got assigned a different disability to research and compare the resources and supports in Ireland vs United States. I got assigned COPD which was actually very coincidental since my mom sold medicine for COPD as a pharmaceutical sales rep for many years and my grandpa has COPD. We presented on zoom since Morgan and I were still in quarantine. I didn’t end up presenting until Friday but it was interesting to hear about all of the other disabilities that everyone researched and the differences between the US and Ireland. It was a long day on zoom from 10am – 5pm with breaks in between presentations and a lunch break! The rest of the group went out to pick up KC Peaches for lunch and brought those of us in quarantine back food. It was really good and I would definitely get food from there again (in person this time lol).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At midnight I finally got to leave my room! Morgan and I went for a walk around campus to get fresh air. It was so nice to finally be out!

Friday Morgan and I presented on zoom in the morning and then we had a virtual site visit with someone who works at Children’s Disability Network Team which is a combination of a few different disability organizations that provide resources and interventions for children with disabilities. She works specifically at Enable Ireland which is a non-profit that provides free services to children and adults with disabilities. I thought it was interesting to hear about her job and how she works with a multidisciplinary team. I would consider working somewhere like Enable Ireland because it seems very rewarding. She talked about how she likes working with kids because she likes the creativity she can have with play based interventions and the arts. She also has her own private practice called The Psychology Practice, its a service for children who are experiencing low-level emotional and behavioral difficulties. She said that her private practice allows her to have more flexibility and ability to spend more time with her kids.

Later in the night we all went to dinner at an Italian place called Forno 500 it was soooo good! I got Spicy Salami pizza and it was delicious! It was sad that it was our last night in Dublin but exciting to move onto a new a part of Ireland!

On Saturday we headed to Galway! We had a private bus and made a few stops on the way at a castle and the Cliffs of Moher. The Cliffs of Moher were so beautiful I took so many pictures and was in awe. On the way we drove through a town called Lahinch where my parents Steph and I are staying in an airbnb Friday night to Sunday. It looks like a really cute area and is right on the coast and has a beach so I’m excited to go there! When we got to Galway we moved into our rooms at NUI Galway and they are so nice! The 12 of us were split into 2 suites with 6 separate rooms in each and a common room with a kitchen and living area. We all have our own bathrooms in our rooms which is amazing. NUI is so much more modern than Trinity and is a lot bigger. I’m excited to explore the campus and Galway! We all went out to dinner when we were settled and then went out around town! I met from Galway that is moving to New York City at the end of the month and I gave her my instagram so if she needs any recommendations or advice she can reach out!

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday a few of us went to brunch at a place called Mr. Waffle and I got a strawberry and dark chocolate crepe that was really good! Then we went to a farmers market with food and crafts and it was cool! We got some fresh donuts that they made right there and they were SOOOOO good! It was definitely the best donut I have ever had! He was making the dough right there and cooking them so they were nice and warm. They were covered in cinnamon sugar and cocoa powder and it literally melted in my mouth. Steph, Alyssa, Eliza, Anna and I are going back later to get dinner and explore more of the town!

Tomorrow we go to a conference through the law school here about Disability in an Age of Conflict, Crisis and Climate Change and it is the whole week so I will update with how that is!

Unfortunately COVID is still very prevalent in the world and it has hit our group. One of the professors, one other girl and I all tested positive. Although this is not how things were supposed to go and I am not feeling great I’m trying to look at the positives. Luckily we did some room switching so the one girl and I are in a suite together so we aren’t alone. Even though I’m stuck in here not feeling great it is a good way for me to finally relax and reflect on my trip so far. I am so appreciative of how kind everyone has been and willing to help out by getting us anything we need.

Last night my original roommates Steph and Alyssa surprised Morgan and I with a box of donuts and a little note outside our door which was super sweet. It was the emotional support both Morgan and I needed as we were still in shock and trying to process everything.

Although I’m sad to miss out on a week in Dublin I’m very fortunate for the experiences I’ve had so far! I am glad that I didn’t get it any later than now to risk being stuck in my room when my parents get here. I should be able to get out of quarantine next Friday so that will be plenty of time before my parents get here on Wednesday.

Now to recap the few days before I got stuck in my room…

On Thursday we went to University College of Dublin and visited their Centre for Disability Services. It was really cool to see their campus and how different it was compared to Trinity. It is so much more modern and a lot bigger too. They told us it’s the biggest university in Ireland and that all the psychology programs in Ireland first started there. The director gave us a whole run down of their Centre and talked about all of the other programs she is a part of and I was really impressed by everything that she’s involved with. We also went on a tour of the research labs with the head of the program. She asked if anyone had any experience with research either conducting it or participating in a study and I told her about the study I was in at Yale when I was little. She told me about a baby lab that they have that does research on the links between sleep and ADHD and the influence of siblings. It uses and actigraph watch like I used when I did a sleep study this year! I definitely want to look more into this because it was really interesting and I would consider doing something like that for a career since I participated in research when I was little and want to help children achieve their full potential and overcome obstacles like I have. I would even consider looking into UCD’s Masters program lol.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I saw this research poster in the hall of the research labs and wanted to take a picture to look back at it since I saw it in passing and it intrigued me. I may look more into it to see more about the study.

Later in the day a few of us went to the campus bar and sat outside on the deck because it was so nice out! There were people playing spike ball on the lawn and Gabby yelled to them to ask if we could play. She, Steph and I went to play with them and learned that they were from Alaska! It was our first time playing spike ball so although we embarrassed ourselves a little we had so much fun! I don’t think I’ve laughed that hard in a long time.

On Friday 6 of us went on a day trip to Northern Ireland. We got to see the Dark Hedges which are featured in Game of Thrones, then we went to the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge and although we couldn’t go on the rope bridge we had a beautiful view of the ocean and some islands, next we made our way to Giant’s Causeway which was the main attraction of the trip. Giant’s causeway was amazing, it was formed due to a volcanic eruption. There is also a legend that says it was built by a giant named Finn McCool as a roadway so he could get to Scotland. We took so many good pictures and had such a great time. We also stopped for a photo op of Dunluce Castle and there was a couple taking wedding pictures which was adorable. We spent an hour in Belfast and explored then headed back to Dublin. I was exhausted and had a cold (or so I thought) so I showered and went straight to sleep when we got back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday my roommates and I went grocery shopping before we were supposed to go to a site visit. We were about to leave when we saw that one of the professors tested positive so we all went back to go test and I was really nervous because I had cold symptoms the past few days but didn’t think anything of it until she tested positive. I knew there was no way I didn’t have it and surely as soon as I put the drops on the test the positive line immediately turned pink. I’m thankful I’m not super sick I have a cold and I feel achey but it definitely could be worse.

 

I probably won’t be posting again this week until next Sunday since there won’t be too much to write about as I’m trapped in my room. Feel free to send over advice to keep me sane and entertained in quarantine!

I continue to be amazed by everything that Ireland has to offer! We have done so much in the past few days yet there is still so much more to explore!

Monday was a Bank Holiday and everyone had off from work so we went on another day trip that our professors planned. We explored Ireland’s ancient east. First we went to the Hill of Tara where our tour guide talked to us about the area and that the high kings ruled from that area. It was a beautiful view. Then we went to the cafe and got some coffee and pastries, I got this apple and almond muffin that was sooo good! Next we went to Trim Castle which is the biggest castle of its type in Ireland! Although we couldn’t go inside because we weren’t going on an actual tour it was really cool to see the outside and the surrounding area. After that we went to Loughcrew where we climbed this huge mountain that we were not expecting at all. Steph and I ran up most of it because it made it go faster but I was so out of breath and had to sprint and then stop for a little lol. It was tiring but the view was so worth it. You could see for hundreds of miles in the distance, it was amazing. When we headed down the mountain there was a little shop where we got sandwiches and slices of cake. We made one more stop at Fore Abbey which was a Christian Monastery and saw some cows and some horses as well!

We were all tired by the time we got to the last stop most of us pretty much stayed in one area and played some games like 4 corners and heads up.

playing 4 corners in the Abbey

The only negative I found with this day trip was that it would be really difficult for someone with a physical disability or just someone who can’t walk a lot. They should have specifically written on the website that you have to climb up a mountain and do a good amount of walking on the trip. There were also these really weird gates to get into most of the sites that were really narrow and would be hard for someone who is a little bit bigger or needs to use a cane or something to get in. I think they should either advertise what is there or work on finding a way to make it more accessible.

On Tuesday the CEO of Mental Health Ireland came to talk to us. Mental Health Ireland is an organization that promotes positive mental health and supports those who have mental health challenges. The CEO talked to us all about how they advocate and provide mental health services all across Ireland. We all introduced ourselves and told him our majors and I thought it was sweet that he talked to each one of us about our majors. I talked about how I want to go into early intervention and he noted the importance of early intervention but also the need to find the right time to intervene so you don’t intervene too early. I found that point to be interesting and it made me think about how to determine what is too early and what is the right time. I was really impressed when he said that Ireland has 1,029 volunteer organizations that work for mental health. He also mentioned an organization called Jigsaw which is the National Center for Youth Mental Health and I may look into that a little more because it interests me. Something else that stood out to me was when he was talking about some book I forget what it was called but apparently the author talks about how if you live to be 80, you live for 4,000 weeks so think about how you want to spend the next one. This really made me think and want to start to become more proactive in the way I spend my time.

On Wednesday we went to Friends of the Elderly which is a place where people volunteer to bring friendship and activity for older people who feel isolated and lonely. They come to this community center where food and drinks are served to them and they get to socialize with other people their age as well as younger people who are volunteering or working there. I was excited for this because I worked at an assisted living facility a few summers ago as an activities aide so I knew I was going to enjoy it. We helped serve and socialized. There was also a band that performed and everyone danced along to the music. There was this one lady that I talked to who I had asked for recommendations in the area and she gave me one but didn’t tell me the name but then later someone said she was asking for me and so I went back and she told me the name of a pub her grandson works at. She told me to go and ask for him and say his granny said to take care of me so we may have to go. When we were dancing she told me I need to practice so we can dance together at the pub and I am very uncoordinated so she was helping me do the line dance and holding my hand to guide me. Then when she was leaving she told me she had to go do laundry and asked if I had any laundry that I wanted her to do for me. I think she wanted me to be her granddaughter haha. She was very sweet and funny. I had a really great time there!

This first week has been amazing! We have done so much in such a short amount of time that it feels like I have been here longer but at the same time I still can’t believe we’ve been here for a week already!

On Thursday we went to 2 more site visits. The first one was called the Outhouse, it is a LGBTQ community resource center in Dublin. They had a cute cafe and a really cool exhibition in the basement that reflects anightclub that was the first gay club in Dublin. The CEO talked to us about what the Outhouse does and disability can tie into it as well.

Then we took a bus to Deaf Village which is a community resource center for the Deaf. It allows the deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing people to gather in an accessible community center. It has most of the Deaf advocacy programs in Ireland housed in one area. It has a gym, pool, chapel, cafe, and more. I thought it was really cool that the chapel provided services in ISL (Irish Sign Language) and actually had Peace written in ISL on the stained glass. The lady that gave us a tour was hearing but grew up with deaf parents, deaf grandparents and a deaf brother. It was interesting to hear how growing up in a deaf household has impacted her life. She gave us lots of insight into Deaf culture and told us how most of the workers in Deaf Village are deaf themselves which I found to be really cool. She told us how she doesn’t view hearing loss as a disability, that it is more of just a language barrier and I thought that was a really interesting perspective to take on it. I am interested in learning more about sign language to better be able to communicate with those who have hearing loss.

Later that night most of us went out to some pubs and had a great time!

On Friday morning my roommates and I decided to go for a walk and get donuts to celebrate National Donut Day! We went to this place called the Rolling Donut and it was amazing. I got a Bailey’s cream donut and it was sooo good! I would definitely go back, they had so many flavors to choose from!

A few hours later all of the girls in the group headed to the Guinness Storehouse. It was really cool to see the history of Guinness and how it is made. I waited to try Guinness until I got there because I wanted it from the factory to get the real stuff. I personally was not a fan because I don’t like beer but maybe if I did I would have liked it. But I really enjoyed the Gravity Bar at the top with the best view of Dublin!

Later that day we took the train to a Cricket Club with our professors and watched women’s cricket, Ireland vs South Africa. Although I didn’t quite understand how the game worked it was still interesting to watch. It’s crazy how long those games can last, apparently they can last for days! We only stayed for like an hour or so.

Saturday we didn’t have anything planned so Steph and I went to do some shopping and then went to the gym on campus. Later that night a group of us went out to dinner at this place called The Market Bar. It was really big and had live music and the food was pretty good. It was a fun yet low-key day.

Sunday we had a day trip planned, 11 out of the 12 of us went on a bus tour. First we stopped in Wicklow where we saw a sheep farm and got to hold baby sheep! They were adorable and I fell in love! Next we went to Glendalough which had a monastic city that the tour guide led us through, and then we had free time to explore the walking trails with beautiful scenery and 2 lakes. After that we went to Kilkenny and had free time to walk around and get lunch and do whatever else we wanted. We went to a pub called Kytellers Inn and I finally had Fish and Chips! I hadn’t had them yet since being in Ireland and was craving them so badly! They were so good and the pub was really cute!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking forward to the next few weeks! Stay tuned to see all of my adventures!

I can’t believe I’m finally in Ireland! Stephanie and I arrived at 7am Sunday morning and explored Dublin while waiting to get into our hotel room at 3pm. We wandered around looking for places to sit because we were exhausted! Then luckily our professors let us come to their room when they woke up because we were freezing and tired!

Once we got to the hotel we rested for a bit then met up with all of the girls that were there so far for dinner at a pub called O’Neill’s. Monday we checked into Trinity College and got our apartments! They are so nice and have a huge common area. We got assigned by Trinity into groups of 3 or 4 and we each have our own rooms within the apartment! We all met up and explored and went to Temple Bar once we were settled in!

Yesterday we went to the Trinity College library and saw the Book of Kells and the Long Room. The library is beautiful! After that we went and got pasties for lunch before heading over to the Irish Emigration Museum! I really enjoyed that it was interactive and you got to stamp this little passport when you went through each room. It was really interesting to hear all about Irish Emigration! Then at night some of us went out for ice cream at this place called Murphy’s ice cream that was SO good!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today was our first site visit and we visited a nonprofit called Fighting Blindness. Their mission is to cure blindness and support those with sight loss. We got to hear all about their organization and the services they provide. We also got to hear from one of the founding members of the organization who is actually visually impaired himself. He has been with Fighting Blindness since it started 40 years ago and it was really interesting to hear how he has worked with them and all of his experiences as a visually impaired person.

These first few days have definitely been an adjustment getting used to a new time zone and the jet lag and lack of routine but I have had a blast so far! Can’t wait to see what else Ireland has to offer!