Disability Project

In our Religion classes, we have been doing a disability project for Saint Vincent De Paul. We were all split into groups, with different tasks for each groups. Some of the tasks included sorting out the disability unit so that it was more colourful and also making posters and campaigning for awareness in the halls for wheelchair users. I made a poster highlighting school bags left in the hall which make it difficult for wheelchair users to go down the hall. We got a few posters up in the school as well as doing a bake sale with half the proceeds going to the Irish Wheelchair Society. Róisín, me and Caroline were then tasked with writing letters and emails to the local ministers campaigning for the wheelchair ramp in the school to be fixed. I also wrote a letter to Thomas Pringle asking him to talk to the Department of Education about College Street and how difficult it is to maneuver for wheelchair users. This is the letter that I sent to Thomas Pringle; letter to Thomas Pringle. I got lots of replies from the ministers that I emailed. This is the email that I sent to all the ministers;

Dear minister,
I am a TY student writing on a disability project in our school. We have a wheelchair user in 6th year and another coming in 1st year. The lift from our assembly area to the music room hasn’t worked in six years. Our principal, Jimmy Keogh, has written several letters to the Department of Education re this issue but to no avail. As you are running for election could you do anything to help fix the wheelchair lift. Could you contact the Department of Education for us?
Yours Sincerely, Olivia Foster

These are some of the replies that I received;

Dear Olivia,

Thank you for contacting my office in relation to your issue with regard to a wheelchair lift at your school.

I write in order to advise that your issue is currently receiving attention.
I will revert to you in due course.

Yours Sincerely,

Deputy Tony McLoughlin T.D.
Representing Sligo, Leitrim, West Cavan and South Donegal

 

Dear Olivia

Thank you for your email.

I find it amazing that a college would allow such a situation to continue for six years. If the lift has not worked for six year it may now need to be replaced.

Do you know what action, if any, the Board of Management has taken on the matter?

Was Thomas Pringle T.D. contacted ? If he was contacted I would assume that he would have submitted a Parliamentary Question to the Minister for Education and that he would have received a written response from the Minister.

Please let me know.

With kind regards

DECLAN BREE

Dear Olivia

In relation to your query, we have had a response back from the Department of Education.

They are seeking additional information.

Can you find out from the school/principal if they have applied under emergency works to fix the lift or if they have been refused?

They say access issues like this are covered under the emergency works scheme but they will need a roll number and also the last application submitted to be able to track it down.

Kind regards

Susan

Senator Susan O’ Keeffe
Chair, Yeats2015

Disability Talk

Donegal Centre for Independent Living

On Friday, 4th March, Richard Alcorn, a man from the Donegal Centre for Independent Living came to talk to us about disabilities. He began by introducing himself and explaining how he came to need a wheelchair. He then showed us a powerpoint presentation which went through all the terms that are acceptable to be used around a disabled person. He then went through all the ways to make wheelchair users comfortable; not overcrowding them, going to eye level when talking for a long period of time to them and not making them feel like they are any different from non- disabled people. It was a really interesting talk and went over all the aims of the Donegal Centre for Independent Living and how it hopes that all disabled people can live comfortably and have the facilities and treatment that they deserve as well as people respecting them.

Saint Vincent de Paul talk

On Thursday 22nd October, Sharon Tuohy from Saint Vincent de Paul visited to talk to us about the history of the organisation and about what we could do for our SVP project. The society of Saint Vincent de Paul was set up in 1834 by Frederic Ozanam when he was a student.He disliked the poverty he saw around him so set up the society to deal with the problem along with a group of his friends.

Frederic Ozanam

The SVP was founded in Ireland in 1884 and helps people dealing with poverty, mental health issues and disabilities. Sharon Tuohy told us about what projects we could do. We are hoping to decorate the autism unit, do paired reading with the autism unit, work with the IWA doing wheelchair basketball and raise awareness to the poor street conditions in Ballyshannon for wheelchair users. We also hope to have a Christmas party for the students of St Cecilias at Cregg House. The talk gave a good insight into the work of the SVP and also helped us to work out what we could do to raise awareness for people with disabilities and how life can be made easier for them.

Pope John Paul II Awards

On 31st September, Tim Jackson from the John Paul awards came into the school to tell us about the awards. He showed us a presentation of the achievements of Pope John Paul II as well as how we could get involved in the awards. By doing one hour community service a week and one hour church service, you can get the bronze award. There are also a gold and silver award that students can get. I learned about the award and also of the achievements of Pope John Paul II. He was very dedicated to helping young people realise their faith as well as reuniting Europe after the iron curtain.