ILMI Team News
Beyond Limits: Empowering Young Disabled People
Photo shows ILMI's Maryam Madani with Izzy and Ailbhe Keane.
On Saturday 19th of October the first, and largest, event for young disabled people was held in Croke Park by the Ombudsman for Children. Over 1,000 young people came together to hear a varied selection of disabled speakers and to engage with a wide assortment of exhibitors. Young disabled speakers such as the enterprising founders of Izzy’s Wheels, theatre practitioner Mairead Folan and Grace Murphy spoke at the event. Grace’s powerful speech on disability and equality went down a storm with the audience. ILMI were there and we were delighted to meet so many engaging young disabled people and their friends and families.
ILMI weren’t there to sell anything, we weren’t there to represent a charity or service provider, we were there to talk about equality, disability rights and real independent living. We were there to inform people that the medical and charity approach to disability and impairment is not acceptable, it is not OK, and it is not what we will take anymore. We were there to engage and listen and include disabled people, of all impairments and all ages about disability rights are human rights. It was fantastic to see the participation, and indeed hunger, of so many bright young disabled people for the collective, grassroots movement.
Disability is part of diversity and diversity is integral to society, disability is not something to be overcome or hidden away, but seen as part of the wider human condition, as part of life - Nothing About Us Without Us. Many thanks to the Office of Children’s Ombudsman for organising a great event and for providing ILMI with the opportunity to participate.
Join the ILMI Education Working Group- Have your voice heard! Friday 8th November
Education is a human right and plays such an important part in all our lives, not only in terms of knowledge, skills, confidence but also in how education unlocks employment opportunities.
ILMI is calling people to become involved in a national education working group (regional groups via zoom if necessary) on Friday 8th November from 10:30am to 12noon in the ILMI offices and via Zoom.
The aim of this group would be to develop a collective discussion around education: pre-school, primary education, secondary education, third-level and further and adult education.
We are looking to explore what ILMI’s collective position on education supports and training should be in order to build a real, inclusive education system that welcomes diversity and gives disabled people choice and control in their lives. We will look to build our collective analysis of education as a human right in order to influence policy and work with mainstream education providers.
If you are interested in becoming involved in this group please email our policy officer James Cawley.
The Future is Accessible
Photo shows the Galway Activism Poster for The Future is Accessible on December 3rd
To celebrate International Day of People with Disabilities (IDPWD) 2019 Galway Activism are hosting an evening event in the Galmont Hotel: ‘The Future is Accessible’. This years IDPWD focuses on access to all areas of life, where disabled people are included at every level.
As Galway moves into the public eye in 2020 as a landmark venue, we want access and equality to be top of the agenda. Galway Activism envisage Galway as the city that everyone can access. On December 3rd we are inviting all disabled people, their supporters, family and friends to come together and celebrate our diversity while looking to a future where we as Galwegians are proud to call our city home.
This event is free to attend and will take place from 7pm to 9pm. Music, craic and a few surprises are guaranteed so come along and see how we can all take responsibility and work together to make sure ‘The Future is Accessible’.
For further information on this event please contact Susan.
No Magic Pill
Photo shows ILMI's Peter Kearns with members of Ballyfermot and Chapelizod's drama collective 'Half Made Up'
ILMI’s Peter Kearns worked with the Group at Ballyfermot Library from start of 2019 to develop acting skills and improvised two new scripts and performed several shows in Dublin west in spring & summer this year.
ILMI are delighted to announce that Peter and co-producers writer Christian O'Reilly (films SANCTUARY and INSIDE I'M DANCING) and theatre director Raymond Keane (founding member of multi award winning Barabbas Theatre Company) have progressed into the next phase of the Arts Council production grant awards for Christian's new professional play exploring the life of our CIL founder and long-time disabled activist Martin Naughton.
The play, which is entitled NO MAGIC PILL, was workshopped by Christian, Raymond and Peter (Disability Dramaturge) at ILMI's Carmichael House rooms with disabled actors and several scenes were performed in-front of ILMI disabled activists who knew Martin and Arts Council & Galway 2020 advisors. If the co-producers manage to pass through the Arts Council's final grant stages before Christmas, ILMI and Peter will be hosting a series of disability equality drama workshops throughout Dublin and Galway to drum-up a significant disabled activists audience for when the play premiers in autumn 2020.
Keep reading the E-Bulletin for updates on the production's progress. Anybody interested in knowing more about ‘No Magic Pill’ or even auditioning for some of the remaining disabled character parts email Peter for more information.
ONSIDE UPDATES
Onside At Beyond Limits
Photo shows ILMI ONSIDE team member James Casey with Beyond Limits MC Julian Benson
ILMI’s ONSIDE project was also warmly received at the Beyond Limits day at Croke Park. Our social and digital inclusion workshops interested many potential participants from the border region, and indeed other parts of the country. We are planning to run workshops specifically for young disabled people (16+) during the summer was a big hit. This may suit many young people that would otherwise be in college or secondary school during the other times of year and we were delighted to chat to people about the project and the wider ILMI work.
INTERREG
Photo shows ILMI ONSIDE team member Peter Kearns presenting at the INTERREG conference.
ILMI was back at centre stage this week at the bi-yearly EU INTERREG Conference in Cavan on Health & Social-Care. Our ONSIDE Coordinator Peter Kearns delivered a 'double-act' with our Northern Ireland project partner Coordinator Orla McCann, from Disability Action (DANI), on the Cavan Crystal Hotel INTERREG stage to deliver the presentation to a room of mostly non-disabled cross border managers and EU monitoring staff.
Peter & Orla were delighted to share with the conference that ILMI and Northern Ireland Disability Action hold dear to similar social model-led values. ILMI and DANI involvement with the cross border ONSIDE project is to promote, protect and uphold the human rights of disabled people. As with our ILMI ONSIDE Community Navigators kicking-off the first 8-week Inclusion & IT programme in Letterkenny and Monaghan Town this November, DA NI also view the INTERREG EU funded project (2019 to 2022) as working towards a society that is inclusive and also adapts to meet the effective participation requirements of disabled people on this Island, rather than an island that expects 'us' to just fit in and not be a problem.
Peter & Orla told the packed conference that EU funding is being used by ILMI and NI Disability Action to work to a society that recognises disabled people's right to be different in cross border areas and to live their life in a way, which meets their particular effective participation requirements without prejudice. The presentation in Cavan demonstrated how both ILMI and DANI are working with their INTERREG partners to communicate ONSIDE’s free and confidential service that is coming to a local venue close to disabled people in the border counties, and where our Community Navigators will have a chat with participants over a free cup of tea/coffee. The audience warmed to ONSIDE case studies that showed how disabled peoples led organisations are providing real and effective one-to-one support from our Community Navigators to support the person to identify and access mainstream opportunities of their choice.
Peter & Orla finished their double-act by informing people how once they have completed their 8 week IT & Social Inclusions workshops they will be provided with accessible Information Communication Technology e.g. a laptop or tablet with tailored accessible software for each disabled person to effectively use their device.
For more information on the ONSIDE project and how you can get involved contact Peter.
Leitrim
Photo shows ILMI ONSIDE team member Peter Kearns with (L-R) Karen McPartland (LAPWD), Coleen Keenan (Carrick on Shannon National Learning Network) and Teresa Butler (Leitrim Development Company).
ILMI ONSIDE Team are making their way around the border counties, on Thursday 17th October Peter Kearns held a stall at Leitrim Development Company's Social Inclusion Conference at Lough Allen Drumshanbo. The conference attracted over 80 people to speakers talking about effective inclusion and real active projects for local people and the event was part of the national Inclusion Week 14th on 20th October.
Monaghan
Photo shows Edel McGinley ONSIDE with members of the Monaghan Visually Impaired Group.
Edel McGinley, the ONSIDE Community Navigator, continues to meet with local community groups and organisations to promote the project. Last week Edel attended Monaghan Visually Impaired group at their book club meeting in Monaghan Library. The group were very interested in the ONSIDE project and were keen to get involved with future social inclusion workshops and IT programmes.
Drogheda
Photo shows ILMI ONSIDE team member with workshop participants in Drogheda.
ILMI ONSIDE cross border Coordinator Peter Kearns delivered an October workshop at Drogheda Arts Centre Little Duke Street Theatre to a group of youth leaders from community and arts group in Monaghan, Louth and West Meath. Community leaders at the workshop were excited about ILMI ONSIDE's proposed school-leavers 8-week summer camps for 2020. The one-day per 8-week camps will be primarily aimed at disabled school-leavers in June/July next summer at community, sports and arts mainstream venues in Louth, Leitrim, Donegal and Sligo.
