Bid to lift stigma of disability

STUDENTS are spending a week in a wheelchair to highlight the effects of disabilities on young people.

Transition Year girls from Mount Mercy College on the Model Farm Road say the daily difficulties faced by the physically disabled are not always considered by people without a physical disability.

Sixteen students have taken on the project, Don’t label the Disabled, as part of a Young Social Innovators Project, which aims to raise aware- ness of a particular social problem.

Chairperson of the class project, Aoife Cafferkey from Togher said they decided on the project after the Junior Cert results, when they discussed what it would be like for a teenager in a wheelchair going out with their friends to celebrate.

“On Monday last, we started taking turns spending two hours each trying to get around school in a wheelchair. It was definitely the hardest thing that I ever did,” said Aoife. “There is a ramp going up to our prefab but I found it really hard to control the wheelchair and even fell out a couple of times. The other girls who have did it, so far, have said the same.”

The class also conducted a school survey which asked students if they have ever seen a disabled teenager at a social event. “About 85% of students said they have, so as part of our research we contacted nightclubs and teenage discos and asked them have they any wheelchair facilities,” said Aoife.

Four out of five businesses refused to reply, while one business said they have no lift but they have wheelchair accessible bathrooms.

As part of the project, the class are aiming to raise money for Enable Ireland through flag days, cake sales and competitions.

Two students are also planning to take a wheelchair into the city centre for the public to see how difficult it is to access certain shops and popular teenager hangouts.