“He should be locked up in a padded cell”

IF A 48-year-old man with Down syndrome tried to hug you in a supermarket, would you move away?

If a nine-year-old autistic boy pulls everything off the shelves in a toy shop, do you glare at his father and tell him to control his child? People with disabilities have never been more visible in Irish communities.

Institutions are slowly being shut down, inclusion in schools is more common and events such as the Special Olympics have improved our attitude towards people with disabilities.