Aged 20 I felt as though I had the world at my feet. I worked as a lifeguard and windsurfing instructor during the summers while I studied Pharmacy in college. I was free and easy and at a place in life where I was very content in myself. In a moment all of that changed. I ran down the beach in Portugal on the first day of my holidays and dived into the water. I didn’t anticipate how shallow it was and when I hit the bottom I broke my neck. As a result I was paralysed from the armpits down with limited use of my arms and hands but I haven’t allowed that to stand in my way.

I made it my goal to get back to college after completing my rehabilitation. 13 months post injury and after a lot of hard work I found myself back in Trinity College and living away from home, independence to a certain extent was returning. I made a conscious decision around that time that this challenge life had put in my way would not rule me but that I would learn and grow from it. It has taken time to understand how to negotiate both the mental and physical aspects of coming to terms with such a change in my way of life.

I truly believe the only thing that enables or disables any person in this world is the environment in which they exist. However it was only on having to navigate the world on a daily basis using a wheelchair once I was back in college that I realised just how many obstacles there are in our world for wheelchair users. From something simple like hills, which  I never noticed before, to footpaths that are all sloped towards the road and which are quite often blocked by bins, lamp posts and other obstacles. Also road crossings that aren’t ramped to meet the street to some more prohibitive issues like having to book trains and buses 24-48 hours in advance just so you can use a public service that anyone else can just hop on and off. On the flip side I have to say that cities in Ireland have made dramatic improvements over the last few years in terms of the Luas in Dublin and the extent to which taxis are now wheelchair accessible. This is huge in terms of leveling the playing field for everyone.

I previously mentioned that it is only the environment in which we exist that enables or disables us, I have seen this first hand over the past few years in my travels in the US and around Europe. Only this summer in Holland I had the luxury of only having to call an hour in advance to organise a ramp for the trains giving me huge flexibility and freedom. In London I found that the simple solution of slightly raising part of the metro platform made the entrance level for both wheelchair users and mothers with prams and that the London buses have fantastic entry system from the middle door of the bus allowing a buggy or wheelchair direct access to the reserved spot. On the west coast of the US there is no need to pre-book a wheelchair assistance as the conductor of the train simply jumps off and puts out a ramp, easy! In New York the subway is fantastic which makes navigating the city very doable. 

There are some things we do well in Ireland, particularly over the past number of years, but there are a huge number of simple solutions to what are currently prohibitive obstacles for many wheelchair users, elderly people as well as mothers with buggies. If we design public infrastructure so it can be navigated by these groups then it will function well for other groups within society too.

Get involved this EU Mobility Week and write to TDs and your local council to address these issues. Our cities need to be inclusive and accessible to all. You can also check out Jack’s motivational TEDx Tallaght Talk here.

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