After nine years of successful skiing with a merry band of visually impaired people and guides, my luck ran out. On the first day of this year’s trip, someone decided to turn at the wrong moment, there was a crash and I broke my leg. When I came home, my husband was able to get his hands on a wheelchair for me, for occasions when I needed to go to places that don’t have parking near the door. There are quite a lot of them, it turns out.

The first thing I noticed when I got into it was how rough the surfaces we travel on are, the roads and the footpaths. I’ve always found them a bit rough, but now they’re so bumpy, they’re a thrill ride. The wheelchair I have is designed for temporary use, so you have to tilt it when you’re going through gravel. Nothing like a wheelie to make you feel alive. And kerbs are suddenly really high. You search vainly for the low chink that will let you in.

In a lot of places, accessibility seems to be half thought-out. You go up a ramp to find a really heavy door that will only pull out, not push in. Or there’s only one door out of the two open; the other is bolted. A lot of this is necessary. Safety regulations require doors to be heavy. And bolting the doors prevents them from being caught by the wind and slapping into people’s faces. But it does make life awkward.

Wheelchairs bring out people’s kindness. Going through pubs and restaurants, crowds part like the Red Sea. People rush to open the door for you. Yes, you get a bit of the fabled, “Does she take sugar” attitude, but by and large, people are helpful and unobtrusive.

Probably the worst thing about being in a wheelchair is the social effect. Because you’re not at eye level with people, they forget you’re there. They talk over your head, or they drift away to huddle in groups, leaving you marooned on the edge of social occasions. Fortunately, I was able to propel the wheelchair forward with my good foot and battering ram my way into groups to prick people’s consciences, but I can’t imagine how annoying it must be to put up with that isolation all the time.

Writing this, I’m conscious that I’m lucky. By the time you read this, I’ll be out of the chair and back to my usual visually-impaired grumbles. But people in wheelchairs full time are constantly dealing with ups and downs, both literal and metaphorical. It’s about time the world began smoothing their path.

Áras Moyola, National University of Ireland, Galway, Republic of Ireland.

Irish Presidency of the EU urged to end the misuse of EU budget.

As our Taoiseach and Tanaiste headed off to Brussels for talks with the head of the European Commission and European Parliament in a bid to resolve an escalating political impasse over the EU’s seven-year budget, they need to take heed of the strong message sent by an international conference held at NUI Galway.

A major international conference held at NUI Galway on Friday in association with the Irish Presidency of the EU urges the EU to end the practice of using taxpayers’ money to build expensive and needless institutions for persons with disabilities and others.

There are approximately 1.2 million persons with disabilities living in institutions in the EU right now.  Apart from being hugely expensive this is a clear violation of the new UN disability treaty that the EU has ratified.  Normally States provide their own funding for this and are fully answerable to the UN for violation of the right to live independently and be included in the community.  However the EU also indirectly funds these institutions through the Structural Funds.  Figures vary but the overall amount directly involved in the malpractice runs into tens if not hundreds of millions.  This practice must end.  Every cent spared and re-directed to more worthy ends is a gain for European citizens and taxpayers.

The Structural Funds exist for all the right reasons – to transfer wealth to lesser developed regions of Europe and demonstrate European solidarity.  They have lifted millions out of poverty and have transformed the physical and social landscape of Europe.  However, they leave a massive amount of discretion in States to decide on how those Funds are to be used.  Unfortunately, this open-ended discretion has meant that some of the Funds have been used in some Member States to open new institutions and thus flout the UN disability treaty.

A once-in-a-generation opportunity now arises to end this practice. New Regulations governing the Funds are being finalized to cover the period 2014-2020.

Everyone is agreed that the Funds have to play a more strategic role in advancing key European priorities – especially the generation of a ‘smart, sustainable and inclusive’ economic and social model.  Eliminating waste and inappropriate expenditure is especially important in times of fiscal restraint.  Since the EU has ratified the UN disability treaty this too should form an inseparable part of this overall agenda for change.

To its immense credit, the European Commission proposed that specific mention be made of the UN disability treaty in the new regulations.  Indeed, it proposed that Member States should not be allowed to have access to the monies unless they could establish that they were committed to moving from institutional care to community based living and that they had a meaningful plan to implement and monitor the convention.  These conditions were removed by Council some months ago.  The Council (now under the Irish Presidency), the European Parliament and the Commission are currently in intense negotiations to put final shape on the Regulations.  If these conditionalities are not re-instated in the Regulations then it is entirely predictable that taxpayers’ monies will again be spent on expensive and needless institutions which flagrantly violate the UN disability treaty.  It is entirely predictable (nay certain) that this will engage legal liability for the EU before the UN.

The conference was held at NUI Galway (Centre for Disability Law) and co-directed by Senator Katherine Zappone.  Senator Zappone said: “This is a major test of the sincerity of the EU to comply with international law and especially the new UN treaty on disability.  We all have an ethical responsibility to do no wrong and if it is predictable that the Funds will be mis-used then the EU has both an ethical and a legal obligation to ensure this can never happen.  We certainly cannot preach to others around the world if we fail to get our own house in order.”

Two Minsters spoke at the conference: Minister of State Kathleen Lynch T.D., and Brian Hayes T.D.  Speaking after the event Minster Hayes wrote: “I want to reassure you, an audience looking for European leadership in the area of independent living, that Ireland as president of the EU is doing everything in our power to broker an agreement between the institutions.”  This is a very hopeful sign and the conference urged the Minister to ensure Ireland takes an active lead in Council.  The conference reminded the Minister that Ireland’s policy on community living is admirable and strikingly at odds with how EU monies are spent.

The conference brought together a broad range of European actors including the European Disability Forum, Age Platform Europe, The European Association of Service Providers, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the European Group of human rights commissions, the Open Society Institute, the European Foundation Centre, and others. The European Commission was also in attendance. It was also addressed by the Executive Director of the new US Federal Administration for Community Living and Commissioner Maire Geoghegan-Quinn on the importance of using research to provide clear blueprints for positive change.  Full proceedings will be on the NUI Galway CDLP website shortly: www.nuigalway.ie/cdlp

Last Friday, 19th April 2013 over 400 guests gathered at the Four Seasons Hotel, Dublin for a special black tie fundraising dinner to publicly recognise the 2013 ‘Alumnus of the Year’ award winners.

One such leader is our very own Caroline Casey who was awarded the “2013 Alumna of the Year” this year for her work in the area of transforming how business includes people with disabilities.

We are delighted that Caroline received this award for the fantastic work she has been doing to revolutionise the relationship between disability and business.

In her speech Caroline spoke about Kanchi’s ambition as an organisation, saying “We want to bring the Ability Awards to 10 countries in 5 years, 1,000 CEO’s, 1,000 Ability Companies, Heads of State – can you  imagine how powerful that would be”.

Congratulations to our amazing Founder, well done Caroline, we are incredibly proud of you!

As promised here are some pictures from the Awards on Friday.

Click here to view videos & photos from the night!

Last year’s paper “The Emerging Giant” received a great response with The Economist publishing “The New Green”, an article featuring our very own Ability Awards International.

So, I settled in after lunch,   set up my Zoom Text magnifier and I was all set to read and discover all the latest about the Economics of Disability.  My heart jumped with joy as I read my way through the report.  Not only does this report offer measurable examples of how valuable the disability community is to business – but it reflected the language and approach Kanchi takes when working with businesses to become more inclusive of PWD’s as customers, employees and members of the community.

I’m sure all you Kanchi fans will have read or heard us say “The disability demographic represents a market the size of China” more than once or twice.  This gob-smacking analogy was not only featured on the front page of last years’ report but was front and centre again this year in the introductory paragraph, stating; “People with disabilities (PWD) are a large global market. With an estimated population of 1.3 billion PWD are an emerging market the size of China.  Their Friends and Family add another 2.2 billion potential consumers that act on their emotional connection to PWD.”

I continued to read and my eye was drawn to this table within moments, which outlines; disability population, income, disposable income, friends & family demographics and their disposable income.

economics of disability (2)

I’m sure you are all familiar with the statement – “If it’s not measured it’s not managed”. The spending power of PWD continues to increase, representing a  lucrative opportunity for business and as the report says; “The successful firms will be the ones that act immediately to seize this opportunity.”

After saving this image to my system with extreme enthusiasm, wondering how I might be able to make this image  go viral, I settled back into my seat, sipped my coffee and jumped into the report again and it wasn’t long before the excitement bubbled up in me again.

Under the Segmentation section, came a classic Kanchi statement “One size does not fit all”, stating, “Members of the PWD market are not just wheelchair users, Braille readers and sign language readers”.  As a person with a vision impairment who does not use her stick (except when I’m at the back of a really long queue) or read braille this statement is so important.

it’s so important that businesses recognise that the ‘things’ you might associate with disability or use to identify disability– do not define the person, their skills, abilities or contribution to the workplace and or market.

This report also outlines sections such as market recognition, how the consumer sees your brand – another area that the Kanchi Network focused on last year when we held our   brand values marketing event with Mike Hemingway leader of the team that created the Dove Real beauty Campaign!

Alas, I digress; I will leave you with one last thought before you click the link below to this report.

The following statement was featured in the introduction to the report, I was so enthused by this statement that I sent the following information around to the team, with a massive “Thumbs Up”  beside it!

“The last thirty years have seen dramatic changes around the globe for people with disabilities (PWD). These changes have resulted in the creation of identifiable value in a population previously marginalized by society, manifested in global civil rights legislation1. While these laws have given PWD a platform from which to project economic power, large gaps still exist between aspiration and reality. The next step is to go beyond legal recognition, into market recognition.”

And this is what Kanchi do; we enable businesses to go beyond legal requirements, supporting them to become increasingly inclusive and     capitalise on the skills, abilities and  contributions of the disability community.

So finally, click here to read the  Fifth Quadrant Report “Sustainable Value Creation Through Disability, The Global Economics of Disability”.

Recruiters – Do you always get the best person for the job?
What about when that person happens to have a disability?

This inaugural session will examine inclusion throughout the recruitment process.
We will cover everything from job specification and advertisement placement, through to the application, interview and selection processes.
The workshop is designed to teach you how to ensure that the candidates with the right skills & experience can make it through each stage of your recruitment process regardless of any disability they may have (including physical, sensory, learning, intellectual and mental health).
The workshop will include:

- Clear, practical, accessible pointers
- Step by Step guide to each recruitment stage
- Relevant case studies/examples of “how to”
- Guidance on ensuring compliance with equality legislation

Who should attend?

This course is designed for anyone working in the Recruitment field, including those working in both in-house and agency roles.

Event Information

Date: Thursday 28th March
Time: 9.30am – 1.00pm
Location: Kanchi, Wilton Plaza, Wilton Place, Dublin 2
Break: Refreshments provided on site
Cost: Network Members: €125.00, Non-Members: €140.00
(10% discount if you register and pay before the end of February, group discounts also available)
Registration: Book your place via email to nicola@kanchi.org

This large spacious room is the perfect area to hold training sessions, business meetings, coffee mornings or networking events all year round. The white walls also make it an excellent blank canvas for powerpoint and projector presentations all around the room.

The room boasts a large amount of natural light, total privacy, air conditioning and access to the fully kitted out Kanchi kitchen and use of Kanchi’s dining area.

To book this fantastic space for a memorable event, get in touch with Chris in Kanchi as soon as you can before spaces are filled! Chris will be able to chat to you about the excellent rates for the room and the availability over 2013.

You can contact Chris either on the Kanchi phone 01 634 0018 or via email chris@kanchi.org.

As a social enterprise that has been working to change how business interact with disability for the last 10 years, Kanchi see a willingness and increased interest from Irish businesses to become more inclusive of people with disabilities.

What we do

Through the Ability Awards and Kanchi Network, Irish businesses have bought into the idea of inclusive business and the value of employing and serving people with disabilities.  But the real question is has our Government bought into this and are they willing to support business in becoming leaders in inclusion?

Businesses need practical support to drive real change within their organisations , in order to become more inclusive and therefore more competitive.  In late 2011, government funding for Corporate Disability Awareness Training was moved from FAS to the Department of Social Protection, where it has since been held in limbo.  What message does this send to Irish businesses? By failing to put in place the processes to allocate this funding, is our government sending a message to our corporate leaders that disability and inclusion is not a priority?

Despite being one of the first countries to sign the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Irish  government  has yet to implement the convention that seeks to promote the full and active participation of people with disabilities in the social, cultural and more significantly economic landscape.

Just last month 100 Irish  businesses each committed to making one change to become more  inclusive of people with disabilities within their business.  Time and time again our corporate partners are reiterating their commitment to including people with disabilities, they have proven that they can change mindsets and behaviours around disability, but they need both visible and financial support from our Government.

UK research from the Office of Health Economics (OHE) has shown that through the provision of supports for people with disabilities entering the workplace, the UK parliament will experience a reduction in spending on disability in the long term.  Should our Government not be working toward a similar goal?

The Irish Government must look beyond short term solutions to fix the current financial crisis and focus on areas of improvement that will not only bulk up the lining in the Dail’s pockets but will result in a more equal, inclusive and capable Ireland.

In Kanchi, we believe the business community is the greatest catalyst to ensure the continued and active participation of people with disabilities in society.  We have found a solution to a problem that is present in every single country worldwide but we need our Government to work with us to continue revolutionising the relationship between disability, business and society.  We want Ireland to be the biggest and best  at including people with  disabilities but we need a multi- stakeholder approach. Business is on board, the disability community is on board – now all we need is our Government.

We here at Kanchi are proud to be in partnership with various organisations in bringing you Be the Change, a conference aimed at eliminating stigma surrounding mental health in business and communities.

The conference will be held on the 28th January in the Hilton Hotel, Charlemont Place, Dublin 2.

It is free to attend ‘Be the Change’, but reservations must be in by the 21st January, 2013. To register, drop an email to
conference@foundation.ie or telephone Galina Bulakh, Event Co-ordinator on 01 8747247.

‘Be the Change’ is funded by The Community Foundation for Ireland and See Change. Partners include: AHEAD, Business in the Community Ireland, IBEC, Kanchi, Suicide or Survive and the Equality Authority.

For more information, have a look at the Be the Change Brochure.

We hope to see you there!

]]> http://www.kanchi.org/blog/be-the-change-conference/feed/ 0 http://www.kanchi.org/blog/your-friday-fix-2/ http://www.kanchi.org/blog/your-friday-fix-2/#comments Fri, 14 Dec 2012 15:43:22 +0000 Christina http://www.kanchi.org/blog/?p=1751

Your weekly update on what’s new in Disability, 10th – 14th December 2012

Interesting news this week:
• In the USA, researchers are saying that Autism can be detected much easier by the use of a blood test.
• In the USA, researchers are looking at ways to make the iPad more accessible for kids who have difficulty with motor skills.
• In Illinois, a lady who abandoned her daughter with developmental disabilities at a Tennessee bar earlier this year will not face charges.

1. Autism Blood Test Shows Promise
In the USA, diagnosing autism could soon be much simpler, with researchers saying this week that they’ve developed a blood test that appears to identify those with the disorder even before symptoms are apparent.
The early-stage test developed at Boston Children’s Hospital may be able to flag about two-thirds of those with autism.
In order to develop the test, researchers analysed blood samples from 66 boys with autism and 33 without the developmental disorder in an effort to establish patterns. Ultimately, the scientists were able to focus on a group of 55 genes that they used to successfully identify autism with 68% accuracy in a second test group made up of 104 people with autism and 82 controls.
Read more on this story

2. Researchers Look To Make iPads More Accessible
A new device could make it possible for kids with motor skills difficulties to utilize iPads and other touch-screen technologies.
Though tablets are often hyped as beneficial for kids with disabilities, touch screens present a unique hurdle for those with mobility impairments. Now a team of engineers at Georgia Tech has developed a sensor-based device to allow people with disabilities to control tablets even if they can’t make a pinching or swiping motion with their fingers.
The wireless tool known as Access4Kids enables a tablet or smartphone to respond to various physical movements. The device can be worn on a person’s forearm or positioned on the arm of a wheelchair so that the user can touch or swipe the sensors with their fist.
Read more of this story

3. Mom Who Abandoned Teen With Disability Won’t Face Charge
An Illinois woman who abandoned her daughter with developmental disabilities at a Tennessee bar earlier this year will not face charges, officials say.
Eva Cameron’s 19-year-old daughter — who is said to have the intellectual abilities of a 3-year-old — was found alone at a bar in Caryville, Tenn. in June without any identification, more than 500 miles from her Algonquin, Ill. home.
While saying that Cameron’s conduct was unacceptable the district attorney general in Campbell County, Tenn. said this week that the woman will not be charged.
“There is no disagreement that the actions of the mother, Eva Cameron, in this case were inexcusable,” reads a release from Lori Phillips-Jones, the district attorney general. “However, Tennessee law has not anticipated such behaviour and thus the Grand Jury was faced with conduct which was not necessarily indictable.”
Read more of this story

Have a great weekend!

3rd-7th December 2012
Your weekly update on what’s new in Disability!

Interesting news this week:
• In Ireland, Kanchi’s own Caroline Casey talks about how she was forced to come clean about her eyesight and her campaign to ensure others are not defined by disability.
• In Madrid, over 10,000 people with disabilities took to the streets over the weekend in protest over recent cutbacks to services and forcing care workers from their jobs.
• In Ireland, a disability group has called for the reform of a 151-year-old law called Lunacy Regulations Act of 1871 dealing with those with intellectual and mental health disabilities.
• In America, the senate rejected the UN Disability Treaty.
• In London, Journalist Kate Kelland writes that disability is expected to rise as more premature babies are surviving.
• In Berlin, the European Commission Vice-President Viviane Reding has handed the Access City Award 2013 to the city itself.
• Commission proposes rules to make government websites accessible for all.
• In Ireland, the budget came out this week and the charity Barnardos is speaking out about how it is unfair and targets low income families.

1. Column: ‘I hid my disability at work – nobody should have to do that’
Our very own Caroline was featured in the Journal this week describing how she was forced to come clean about her eyesight – and her campaign to ensure others aren’t defined by a disability.
Click here to read more

2. Spain’s disability protest austerity cuts
In Madrid many people with disabilities took to the streets on Sunday in the latest protest against broad austerity measures, angry over government cutbacks reducing services, closing disability centres and forcing care workers from their jobs.
More than 10,000 people, many in wheelchairs or being led by guide dogs, marched in a demonstration with the slogan “SOS Disability: Save our Rights, Inclusion and Welfare.”
Click here to read more

3. Call for reform of ‘Lunacy’ Act of 1871
A disability group has called for the reform of a 151-year-old law dealing with those with intellectual and mental health difficulties.
Speaking on Monday on International Day for People with Disabilities, Inclusion Ireland chief executive Paddy Connolly said Ireland’s legislation lagged behind the rest of Europe. “On today, International Day for People with Disabilities, this Government must do the right thing and finally take the word ‘Lunatic’ out of Irish law.
Click here to read more

4. Senate Rejects UN Disability Treaty
Despite strong support from disability advocacy groups, Republican opposition led the U.S. Senate to reject an international disability rights treaty on Tuesday.
In a vote that fell almost entirely along party lines, supporters were unable to secure the two-thirds majority of senators needed to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
“This treaty is not about changing America, but about America changing the world,” Senator John Kerry said just before the vote, adding that the issue had become unnecessarily controversial in the deeply-partisan body. “This treaty is a test of the Senate. It’s a test of whether this body is still capable of voting for change.”
Click here to read more

5. Disability expected to rise as more premature babies survive
Little progress has been made in improving the long-term health of extremely premature babies, and with pre-term births on the rise across Europe; rates of disability are likely to increase.
Babies born before 27 weeks of gestation – 13 weeks before they would be considered full term – face a battle for survival. Many of those who do survive face problems such as lung conditions, learning difficulties and cerebral palsy.
Rates of premature birth are rising in many European countries and are particularly high in Britain and the United States
Click here to read more

6. 2013 Access City award for disabled-friendly cities goes to Berlin!
Brussels, 3 December 2012 – Today European Commission Vice-President Viviane Reding has handed the Access City Award 2013 to the city of Berlin. The prize has been awarded in recognition of Berlin’s comprehensive and strategic approach to creating an accessible city for all. The award is organised by the Commission together with the European Disability Forum, and was presented on the occasion of the annual European Day of People with Disabilities conference in Brussels. The prize aims to encourage cities to share their experience and to improve accessibility for the benefit of all.
Click here to read more

7. Digital Agenda: Commission proposes rules to make government websites accessible for all
Over 100 million EU citizens would find it easier to use online public services to look for a job, register a car, submit a tax declaration and apply for a passport or driving license thanks to new rules proposed today by the European Commission on the International Day of People with Disability. The Commission’s proposal for a Directive on the accessibility of public sector bodies’ websites would introduce mandatory EU standardised accessibility features, from the end of 2015, for 12 types of websites. Mandatory accessibility would apply to essential government services like social security and health related services, job searches, university applications and issuing of personal documents and certificates (see annex for full list) The proposed new rules would also clarify what web accessibility means (technical specs, methodology for assessment, reporting, bottom up testing), and governments would be encouraged to apply the rules across all services, not only the mandatory list.
Click here to read more

8. Budget ‘unfair’ and ‘regressive’
There has been much criticism of the Budget measures, particularly among organisations working with vulnerable members of society. Children’s charity Barnardos has described measures as “regressive, unfair and unsustainable” which “disproportionately targeted” low income families despite rhetoric on fairness from Government.
The charity was “appalled” at the €10 flat rate cut to child benefit. While reform was needed, such a move was “an attack on poor families”, it said.
Click here to read more

Keep warm and have a great weekend!