Think Outside the Box
- Posted on
- 8th August 2012
- in
- Disability,Education,Fun!
Technology isn’t a way of life it’s a way of living
These were the words echoed by Joanne O Riordan during her Key note speech at the UN’s International Telecommunication Union , only two days after she turned 16.
Joanne O’Riordan says that technology was the limb she never had. Aged 16 from Cork, Joanne was born with no limbs. She is just one of seven people in the world to have total Amelia Syndrome. Joanne states that she has used technology to change her life dramatically.
With technology she could “do all the things my other friends were doing with their fingers. I was able to be as good as them, if not better” “I can use my mobile phone, send texts, tweets, update my Facebook, play my PlayStation, Nintendo DS, iPad, iPod and laptop.”
“Technology has opened up a world of possibilities, through which I have excelled in both my education and social environment around me” she said.
In April 2012, Joanne challenged technology leaders in her UN address to build her a robot. She told UN delegates, especially women to do what she does every day -‘think outside the box, to think of ways and means to make technology more accessible to the people who really need it.
Joanne had also spoken about her and her brother working together on a documentary about her life and as you can imagine we were super excited about the idea of seeing Joanne and her sparkling personality and positivity on the big screen! But last month, the Daily Mail published an article titled “Film Telling The Story of Brave Joanne Turned Down”.
But our spirits were lifted last night when Joanne tweeted @Kanchi_Ireland last night
A “Promo Video” her brother had put together about her – check it out here!
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