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I WANT TO spread the message that people with physical disabilities can do pretty much anything with their lives. Okay, they may need support here and there, but why shouldn’t young people with disabilities be as ambitious as anyone else?
As a person with a physical disability, I’ve faced barriers all my life, including terrible bullying at school, and other people thinking that I wouldn’t be able to get a job or do much with my life. It took me time, and I certainly had my dark moments, but I overcame those factors and definitely feel stronger for it.
I also think the success I’ve had on social media and on TV shows like First Dates shows that society as a whole is finally ready to see people with disabilities differently.
I’m like everyone else
When people follow me on social media, they start to realise that I’m like everyone else. I want to party, get drunk, make mistakes. Sometimes I’ll be fun, sometimes I get upset. I’m not scared about letting people in. I’m happy to talk about everything – my family, dating, my sexual escapades. I just want to say we can have a life, get a job, live a full life.
I was born with cerebral palsy, a condition that affects movement and co-ordination, caused by a problem with the brain that occurs before, during or soon after birth. I have cerebral palsy in my legs, which means that how I walk is impacted.
In simple terms my brains sends a message to my legs which tells them to move in a different way. I walk with the assistance of crutches and have done so for most of life.
People are surprised to see someone with a disability working
I am quite a confident and outgoing person however, my disability does sometimes mean that I experience obstacles, barriers and stigmas that my able-bodied peers would not. People are quite often surprised to see somebody with a disability working, socialising, partying or out and about until the late hours. They have what I call an ‘innocent ignorance’ and preconceptions of the type of life a person with a disability would lead.
I don’t think changing attitudes is about shouting from the roof tops. It’s about educating people, and if we don’t socialise with people, hang out together, how is that going to happen?
If you are giving out, put yourself out there. Make them see what things are like.
I know I’m lucky because I use crutches to get around. That means I can get into most shops and restaurants when I’m out socialising and I can also work in most environments. I know friends who use wheelchairs find it much tougher.
Unfortunately, in 2017 there are still problems accessing education, employment and social venues. I regularly come across inaccessible buildings, restaurants and bars which have flights of steps leading up to the entrance or no accessible loos. Even public transport is still very inaccessible with only 5% of the taxi fleet being wheelchair accessible. You even have to provide 24 hours notice to travel by DART or train.
Restricting people with physical disabilities
This completely restricts people with physical disabilities from travelling spontaneously or in an emergency. Why should people with disabilities have to meticulously plan their daily lives? That makes life boring. Personally I want to be able to follow my impulses and emotions.
These are issues I feel strongly about so I’m doing everything I can to spread the word about the Irish Wheelchair Association’s Angels Campaign. I also want to say to people with disabilities themselves, aim high and never stop fighting for what you want in life.
Irish Wheelchair Association (IWA) is Ireland’s leading representative organisation and service providers for people with physical disabilities. Paddy Smyth helped IWA to kick-start their national fundraising campaign by introducing IWA’s new Angels Christmas Products which will be sold by hundreds of volunteers nationwide throughout November. If you would like to follow Paddy on his journey on social media its @paddyysmyth. Further information about IWA can be found here.
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Well done Paddy. Great article. With those crutches you’re breaking down walls and barriers bigger than the ones Trump is trying to build. Fair played to ya.
Why is not acceptable for any young Irish person to not abuse their body by drinking. Even disabled and diabetics are peer pressured into drinking and too excess. Young women and LGBT seem to be amongst the worse for drinking and start earliest age
@Jay Lane: I think you’ll find that Paddy is making the point that he and other people who have disabilities are no different to anyone else. He’s not asking for anyone to criticise his socialising habits. That’s his business although he does point out he will make make mistakes like everyone else. Let’s focus on the heart of his article which is about equality, the frail perception of many members of the public and having proper access to buildings and all modes of transport.
@☀David Grogan✈: He suggests it’s normal to drink to get drunk “as he is just like every1&tx else” when lots of young people don’t drink & are bullied for it especially if they haven’t a sport game or something coming up & LGBT like Panti amongst the worst for sure drinking is great attitude
@Jay Lane: wow, any excuse to be homophobic. Trying to claim unhealthy attitudes to alcohol are a gay thing? That’s a new one.
@Laura Walsh: I’m the most liberal minded more so than pro lifers anti LGBT marriage etc people here but I’m calling on those who bullied using gay and worse to on their victims to say sorry to their victims properly rather than just trying to be hip when they be remorseful for the mental torture they inflicted and every1 in an Irish school before 2015 anyway witnessed
@Jay Lane:Those bullies should be made publicly apologize
@Laura Walsh: I disagree with Jays points BUT actually there is a point there. Alcohol and drug use and smoking ARE much higher amongst LGBT people than in the general population. http://drugs.ie/features/feature/alcohol_use_among_the_lesbian_gay_bisexual_transgender_lgbt_community
https://www.advocate.com/commentary/2015/9/28/lgbt-addiction-not-same-straight-addiction%3famp
@Laura Walsh: Shouldn’t the gay bashing bullies you probably witnessed at school as I witnessed be made feel remorseful instead of being allowed be hypocrites?
@Jay Lane: There’s some truth in what you’re saying in relation to the whole “glamourising drink” stuff that goes on these days, but it’s connection to gay people is lost on me.
@Jay Lane: young women are now encouraged by the Journal.ie and SJWs to get completely hammered while out. This is to prove they have the right to do it without getting raped or something
@Coner Willis: Have you seen gay pubs and their owners posting pics of drinking here there and everywhere
@Jay Lane: I’ve seen every pub and its owner posting pictures of people getting drunk. It’s kind of what happens in pubs.
@Jay Lane: seriously, calm down and open your mind a bit. My son also has cerebral palsy but is wheelchair bound, he has a similar attitude about life and I’m delighted with that. Your narrow minded attitude is outdated and ignorant. Do you think people with disabilities should stay at home and not live their lives?
@Tina Treacy: Going out drinking and getting drunk all the time is the only of proving you are “normal”?
@Jay Lane: You go off on tangents quite a lot, don’t you? Tina is talking about her son going out and socialising in general. Or would you prefer if disabled people were kept out of sight, out of mind?
Respect Paddy keep on breaking those walls down,
@KerAlot of people are rightfully all about gay rights now, used to bully the hell out of gay & non gay students even in the late 2000s as I witnessed & their favourite insult was the word gay so I hope those bullies have said sorry to their victims as those bullies are now wanting to be hip with LGBT rights bandwagon
@Jay Lane: Ah Jay come on you can do better than that!
@Free comment ratings: If you don’t gay bashing bullies you must have been that gay hating bully who left victims in mental torture
@Jay Lane: If you don’t remember the bullying you must have inflicted the suffering
@Jay Lane: To be honest, nobody has any clue what you’re saying, because your writing is a bit all over the place.
@Coner Willis: Read the points im making as it’s perfectly clear that gay hating and other bullies were allowed et away with being the biggest hypocrites & should say sorry to their victims to prove they care about LGBT rights
@Jay Lane: Still finding it hard to understand what you are saying.
Anyone else think he kinda looks like messi? Fair play to him though on the article.
Ah…. it wouldn’t be Sunday night without the Journal.ie health tale of woe. Even better, we are always told what we are doing wrong and how we can be better people by making the authors life better.
@Don Shavago: So you don’t believe that disabled people should have the same rights as anyone else?
@Don Shavago: how dare you say that. I am a person with a disability and also a fellow disability activist and what you have just said os a pure example of the ‘innocent ignorance’ that Paddy speaks of. We need rights in this country just like everyone else
@Don Shavago: I’m also going to say this as someone who also has cerebral palsy – with your attitude you’d better hope and pray that you don’t meet with an accident that will land you permanently in a wheelchair. If that does happen you’ll be singing a very different tune.
@Sean O’Kelly: chillax Sean! It’ll be grand! Have all the rights you want! Just don’t impinge on my freedoms.
@Don Shavago: And what would those freedoms be, pray tell?
@Ken Loughman: I dunno! The freedom to ignore you for one!
@Don Shavago: Face it – if you had your way disabled people would be in concentration camps, right?
@Don Shavago: where’s the woe? This is a person who despite his disability is grateful and brave, has the heart to consider those worse off than himself. You obviously need to develop some empathy
Great article, love Paddy, he’s a inspiration.
Cerebral Palsy Children : Cerebral palsy is caused when there is a disturbance or irregularity in the growth of the kidâs brain, most important to difficulties with movement and at times also resulting in cognitive challenges.
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