Bobbie Hickey: ‘I may be blind, but this could happen to anyone’
‘Going to college has been an enduring ambition, but I do not feel at home there’
Why I tell people that becoming disabled radicalised me
Accepting my vulnerability and need of other people was an important step in my progress
‘No offence, but if I was in a wheelchair I don’t think I’d get up in the morning’
Remarks like these reveal so much about non-disabled people’s perceptions
People with disabilities can’t keep fighting this fight alone – we need our allies
To everyone’s surprise but our own, disabled people are still fighting for the same rights that we’ve been fighting for our whole lives
We deaf people have been making ourselves heard . . . loudly
Recognition of our language and advances in technology means we are no longer being silenced
Travellers and people with disabilities must use their vote for change
The upcoming local and European elections are powerful platforms for the marginalised to make their voices heard
A defence of identity politics and its massive impact on Irish society
Why it's important to call out things that people do or say that enforce systems of prejudice
I’m disabled so I spend much of my time waiting
Limitations of independence are unnecessarily placed upon disabled people
Listen carefully – you don’t have to be deaf to join the Deaf community
By learning sign language you gain membership to a distinct linguistic and cultural group
To Zoe: the best teacher I have ever had
My four-legged friend has taught me patience, respect and to believe in myself
‘My disability has taught me how to deal with life’s challenges’
Aisling Glynn says her disability has resulted in both positive and negative experiences
I can eat at your restaurant, but what if I want a job there?
Those with disabilities are judged for not getting jobs that are not made accessible to them
Sex and disability in the spotlight
Theatre can relay the experiences of people who are often left out of bigger conversations
Disabled people have been made to believe they are the problem
Rosaleen McDonagh: Article 41.2 has marginalised disabled feminists. Time for change
I love my cochlear implant, but I won’t shout about it
Decision to get an implant is a very serious one that must be considered very carefully
‘I don’t mind not being able to see; I mind needing help’
‘Do you have any idea how frustrating it is to not to be able to do your own tan and nails?’
Let’s really think about what makes us disabled
People see the wheelchair as a symbol of disability but mine opened up the world to me
‘I find great comfort in watching a man explain how he freed himself from depression’
After years of failure and shame, like Leonard Cohen, I’ve finally found a way to be free
Disabled sexual assault victims have a right to be believed too
Our disability should not mean that issues around consent become blurred
Things you learn only when you start using a wheelchair
Clothes getting caught, chafing armpits and burning muscles become part of daily life
Deaf clubs: Providing the glue that binds the community together
Deaf Village Ireland has attracted many new visitors because of the services and facilities it offers
‘Why do people freeze up when I approach them?’
Disabled people are actually people and we lead our lives just like you so please stop treating us differently
My ‘choice’: 42 minutes help a day at home or 24 hours a day in residential care
‘The number 42 explains why disabled people are trapped in their homes’
‘I know that I’m not bad or broken for experiencing depression’
Cultural narrative of using a wheelchair making your entire life sad needs to end
Theatre access is always a compromise for those with a disability
The message is that, at best, we are a nuisance; at worst, we are not welcome
‘Asking for help should be the first step, not also the longest one’
‘Finding a counsellor with a wheelchair-accessible practice shouldn’t be this difficult’
Listen here: missing out on incidental learning is no joke
Much of our knowledge is acquired in an unplanned way and deaf people can miss out
Starting college with no friends . . . and no eyes
Disabled or not, we all have to start new things and the same fears and stresses come with them all
Have you heard the one about the fella in a wheelchair?
Sometimes a joke can leave me rattled – thinking I deserve the second-class citizenship that comes with a disability in this country
‘How do you bring your wheelchair on to a plane?’
Before the wheelchair, arriving at the airport was exciting. Now it’s stressful
When will there be an official apology to the Traveller community?
A State apology for the discrimination, abuse and hurt inflicted on our people is long overdue
The use of disabled people as ‘inspiration’ is terribly dated
Platform: Tokenism is an empty gesture that alludes to equality rather than practising it
‘Deaf gain’: my enhanced abilities by virtue of having grown up deaf
I enjoy face-to-face interviews where I can not only lip-read, but gain clues via body language
‘I’m not blind. I’m Bobbie Hickey. Pleased to meet you’
Bobbie Hickey: My parents helped me forget about my sight difficulties
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