Fighting for their rights: Templeogue group meets Mayor

A TEMPLEOGUE Disability Rights group met with the Mayor of South Dublin County Council, Councillor Alan Edge, at his chambers on Wednesday, May 15.

St Michael’s House Templeogue Disability Rights Group consist of ten service users who attend the day centre in Templeogue and who are seeking to strengthen the rights of those with disabilities.

“The meeting with the Mayor went really well. We put together questions for the councillors and got good answers. The Mayor was open to our questions and ideas,” said Leona McMahon, who  facilitates the group along with James McCormack.

The questions asked by the group included a request to trim the bushes back on Rossmore Lawns where people with disabilities and older people walk a lot, to get their bus home from the day centre.

“Those using wheelchairs were struggling on that road,” said Leona.

Already, the group have gotten a result on this issue. “The hedges will be cut back on the path,” said Leona.

The group also asked for a campaign to slow down the traffic at the Spawell and Templeogue Road. “A lot of people with disabilities use the pedestrian crossing and drivers break these, the pedestrian lights are broken. We had some ideas such as putting up cameras to deter speedsters,” said Leona.

Mayor Alan Edge stands with the disability group

According to Leona the Mayor said that this was a Garda issue and encouraged the group to do something local as an activist group. “We are going to work on our own local campaign and we’re also going to contact the Gardaí for further advice,” said Leona.

Members of the group found the recent referendums quite difficult. “That mirrored the general public, really. Service users didn’t vote, as they didn’t understand what they were voting on,” said Leona.”

Consequently the group asked the council to provide more Easy Read documents for people with learning and neuro-divergent disabilities.

“It [the meeting] was an important event,” said Mayor Alan Edge. “It’s important that groups such as this are empowered to engage with local representatives. It was an honour to have them in my chambers, they were a fantastic group,” he said.

The group had important questions and concerns some of which have been acted upon, according to the Mayor.

“Work is underway regarding concerns raised relating to accessibility in the local area,” he said.”

“I’ve contacted Cllr Pamela Kearns (Lab) regarding other concerns raised, I know she’s in touch with the Roads Department to see what solutions can be found,” he said.

The main mission of the group, according to Leona, is to show that people with disabilities can represent themselves to their public representatives, given the right supports and opportunities.”

“Conversations about what systems are best for people with disabilities shouldn’t happen without their inclusion,” she added.”

One of the members of the group, Derrick O’Connell, presented the Mayor with one of his paintings. “The Mayor wrote a ‘thank you’ to Derrick and let him know [the painting] now proudly hangs in his office,” said Leona.

A key aim of the group is to make people with all kinds of disabilities more visible, respected and to enable them to contribute to their community and their own community groups, according to Leona.

Since the meeting with the Mayor, the Disability Rights group has added two new members, which is “very encouraging”, according to Leona.