“The word people have always used to describe me is ‘stubborn’. I was stubborn when I was a child because I couldn’t accept that I needed to use a typewriter or computer to do my schoolwork. Where possible, I retaliated by handing up indecipherable scrawls in my copy. I tried to cycle a bike that Santa got me one year for Christmas and didn’t stop until he got me a tricycle the following year. I decided to go to the Sacred Heart School instead of Tullamore College, even though Tullamore College was far more accessible than the SHS.
As I entered my teens the word ‘stubborn’ was used more frequently to describe me by my teachers, parents, and friends. They meant it as a warning against pushing myself too hard, but I always saw it as a compliment. I exhausted myself physically and mentally doing the Leaving Cert. Nobody was more surprised than I was to get my CAO offer to study English at Trinity College!
But to be honest, I don’t think I’m particularly special. When people used to ask about my disability, I found myself saying, ‘I have Cerebral Palsy,’ which made me feel that there was something wrong with me, that I was abnormal. Now I realise that our society poses obstacles to full inclusion for people with disabilities, and I question how disabled people are treated. I hate having to give 24-hour notice to travel on public transport, so I blog about this and the many injustices facing disabled people in Ireland.
Even though I often infuriate my husband, family, and friends, I would rather be vocal and stubborn than silent and complacent. And I hope that my daughter will know that it’s crucial to stay true to yourself and stand up for what you believe in.”