Spinal Injuries Ireland urges Cork people to put their shoulder to the wheel

An ambitious fundraising and awareness event in Cork will soon allow people to experience local life from a wheelchair user's point of view. Spinal Injuries Ireland (SII) are set to raise €100,000 through their 'A Day in My Wheels' campaign — vital funds that allow the charity to continue supporting the 2,300 people in Ireland living with spinal cord injuries.

As part of the campaign, SII are appealing to Cork businesses and public representatives to get on the pathway to accessibility, by teaming up with service users of the charity and spending time in a wheelchair. By 'buddying up' and spending anywhere from an hour to a day together, they will experience the challenges service users face, including — but not limited to — returning to work with a spinal cord injury, mental health struggles and medical expenses.

The aim of the campaign is not only to help the general public obtain a better understanding of living with a life-altering spinal cord injury, but to offer employers and companies assistance to put the appropriate supports in place to help those affected.

On average, three people sustain a Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) every week in Ireland with Spinal Injuries Ireland (SII) being the only charitable organisation dedicated to providing support for them.

The charity advocates on behalf of its members while also providing one-to-one services from its community outreach team and access to its trained peer mentor and comprehensive educational programmes. Another core element of SII’s work is counselling services for families and service users to help them cope with their new reality. This service delivery has changed post-Covid, with the charity seeing a significant increase in requests in recent years.

In addition to all of these vital services, individuals and their families who are suddenly faced with SCI are faced with the cost of medical care, bowel and bladder care, pressure relieving equipment, and specialist requirements such as wheelchairs, hoists and adaptions to their car and home.

This can be hugely daunting for anyone to deal with, as Fiona Bolger, CEO for Spinal Injuries Ireland (SII), explains. “On average, three people sustain a Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) every week in Ireland. The impact can be devastating, and we want to be able to continue to provide support to our service users as they adjust to their life post-injury.

"One of the biggest realisations upon becoming a wheelchair user is understanding just how inaccessible the world can be, especially in the workplace. That is why SII has developed this programme for companies, so that they can clearly understand all the issues faced by people with a disability. 

"‘A Day in My Wheels’ is a call to all Cork businesses to support accessibility in their workplaces and beyond, thus having a positive impact on the daily lives of wheelchair users. This fundraiser will have a vast and positive impact on the much-needed services we provide these individuals with SCI and their families.”

While the campaign aims to raise awareness around accessibility for wheelchair users in all walks of life, there will be a particular focus on how workplaces can be improved.

Her comments were echoed by Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Frank O'Flynn, speaking at the launch of the 2023 campaign. “This incredible campaign gives businesses actual experience of a situation they may not have encountered and addresses the unconscious bias that we all have towards these individuals. It is important to learn directly from the people who are living with Spinal Cord Injuries about how we can make the workplace and the world in general more accessible. 

"It is vital that we all play our part when it comes to making the world a more comfortable place for everyone and I would invite as many businesses as possible to take part.”

To take part, business leaders and public representatives (with up to four of their team members) are invited to sign up now and join SII ambassadors and the Disability Federation of Ireland on Wednesday the 4th of October at Cork County Hall for breakfast, talks and workshops. 

The event will last approximately two hours and following this, participants will have the opportunity to ‘buddy up’ with a service user and spend the afternoon using a wheelchair. The aim of the day is to provide a unique insight into the reality and accessibility issues those with SCI face every day, while raising much needed funds.

Companies or individuals are invited to contribute €5,000 to participate in ‘A Day in My Wheels’ 2023, where funds will directly support the 2,300+ individuals in Ireland with a Spinal Cord Injury and their families. A similar event will also take place in Dublin on the 27th of September.

To learn more about Spinal Injuries Ireland and the services it provides, see www.spinalinjuries.ie.

To sign up for ‘A Day in My Wheels’ Cork or Dublin, email phil@spinalinjuries.ie or call 087 3821182. Closing date for signups is Friday 22nd September 2023.

ENDS

Source: Spinal Injuries Ireland website and The Irish Examiner 

Image: Pictured at the launch of the campaign are Cllr. Frank O'Flynn, Mayor of the County of Cork; Johh C Twomey, Chairperson of Spinal Injuries Ireland (SII); Fiona Bolger, CEO of Spinal Injuries Ireland and Conor Healy, CEO, Cork Chamber of Commerce.