The rest of this week has been such a blast! I’ve seen and learned so much about Ireland and disabilities in the past few days. It’s been fantastic getting to know all the girls on the trip, and we all seem to get along very well. All the local people are friendly and helpful, which I’ve also really appreciated. Additionally, it’s been interesting to make comparisons between the United States and Ireland.

Over the past week I’ve seen St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Kilmainham Gaol, the Old Post Office, Guinness Factory, Jameson Factory, Temple Bar, Phoenix Park, the president’s house, wild deer, Dublin Castle, and Trinity College all within a few days. I really enjoyed the group tour we took of Dublin Castle. The site was full of history and was visually an amazing place to see. Prior to this trip I didn’t think I’d care about the Irish history, but I ended up finding it very fascinating and kept wanting to learn more. I further gained historical knowledge by visiting the Kilmainham Gaol. Both Dublin Castle and the Kilmainham Gaol were not wheelchair accessible. Both sites had parts that were accessible, but a lot of the historical structures were not accessible for a wheelchair. This was due to the numerous flights of stairs and the cobble stone streets. Even I had difficulty in my sneakers walking on the cobblestone streets, so I can’t imagine what it must be like using a wheelchair. I feel bad that the historically  heavy parts of these sites are not accessible to everyone, because if someone used a wheelchair, but was in love with history, he/she probably won’t be able to enjoy that landmark. Overall, I think the city has made progress into making the city more handicap accessible, however I think there are still improvements that could be made.

When we visited Trinity College we learned about the Contemporary Living certificate program that was offered at the college. It was interesting to learn about the program and what it entails. I especially enjoyed talking to the students and hearing about their experiences in the program, however I felt like at times their professor spoke for them when the could have spoken for themselves. It was somewhat frustrating for me because I would have liked to hear more about what they had to say, and their opinion. After Trinity we visited Inclusion Ireland. The presentation was very informative about the work they do, which is great! I liked how the speaker told us about how his son has a intellectual disability and I would have liked to have heard more about his personal experiences. I think if self advocates were there, or information was presented in a more personal or engaging way the presentation would have been even better!

Off to see the Wicklow Mountains tomorrow during horseback riding! I can’t wait!