Starting out our trip in Dublin, there were a few accessibility accommodations that were not present in Massachusetts, but are readily available in Dublin. The most distinctive of these was the auditory cues given by elevators/lifts to indicate necessary information. Living in a tower in Southwest with questionable at best and borderline unsafe elevators, I was very pleasantly surprised by the accommodations available in our hotel elevator. The elevator provided verbal cues for when the doors are closing and opening, when the lift was rising, and which floor had just been reached. All of these cues are imperative to ensuring safety for blind individuals and also serve as convenient indicators even for people who are not disabled. As compared to the elevators at UMass which provide no indication of doors opening or closing, as well as no indication of what floor has been reached, this small change in elevators left a strong impression and impact. Among the other positive aspects of the cityscape for disabilities were the brick patterns around all roads and train paths for visually impaired people, and escalators in the style of ramps rather than staircases.

Today’s site visit to the Special Olympics included really insightful comments as well as practical and effective reasoning behind the importance of athletics for people with ID. The theme that I felt struck at the heart of each presentation during the visit was the importance of proactive vs reactive wellness and healthcare. In terms of disability, so much of their healthcare is defined by the reactive medical/disease model, where treatment is medication, therapy, or other methods that are a reaction or response to the presence of disability. The Special Olympics, however, is so meaningful because it presents a proactive health approach. By emphasizing incorporating daily movement, joy, peer involvement, and nutrition, the Special Olympics is preventative healthcare that brings joy, fun, and community. By starting young in teaching fundamental locomotor/object manipulation skills, resilience, and helping disabled children achieve their potential, the Special Olympics plays a crucial role in one of the most highly prioritized issues in disability advocacy: independence. By teaching through play and maximizing parental involvement, the Special Olympics teaches practical and versatile skills that facilitate growth and build healthy habits that promote health and wellness for longevity. Further, I was excited to see the role of peer mentorship in the program, showing disabled children role models where they can look at their most successful adult self in the mirror and have something to look forward to and be inspired by.

I was really excited to see the ways in which the Special Olympics program has benefited the community and promoted longevity and independence skills.