Joanne O’Riordan first shot to fame when she confronted Enda Kenny on disability cuts forcing the government into a U-turn.
Last April, the 16-year-old was asked to give the keynote speech at the UN’s International Telecommunication Union in New York. To mark her great bravery and determination in helping the disabled through her inspirational work she has been chosen as Cork’s Person of the Month.
In a quest to tell her story, Joanne and her brother want to make a documentary. Rehab Group announced it is to provide €25000 towards the making of the film.
MY NAME IS Joanne O’Riordan and I was born with a rare condition known as Total Amelia. This means I have no limbs. I’m literally only one of seven people in the world living with this disability but I never look at myself as being different, I look at my life and say I’m unique!
It’s hard to imagine that within a year my life has changed so much. In December 2011 I openly challenged our Taoiseach Enda Kenny and the government to reverse a cut they were going to make to people with disabilities in their 2011 budget. This I’m glad to say has resulted in many positive things happening in my life. I have travelled to America where I addressed the United Nations in New York and I’ve met some amazing people in the process. This included a Grammy Award winner.
Life for people with disabilities is sometimes hard because I feel and think that we are not given the same chances and opportunities as others. The one aim I have had through all of this is to show that people with disabilities can live a life that is fulfilled, happy and for the most part obstacle free. I think It’s a shame that some people in society have a belief that if you have a disability you should never been seen or heard. I hate this because that attitude is damaging to anyone who has a disability including me. It does not allow us or indeed other to realise their true potential. Life should not be about disabling people it should be about enabling them to be and achieve better.
This is why my brother Steven O’Riordan decided to make a documentary about my life entitled No Limbs No Limits. He, like me, wants to the world and others to know that people with disabilities can achieve their goals and full potential if they are given the opportunity to do so.
I know that when people look at me they think and see things differently. They question my ability just because physically I look different. Its sad that these people can never realise that I just like them want to live a life whereby I’m not judged on my appearance but by my actions.
Our documentary, No Limbs No Limits, looks at this and looks at challenging people’s perception on how we see and look at people with disabilities. Steven began filming for the documentary just over one year ago. There have been a lot of ups and downs in the last few months and when Steven was refused full funding for the documentary from the Irish Film Board it was very frustrating. He and others had put in so much time and effort into getting the project to where they got it to and to have that rejected must have been a nightmare.
Of course he didn’t give up and continued to film even without the funding. That has resulted in so many people coming out in support of him and his idea and I was delighted to learn that he has now risen just over €65,000 in the space of a few weeks. He has been in undated with offers of help, support and just sheers good will that it makes me think that this project will and should be made.
Still with his target being €100,000 we just hope other companies and individuals will jump on board to make this a success. Steven says that: “For far too long have people with disabilities stood on the fringes of society. No Limbs No Limits shows us the endless possibilities of how one can live a very happy fulfilled life even if the odds are stacked against them. I have just been lucky to live with one such incredible person.”
If people are interested in helping out they can do so by emailing Steven email: nolimbsnolimits@gmail.com
If you live outside Ireland you can donate online at www.nolimbsnolimits.netvia Paypal and if you live in Ireland you can donate to the following bank Account, Bank of Ireland, Millstreet Co. Cork Steven O’ Riordan Sort code: 905803 Account Number: 10686261 And if you’d like to follow me on Twitter or Facebook you can do so with the same title as the documentary No Limbs No Limits.
(Via YouTube/itutelecommunication)
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Massaging our minds for the unavoidable massive carbon tax hike to pay for the budget shortfall caused by Covid 19.
@Daniel Dunne: your mind is massaged enough – you know the greens are a left wing party? Which side are you really on!
@Brynþór Patrekursson: the Greens are not a left wing party. I am a former member. They will happily propose measures that wealthy people can afford, but which the rest of the citizens of the nation cannot.
The death toll and people infected so far from COVID19 is awful and with that I certainly think it’s been a awake up call not only for Ireland but the world. Sustainability globally is on tender hooks. But this is a good opertunity to look at new ideas of how we can better our environment and ourselves and how we go about our daily lives. If we can work from home and pop into the office once, twice a week surely it’s better in cutting down on time wasted in traffic and with that increases in air pollution. Public transport needs to be heavily invested, we all know that. It was a disgrace tearing up all those train tracks in the 50′s. The next 10 years are going to be really important in how we develop more sustainable living and ensuring that the environment is protected and our health.
@Dominic Foley: *tenterhooks
@Marty G: blame the autocorrect but thanks for that anyway
@Dominic Foley: Hear Hear!
@Dominic Foley: well said and agree 100%. I just have invested in an ebike myself, love it soooo much!
Massive carbon taxes coming no doubt. Especially if Greens are in government.
@Adam Conroy: it won’t matter who is in government, there will have to be tax increases regardless. There’s no magic money tree.
@Alan: there is a non-magic downsizing option though. Why should ordinary workers have their standards of living further reduced to support an inefficient state that doesn’t provide value for money or good services to the people expected to pay for it all?
Those of us with respiratory & immune illnesses, driven by diesel pollution, are indeed rejoicing #MCAS
@Gavin Tobin: Totally agree Gavin, be interesting to see figures from the Asthma Society of Ireland, would expect asthma attacks are lower.
@Carla Killeen: If asthma attacks are lower it might make the penny drop with the Department of Finance that a huge percentage of taxes raised on petrol & especially diesel actually goes towards paying for the health harm caused by burning said hydrocarbons and exhausting their filthy exhaust gasses at toddler level in our towns & cities.
I think that’s a legitimate single sentence :)
No Chemtrails, Gemma and the loons must be happy.
@paul kelly:
Give it a Rest.
Imagine if she was right, and you were wrong, Keep an open mind.
So we can reduce the carbon tax hoax.
I thought they said that it was the cows that were causing all the pollution. What did they do with them over the past two months? Put masks on their hindquarters!!
have your say