Ten people in Thurles have completed IWA’s self-advocacy programme, which supports members build confidence and develop skills so they can better advocate for themselves.
IWA members Eileen, Jim, Fiona, Damien, Agent, Michael, PJ, Catherine, Katie and Con were presented with a certificate of completion at the final session of the course in Thurles on Friday, 19 December, with some of the group delivering presentations ranging in themes from grief to working life.
It was a lively session, with some members using the opportunity to sing and perform poetry for their peers.
In his presentation, Michael spoke about his younger brother, who sadly passed away earlier this year. He delivered his presentation entirely in Irish – a first for IWA’s self-advocacy course.
Speaking about the impact the course has had on him, Michael said: “I’d be a very shy person, and it gave me the courage to get up and speak – I never did that before in front of people.”
PJ read a poem and performed a rousing rendition of “Silent Night” before he was presented with his certificate. He said the course has given him the confidence to set boundaries in his personal life.
“I was afraid to say no to people, and I think I’ve been like that for a long time, but I think now I’m going to start thinking that I should say no at times,” he said.
Elsewhere, Eileen delivered a presentation about her experience of living with scoliosis, telling the group that her parents were told she wouldn’t live past five when she was born. Decades have passed, and today, Eileen is thriving.
The group was also treated to a roof-raising rendition of “Summer Nights” from Grease by Damien, who spoke about his love of theatre and singing in his presentation.
Finally, Fiona gave a presentation about her late mother, recounting her life story before reading a beautiful poem in her memory.
Edel Carey, School Liaison and Projects Officer at IWA, delivered the self-advocacy course in Thurles. She said the training can be hugely impactful for members.
“People using our service often don’t have their voices heard in a way that they would like to, and a lot of people would have had decisions made for them in the past and maybe wouldn’t have had a lot of input into those decisions,” Edel explained.
“By looking at how we communicate, how we advocate for ourselves and how we advocate in groups, we allow people the opportunity to learn techniques and skills. We also think about things like whether it’s better to write what you want to say down, whether you should bring an advocate with you, or if you need support from a group.”
She added: “I’m very proud of everyone who completed the course. We try to encourage people to speak up for themselves, and the more of us who speak for ourselves, the better the output.”
Congratulations to Eileen, Jim, Fiona, Damien, Agent, Michael, PJ, Catherine, Katie and Con for completing their self-advocacy course – we can’t wait to see how they use their learnings to advocate for themselves and others.
