A New Future. 26 Rehab News Summer 2010

Transcription

1 26 Rehab News Summer 2010 Pictured above: Learners take time out from their studies at National Learning Network's Roslyn Park College, in Dublin. In 2009, over 90 per cent of students who completed courses at Roslyn Park College progressed to employment, higher education and further training. A New Future Each year, some 5,000 people avail of National Learning Network's range of inclusive training, education and employment access services at centres located the length and breadth of Ireland. The vast majority of these learners go on to further education, or to pursue careers in a wide variety of sectors. In this edition of Rehab News we catch up with three former learners, each of whom is busy making their mark, building careers in their chosen areas of expertise _RN_May2010_.indd 26 21/5/10 10:04:01

2 Feature 27 The future is looking picture perfect for 34-yearold Johnny Corcoran, a talented full-time photographer and a former student with National Learning Network's Roslyn Park College. Flicking through Johnny's impressive portfolio of work, it might be difficult to believe that this talented photographer has only recently set up his own business as a professional photographer, but it's no surprise that he's in such demand. In fact, this year alone, Johnny will be photographing no fewer than 15 weddings. That's an awful lot of brides to keep happy. But it should prove to be no problem to Johnny, whose professional, calm and sociable manner alleviates the concerns of even the most anxious bride-to-be. And, according to Johnny, all of the bookings for this year come from the most effective marketing campaign of all Ð wordof-mouth. In addition to weddings, Johnny also captures other family occasions such as engagement parties, birthday parties and wedding anniversaries. He also finds time to teach photography to deaf students and to use his considerable computer skills to retouch images for other photographers, a process that has the capacity to make us all look like members of the Hollywood A-List. However, despite such obvious natural talent, Johnny wasn't always a photographer. In fact, his first profession was as a graphic designer, something he trained for at Roslyn Park College. "I had become deaf following a serious case of meningitis as a baby. All my schooling was at a deaf school and, when I finished there, I was unsure what to do. At the time, a lot of my school mates were going to Roslyn Park College, so I went along too and enrolled in the graphic design course. "Graphic design was something I really enjoyed, at least initially. Following my graduation I spent a decade in the industry, working in a variety of different businesses. However, it soon became obvious that despite the best intentions of employers and clients, my deafness was becoming an issue. So much of the contact with clients was over the phone, and using fax and seemed to slow the whole process down too much. It led to frustration for everyone and I became disheartened. I needed a new beginning, but just didn't know what to do. Pictured above: Johnny Corcoran. "I'd always had an interest in photography, more as a hobby than anything else. One day in 2005 I decided to purchase a new camera with some money I'd saved. It was a big investment and it made me think that perhaps I should start to pursue photography as a career. I called into the local FçS centre on my way home from the shop and saw that there was a position left on Roslyn Park College's Digital Photography course. It was fate. I went for an interview the next day, and returned as a student to Roslyn Park College shortly afterwards. "The photography course was great. It taught me a lot about the equipment a photographer uses and how to get the most out of 26-31_RN_May2010_.indd 27 21/5/10 10:04:17

3 28 Rehab News Summer 2010 working in a studio. My experience in graphic design certainly helped, and I found that I was able to help my classmates when it came to Photoshop and some of the other computer programmes. "Because of its flexibility, I was able to work ahead in the course and I completed my FETAC exams in just six months Ð which was pretty quick. However, I stayed in the college for the remainder of the course in order to get the maximum benefit and experience. "Fate came knocking again when within a week of me starting the course, I was approached by a family friend to take her wedding photos. I must admit, I was terrified. But it was too good an opportunity to turn down. I mentioned the job to a fellow photography student in Roslyn Park College who had some experience of weddings and she kindly offered to come with me on the day and to show me the ropes. That's what I loved about Roslyn Park College Ð everyone was always very open to helping others and sharing their knowledge. "Despite my nerves, the wedding went very well and the bride was delighted with her photographs. So too were her friends Ð over the past few years, I've photographed the weddings of five of them!" Due to the fact that photography relies much less on the spoken word, the difficulties Johnny encountered as a deaf graphic designer are a thing of the past. However, his training in this area didn't go to waste because, in addition to wedding albums, Johnny uses his skills to produce personalised wedding calendars, DVD slideshows, key-rings and even small hardback books of photographs specifically for the parents of the happy couple. Given this level of service, it's no wonder that Johnny's wedding bookings are growing by the day and the future is certainly looking bright for the talented Dublin-based photographer who's assured of his own 'happy ever after'. You can check out Johnny's website at A FORMER LEARNER with National Learning Network in Mullingar, Gabrielle Fraser is now the Instructor on the Employer-based Training (EBT) programme in the centre. "I was born and raised in Dublin but, like many others, I moved to the UK in the 1980s to find work. I ended up staying there, building a career in HR, meeting my husband and raising my family. I had a good life and things were going well until 1997 when, following a long history of diabetes, I was diagnosed with renal failure. It was a huge shock. There's no cure for renal failure, but the doctors can manage the deterioration. However, at the time I lived in Northern Scotland, a full seven-hour car journey away from the nearest specialised renal unit in Glasgow. As you can imagine, the distance didn't help my anxiety and feelings of vulnerability. It was actually a doctor who suggested perhaps moving back to Ireland and it made sense. So, we put our house up for sale and came back to Dublin in Unfortunately, our timing wasn't good. The property boom was just starting and we were priced out of the Dublin market. We visited Mullingar on a day trip one day and really liked the town Ð by 2001 we had made our home there. Throughout this period I was feeling the effects of renal failure, exacerbated by my diabetes. I suffered from chronic fatigue and nausea. In case I fell into a sudden diabetic coma, I wasn't allowed drive or look after the kids by myself. I had worked part-time in Mullingar but was forced to give that up due to my illness. By Christmas 2004, my kidneys were only working at eight per cent of 26-31_RN_May2010_.indd 28 21/5/10 10:04:31

4 Feature 29 their capacity, and I started dialysis as I waited on the transplant list. Initially, I was doing home dialysis every four hours, but with the arrival of a dialysis machine, I was able to use the dialysis for ten hours every night instead. Although I felt some improvement, dialysis is extremely limiting. I couldn't go away on holidays and the dialysis room at home needed to be kept sterile to avoid infection. Still, as I began to feel better, I became determined to start working again. The way I saw it, there was no point sitting around waiting for the call from the transplant team. So, I visited FçS and they put me in touch with National Learning Network in the town. It was a huge turning point for me. I quickly realised that I'd found exactly what I was looking for and registered for the centre's Fresh Start programme. During my year with Fresh Start, I made some wonderful friends and got really valuable work experience. But, what's more, emotionally and psychologically, I found the security and support I needed. For the first time, I had somewhere to go to when I needed help in making decisions, and that made a phenomenal difference. From Fresh Start I moved to the EBT programme in September 2006, but within a week I received a call late one night to say that a donor had emerged and I was to travel to Dublin immediately. The kidney and pancreas transplant operation was a tremendous success and I recovered quickly Ð within five weeks I was back at National Learning Network. But, to be honest, I found it psychologically very hard to adapt to my changed circumstances. I had spent over a decade being ill, waiting for a transplant, thinking how much Pictured above: Gabrielle Fraser. better my life would be when it happened, and suddenly it was all over. I was cured. There was no more waiting. Don't get me wrong; it was absolutely wonderful, but it was still a strange feeling. I don't know how I'd have coped without the support of National Learning Network. The EBT Instructor, Regional Psychologist and Rehabilitation Officer were wonderful and provided the safe and secure environment I needed at that time. I left National Learning Network in August 2007 to work full-time in the company where I had got my first work placement on Fresh Start. But, I always had a close affinity with National Learning Network and when I saw the role of EBT Instructor advertised in 2008, I knew that I'd found the job for me. It felt a little odd initially taking on the instructor role, but I quickly found my feet and I love every minute of my job. I suppose my experiences mean that I have a strong connection with the students. I can understand what they are going through. I'm very proud of National Learning Network and the unique service it offers to those in society who often need help and support the most. I guess you could say that I'm living proof that what we do in National Learning Network every day can and does make a real difference to people's lives." n 26-31_RN_May2010_.indd 29 21/5/10 10:05:19

5 30 Rehab News Summer 2010 more, I found the staff at the centre always very approachable and open to new ideas and suggestions." However, according to Damien, the key elements of his time at National Learning Network were the two work experience modules he undertook as part of his course. Pictured above: Damien O'Connor. "I had sent in my CV to Mayo County Council when I was looking for a work placement and I guess you could say that I was in the right place at the right time. In 2007, the County Council Arts Office was looking to see what disabled people in the county wanted when it came to participating in the arts and, with my background, I fitted the bill perfectly. A FORMER LEARNER with National Learning Network in Castlebar, Damien O'Connor, is Disability Arts Coordinator with Mayo County Council. Born and raised in the United Kingdom, Damien had built a successful career in the arts sector, working in a variety of roles over the years including acting, running a small-scale theatre company and working with Manchester City Art Gallery. Damien, who is visually impaired, had a busy life, working in an industry that he loved. However, things were to change when he became ill in Forced to stop work, he left England and moved to Ireland, the homeland of his parents. It was a huge life-change but Damien approached it with his typical focus and determination. Settling into his new environment in Co. Mayo, he soon enrolled on the Computer Studies and Office Skills course at National Learning Network in Castlebar. "To be honest, I thought my career in the arts was over, that that part of my life was gone for good. Despite having some experience with computers, I knew that I really needed to acquire qualifications and brush up on my IT skills if I was to find employment Ð it's something that's so vitally important in this day and age." For Damien, the benefits of attending National Learning Network included much more than just the high level of training he received. "When you are faced, like I was, with a severe illness, it's easy to think that you are the only one. That nobody else is going through what you are going through. I guess what struck me most about attending National Learning Network was the sheer number of people in the same type of situation as myself. People with a huge array of work and life experiences but, through illness or circumstance, were having to start over again." For someone returning to education after years away from it, National Learning Network also offered a different type of learning. "I liked the flexibility of attending National Learning Network. The fact that you could work away at your own pace was really appealing to me. What's "During my six-month work placement with them, I developed a report entitled 'Breaking Down the Barriers', which focused on the barriers to arts participation faced by disabled people in the county. By the following year, funding had been received to develop an exhibition project and I returned to Mayo County Council Arts Office on another work placement. Having completed all my National Learning Network modules, the work placement soon turned into the part-time position of Disability Arts Co-ordinator." A key feature of Damien's role was the development of an art exhibition entitled 'Altered Images', a partnership initiative between Mayo County Council Arts Office, South Tipperary Arts Service and the Irish Museum of Modern Art, supported by funding from the Arts Council's Local Partnership Scheme. The exhibition, which also received invaluable support from Arts & Disability Ireland, included work from the collections of all three partner organisations and was specifically designed to stimulate engagement with the visual arts by C M Y CM MY CY CMY K 26-31_RN_May2010_.indd 30 21/5/10 10:05:52

6 Feature 31 the public and particularly by people with disabilities. The idea for the exhibition stemmed from previous work Damien had been engaged with in the UK and uses a number of different interpretations to enhance the viewing experience of the spectator. These include using 3D interpretations of each painting, a filmed sign language interpretation of the exhibition by artist Amanda Coogan and audio descriptions of each work. A large print and Braille version and audio CD of the exhibition catalogue were also developed, as well as a virtual tour on the exhibition website, www. alteredimages.ie. In addition, Damien and Pdraig Naughton from Arts and Disability Ireland delivered disability equality training to the Rehab Legacy-ad-A5-V4-.pdf 1 24/11/ :15 staff at the galleries where the exhibition was to be shown. There seems to be no stopping Damien. His role includes working with the Arts Council and Arts and Disability Ireland on a new project Ð the Arts and Disability Network Pilot project. It is hoped that this will provide a model for promoting arts and disability projects throughout the country, including support for the Oska Bright Film Festival which brings together the work of film-makers with learning disabilities. It's a busy job, but it's obvious that Damien's enthusiasm, passion and drive to make arts accessible to all, remain undiminished. "Since graduating in 1993, I've worked in the arts and disability sector. I guess I've become an advocate for the empowerment of disabled people through the development of a more inclusive arts industry. Through my work placements with National Learning Network, I was able to equip myself with the necessary knowledge of the arts in Mayo as well as improving my computer and communication skills in order that I could do my job more effectively. I'd like to thank the National Learning Network and Mayo County Council Arts Office for their assistance in enabling me to continue my work within the arts and disability sector." The 'Altered Images' exhibition will be on show in the West Wing of the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Kilmainham, until 25th August C M Y CM MY CY CMY K 26-31_RN_May2010_.indd 31 21/5/10 10:06:02