Author: Mohamed Maalim – PhD Researcher at the ALL Institute, Department of Psychology, Maynooth University, and Senior Occupational Therapist and Project Lead, Digital Assistive Technology at Stewartscare
Research Stream: Lived Experience
A pivotal milestone in the calendar approaches as we come to the end of November. An occasion meriting grand celebration – the ALL Institute marks its sixth anniversary, a landmark that coincides with the 3rd anniversary of its stirring initiative, the ‘Ideas in All’ Blog. As a former editorial team member, I was asked to reflect upon my association with the institute and share insights into my enduring journey with the ALL Institute and the ‘Ideas in All’ Blog.
I joined the ALL Institute, drawn in by its ethos of ensuring that everyone, regardless of their circumstances, has the support and opportunity to participate fully throughout their lives. This ethos was further embodied through the blog, focusing on inclusivity, accessibility, diversity, and participation.
Another year has gone by very fast and Ideas in ALL is now a lively three year old “toddler”! The blog was set up on 3 December 2020, amidst the pandemic, to support the dissemination of the Assisting Living and Learning (ALL) Institute’s multi- and interdisciplinary research. Since the outset, Ideas in ALL has grown significantly, offering ALL members and collaborators opportunities to showcase their projects in an accessible and reader-friendly way. It also engages a range of stakeholders to help make their voices heard, to reflect on current issues and highlight their lived experiences.
Authors: Linda Mc Donald and Jamie Moore are 3rd year BSc Psychology Students, Research Interns for Dr Katriona O’Sullivan, and the STEM Passport for Inclusion Project, at the ALL Institute in Maynooth University
Research Stream: Stories/ Lived Experiences
This week marked a monumental one for us here in the STEM Passport for Inclusion project. Our programme is a project within the ALL institute here in Maynooth University. It provides socio-economically disadvantaged young girls in Ireland an opportunity to learn about STEM, one that is not easily accessible to them usually. This week both the Women in STEM awards and graduation ceremony for our girls who took part in the programme took place, highlighting and celebrating the need for a focus to expand knowledge and opportunities for education and involvement in STEM.
The Women in STEM awards in association with PEPSICO took place on Thursday, which recognises and rewards the accomplishments and efforts of women in the sectors of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). These women strive to improve and innovate their respective fields of work. It is important that their efforts are recognised and encouraged, to promote inclusion in the field of STEM. In addition, the awards bring attention to the need for more women in STEM, an ongoing and prevalent issue in today’s society. The Women in STEM Awards are judged by several women who have reached these top-level jobs and remained in them, against the odds. Two members of the impressive judging panel included Gillian Harford and Susan Treacy. Gillian Harford is a senior HR Executive who works with organisations aiming to target diversity and workplace change. While working as a Head of HR Strategy & Planning for AIB, Gillian contributed to people change with respect to Culture, Career, and Diversity. Susan Treacy is the CEO of HealthTech Ireland, and is a member of the Women in Technology and Science (WITS) Ireland Executive. This organisation helps to support and empower women in STEM, and advance STEM policy at government level. These influential women have themselves improved and innovated their respective fields of work and are hence qualified to judge the efforts of others.
The STEM Passport for Inclusion programme, working with Maynooth University and partners, was nominated for the award for Diversity & Inclusion Initiative of the Year. The feelings of excitement and anticipation as we waited for the winner of the award to be announced, could be felt by everyone in the room. To our delight, the STEM Passport was awarded the honour, an accomplishment that recognises our hard work and effort. Though the STEM Passport for Inclusion won the award for best Diversity & Inclusion Initiative of the Year, the fellow nominees of the category deserve equal recognition for their efforts to improve and innovate the field of STEM. Whilst it appears as though the organisations were in competition for the award, they were in fact working towards a common goal – to improve diversity and inclusion in the field of STEM.
There was no time to rest following the awards ceremony, as the following day was our graduation ceremony for over 400 girls who had taken part in our programme. Dr. Katriona O’Sullivan, who leads the STEM Passport for Inclusion programme, kicked off the graduation ceremony by introducing the project and congratulating all those receiving their level-6 accreditations. She then introduced the president of Maynooth University, Prof. Eeva Leinonen, who is actively involved in national and international higher education policy discourse and implementation, who briefly spoke about the initiative and its impact and congratulated all the girls for completing the module. After speaking, both Prof. Leinonen and Dr O’Sullivan, helped by Dr Gemma Irvine, Vice President for Equality and Diversity in Maynooth University, began to hand out the certificates to the girls who had completed the module. The girls each went up and received their well-deserved accreditation, thus graduating from the programme – a monumental moment for all parties involved.
Once the graduates had received their certificates, Ava Kenny, a former student of the programme, was welcomed to the stage to talk about her experience with the programme and the pathways it opened for herself. Ava, who is currently studying a science degree in Maynooth University, gave an emotional reflection on what the STEM Passport means to her, stating the programme was “a journey of self-discovery, of finding my passion and purpose. It sent me on a path where I could dream big, aim high, knowing that the STEM Passport welcomed me with open arms”. Ava beautifully captured the transformative and significant impact the initiative had on her life, surely inspiring all the graduates in the room, offering them a glimpse into the future possibilities their newly acquired accreditation can offer.
After Ava’s reflection, Dr Kevin Marshall, the newly appointed Adjunct Professor at Maynooth University’s ALL Institute, joined the stage to say a few words. He highlighted the graduates’ achievement, “to get the university qualification while you’re at school is just amazing”, offering his admiration and support for all the girls. He then passed the mic over to Katriona to close out the graduation ceremony. Once the ceremony was over, everyone headed over for pizza and refreshments, a well-deserved treat for both our girls and team members.
For our focus on accessibility to STEM education and inclusion within the field to be recognised by such a prestigious award is an honour. Furthermore, for it to be followed by the graduation ceremony, which allows us to reflect and recognise those efforts first hand, to be in the same week, has been nothing short of fantastic. These inspiring young girls, now adorned with their accreditations, now take one step further into the world of STEM. Both ceremonies recognise the work put in to pave the way for a more diverse and inclusive future in STEM – from both the team of today and the future women in STEM who took part in our programme.
Author:Harry Chikasamba, PhD Researcher, Assisting Living and Learning (ALL) Institute, School of Law and Criminology, Maynooth University
Harry Chikasamba
Every experience is different. And my late grandpa told me, when I was a few days to my 20th birthday, that ‘…in experience, we learn more about ourselves and others. You should be an ardent learner of life, through lived experiences.’ With that in mind, I became a learner of life. And everything fun, and beautiful.
17th March 2023 brought about its own lessons, unique and memorable. Most importantly, the day took me down memory lane. For the Irish, and several others, one needs no sermon about this day. No! St. Patrick is well-known across cultures and races. He was, and remains, a core part of the Irish culture – and identity.
Author: Rebecca Daniel – PHD Student, Assisting Living and Learning (ALL) Institute, Department of Psychology, Maynooth University
Rebecca Daniel
The IDA Global Survey on political participation of Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) was launched earlier this year and will remain open until the end of 2021. It is conducted as part of a PhD research project undertaken at the ALL Institute and discussed below on the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
The human right to participation of persons with disabilities through their representative organisations is clearly stated in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). Articles 4.3 (on participation of OPDs in implementation of the UNCRPD overall) and 33.3 (on participation of OPDs in national implementation and monitoring of the UNCRPD), as well as General Comment No 7 specify this right. As far as the United Nations (UN) are concerned, participation of OPDs is a crucial principle to be considered throughout the activities of the UN, in line with indicator 5 of the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy (UNDIS) on consultation of persons with disabilities.
