Noticeboard - Talk of the Town
Ann Heelan honoured with the Myriam Van Acker Award
Ann Heelan, Executive Director of AHEAD was awarded the Myriam Van Acker Award at the Eighth International Conference on Higher Education and Disability in Innsbruck, Austria, 2013. This award is only given out every three years to a professional who through leadership and innovation has made a big impact in the world of disability and higher education and has never been received by an Irish person before.
Report highlights the ‘brain drain’
A recent study in Ireland has revealed that the country is experiencing a “brain drain” with large numbers of educated young people emigrating to find work abroad. The report by the University of Cork College Émigré project found that emigrants leaving Ireland had an overall higher level of education than the overall Irish population. The research found that 62% of emigrants aged 25 – 34 have a university qualification – compared to 49% of Irish people in that age range overall.
Mental Well Being – Are you ready to start your conversation?
- The 80-plus organisations behind the See Change partnership have launched a new video tackling those old mental health clichés that are really quite unhelpful when supporting someone who is going through a tough time or encouraging more openness around mental health. Stigma breeds silence around mental health that stops people seeking help and makes the experience of being unwell much harder. Is it any wonder that See Change research found that 1 in 2 Irish people would rather suffer in silence? Are you ready to start your conversation? WATCH VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUUwEv8q4LI&feature=youtu.be
- Mental and emotional distress has increased during recession, experts say (IT 10/10/13) Check out 21,000 people urge Government to invest promised funds in mental health services
- Read up ‘Mind Yourself’ a week-long Irish Independent series
- Tune in to Time to Talk a week-long series from TV3 Ireland AM
- Engage with Positive Mental Health Live Blog Newstalk FM
Best of luck to Gerard Gallagher
Gerard Gallagher came to AHEAD on an internship where he worked in a variety of areas but with a mandate to harness the voice of students with disabilities. As a recent graduate of the Boston College, Irish Institute, Disabilities and Access study programme, Gerard has recently left AHEAD to take up the role of disability advisor with NUI, Maynooth responsible for the provision of supports for students with physical disabilities, neurological conditions and significant ongoing illnesses. We wish him every success. He is also involved in ‘UrAbility’ a company that provides AT support to students with specific learning difficulties www.urability.com.
