Latest news with #Disability
RTÉ News
5 days ago
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Watch: Calls for Government to create a Commissioner for Future Generations
Coalition 2030, a group of civil society groups and trade unions, has held an event in Dublin city centre to urge Government to enact a bill that would lead to the creation of a Commissioner for Future Generations. The Commission for Future Generations Bill had been under scrutiny by the Joint Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration & Youth prior to the General Election last November, but has not yet been put back on the Government's agenda. "The climate crisis, demographic shifts, and widening inequalities make long-term thinking essential. Ireland co-led the negotiations for the 2030 Agenda and has a global reputation to uphold in sustainable development," Coalition 2030 Coordinator David Rossiter said at the event. Members of the UN Youth Delegation, GOAL, INTO, Social Justice Ireland, Irish Environmental Network, and the Disability Federation, were among the groups in attendance.
USA Today
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Conjoined twin Carmen Andrade got married, and many have comments. Has it gone too far?
As conjoined twins, Carmen and Lupita Andrade are used to intrusive and inappropriate comments. After all, the 25-year-old sisters have spoken about receiving unwanted questions on TikTok and YouTube, where they've amassed over 18,000 and 255,000 followers respectively. So it's not a shock that now that news is circulating of Carmen's wedding last October, the sisters are once again getting fielding endless comments from people on the internet. "I know we're all wondering the same thing here…" one person wrote on Instagram, in a comment on Today's post sharing the news. "My mind cannot comprehend..." wrote another. "I could write and produce a 6 season TV show with the questions I have in my head (right now)." The Andrade sisters have made it clear they're done answering people's questions, at least for now. Carmen put it bluntly in her Instagram bio, writing: "this isn't a Q&A account. Don't care about your curiosity like you didn't care about my feelings" A post shared by Carmen Andrade (@carmen_soland) Carmen and Lupita aren't the only conjoined twins who've dealt with unwanted attention. Last year, Brittany and Abigail Hensel − conjoined twins who starred on the series "Abby & Brittany" in 2012 − received similar commentary when reports surface Abigail had a private wedding in 2021. Experts in disability and media studies told USA TODAY at the time the heightened fascination around the Hensels' personal relationships illuminates a lot about how people treat and talk about those with unusual bodies. The same holds true for the Andrade sisters. More: Conjoined twins Abby, Brittany Hensel back in spotlight after wedding speculation. It's gone too far. The truth is, conjoined twins, like anyone else, deserve to live a normal life and not spark discussion when they do so. "We see something where this is unusual, this is exciting, this is a little out of the ordinary, and it's not something that many people are equipped to talk about very well," Elizabeth Ellcessor, an associate professor of media studies at the University of Virginia and author of the book "Restricted Access: Media, Disability, and the Politics of Participation," previously told USA TODAY. Ellcessor noted a lot of comments and media coverage present events like these as "something remarkable" but it's helpful to remember people "get married all the time." Why are people so fascinated by Carmen Andrade's wedding? Carmen and Lupita Andrade shared details of Carmen's wedding at the end of a YouTube video posted in late May. In it, the twins revealed Carmen married her boyfriend Daniel about seven months prior in a small ceremony with just their local family members. In a Today article published July 10, Carmen shared they eloped in October. Today reports Carmen and Daniel met on the dating app Hinge in 2020. Not all the attention the twins have received in the wake of this news has been negative; they've gotten plenty of supportive comments too. "Love seeing people happy," one person wrote on Instagram. "At this point love is love. No judging," wrote another. A post shared by Carmen Andrade (@carmen_soland) On the one hand, fascination around conjoined twins is to be expected, Alice Dreger, a historian, bioethicist and the author of "One of Us: Conjoined Twins and the Future of Normal," previously told USA TODAY. After all, conjoined twins are rare, and people are often fascinated by the lives of those in unusual circumstances. "People have always been fascinated by conjoined twins because they obviously represent a challenge to the way we think about individuality," Dreger said. "We normally think of individuality as being about one person existing in one expansive skin, and, for conjoined twins like Abigail and Brittany, they are are obviously two people in one expansive skin." More: Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sánchez are having a luxury wedding. The internet is enraged. This fascination, however, becomes problematic when it gives way to exploitation and the violation of others' privacy. The Hensel twins, for instance, have kept a relatively low public profile outside their television appearances, giving the impression they aren't interested in sharing every detail of their lives with the world. The Andrade twins have been open with answering some questions on social media, but on their own terms − and they've made it clear they find constant questioning from the public exhausting. What health & wellness means for you: Sign up for USA TODAY's Keeping It Together newsletter Ellcessor explained fascination around conjoined twins' romantic relationships is especially inappropriate, because it often stems from "prurient sexual interest." Therefore, it makes sense that conjoined twins tend to "have no interest in answering follow-up questions" on this topic. "This is not anyone else's business," Ellcessor added. How should we talk about Carmen and Lupita Andrade? Ellcessor added it's essential for any discussion about conjoined twins' private lives to happen on their terms, not anyone else's, and to let the twins take the lead on what's OK for speculation and what's not. "The best advice is to prioritize their voices and their wishes," she said. "What do they want to share? What do they want us to know?" It's also important to remember to treat people with unusual bodies as human beings rather than as anomalies. Is 'the spark' a red flag? Sometimes. Experts say look for this in a relationship instead And, if they choose to not open their lives to discussion, it's important to respect that. "The experience of having a body that's different depends on the culture that's around you," Dreger said. "In fact, throughout history, most conjoined twins have chosen to live in small towns for I think exactly this reason: that they can live peaceful lives without constant interference."
RTÉ News
09-07-2025
- Health
- RTÉ News
Referrals to Tusla increased to more than 96,600 in 2024
Tusla's social workers dealt with 96,666 child protection and welfare referrals last year which was a 5% increase on referrals in 2023. The latest annual report marks ten years since the establishment of the child and family Agency when in 2014, the agency experienced 43,630 referrals. Since then, demand has increased across education, family support, residential care and special care, and services for Separated Children Seeking International Protection (SCSIP). The report says that the continued increase in referrals reflects rising pressures on families - including cost-of-living challenges, homelessness, domestic violence, addiction, and global displacement. Last year, 916 children were taken into care, 604 for the first time and 48,443 children were referred to family support services. Staff recruitment is consistently raised in reports and assessments of Tusla as a barrier to children receiving dedicated social workers. However, the report says that in 2024, a total of 1,258 new staff joined the agency, including 143 new social workers through the most successful graduate campaign to date. Despite reports of staff burnout and early exits, staff retention also improved last year, according to Tusla, with a 93% overall retention rate (up from 91.1%) and social work retention rose to 91.5% from 87% in January 2024. Demand remained high across foster care, mainstream residential care, and special care. A new dedicated National Fostering Recruitment Team approved 244 new foster carers - a 21% increase on 2023 which saw 173 carers. However, Tusla has acknowledged that it continues to face challenges particularly in special care, where recruitment of specialist professionals working with young people with complex needs, remains problematic. A number of judges have expressed "despair" last year over a lack of special care beds for some of the most vulnerable children in the State. Tusla has said progress was made in 2024 in this regard through targeted initiatives to attract and retain staff including national and international recruitment campaigns. In collaboration with the Department of Children, Disability, and Equality, Tusla also introduced an enhanced staff grade - Special Care Worker - to "strengthen the delivery of special care services". "This strategic initiative is already showing positive outcomes: the opening of an additional special care bed marks a tangible expansion in capacity, and recruitment under the new grade is now under way, supporting the safe and effective care of some of the most vulnerable children in care," it said.
Sunday World
27-06-2025
- Sunday World
Councillors shocked at footage of naked man outside asylum centre
Video footage of the incident shot by bystanders from the footpath and from passing vehicles has been widely spread on social media since it happened on Saturday, June 14. District councillors in Wicklow have called for greater lines of communication with the local engagement team after a man was recently found running naked outside an asylum centre in the town. Video footage of the incident shot by bystanders from the footpath and from passing vehicles has been widely spread on social media since it happened on Saturday, June 14. The footage captures a completely nude male running along the middle of the road outside the IPAS centre at the Grand Hotel. He appears to be in a disorientated and agitated state. The Grand Hotel in Wicklow town. Photo: Michael Kelly News in 90 Seconds - June 27th Speaking during the June meeting of Wicklow Municipal District, independent councillor John Snell called on his district colleagues to work collectively to help alleviate concerns when these incidents happen. He stressed the need for the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide information about what happened to the individual in question and asked newly elected cathaoirleach Graham Richmond to write to the relevant Minister seeking clarity on the matter. He also raised concern about how the footage appeared online before elected representatives were informed about what happened and suggested a better strategy is needed to monitor certain comments and activities online. In agreement councillor Paul O'Brien issued a word of caution about how the issue is dealt with and cited the difficulty in trying to manage social media accounts and open forums. Councillor Gail Dunne added it was important that residents in the town feel safe and that such incidents don't become a common reoccurrence. The male in question has since been arrested for public order offences and was brought to Wicklow Garda Station, where he was held in custody. He was charged with several offences, which are due before the courts. He is currently receiving care at Newcastle Hospital after being sectioned under the mental health act. Funded by the Local Democracy Scheme
Time of India
27-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Disability cricket breaks new ground at Lord's
India score thrilling win as Iconic cricket venue stages Mixed Disability International match for first time LONDON: India's Mixed Disability Team held its nerve and sealed a thrilling two-wicket win over England in the last over at Lord's in the third T20I of their ground-breaking Mixed Disability Vitality seven-match IT20 series at the Lord's Cricket Ground on Wednesday. The occasion was historic as it was the first-ever international Disability match at the 'Home of Cricket.' 'When I started work in disability cricket, I never expected that this day would come, when the historic Lord's Cricket Ground stages an international Mixed Disability match. It's a huge day for Disability cricket,' Ian Martin, the head of Disability Cricket in English Cricket Board (ECB) said, while giving an emotional speech at the Long Room post the match. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! The date, venue and the result of the match all made for a tremendous coincidence- 42 years back, India, led by the legendary Kapil Dev, had clinched the 1983 World Cup on June 25 at Lord's in 1983. "We dedicate our team's historic win to Kapil Dev sir's team's 1983 World-Cup winning team," said India' Mixed Disability team captain Ravindra Sante. Both teams wore black armbands during the match to mourn the passing away of former India left-arm spinner Dilip Doshi on Monday in London. 'Country over my child': KL Rahul's first words before England Tests June 25 is incidentally celebrated as the 'World Mixed Disability Day.' The fixture at Lord's formed part of the Cricket Disability Day, and was the biggest ever one-off showcase of disability cricket, as it was the first time that India and England's mixed Disability teams played at Lord's. Hosted by the MCC, ECB and Lord's Taverners, the game was the showpiece event of this series. India's Mixed Disability team is now trailing 2-1 in the series after losing the first two matches at Taunton and Wormsley Cricket Club. In a first, all the seven matches of the series are being streamed live on Sony Liv. Led by a magnificent show with the ball by seamer Vivek Kumar (three for 16 in three overs) and left-arm spinner and captain Ravindra Sante (three for eight in four overs), India's Mixed Disability team restricted England to just 123 for nine in 20 overs after the hosts elected to bat first. A. Brown was the lone warrior for England with a brilliant half-century (77, 47b, 5x4, 5x6). Brown added 35 for the ninth wicket with A Pyle (4 not out) off just 17 balls to help England cross the 100-run mark. He took 18 off the last over bowled by spinner Tarun, smashing him for two sixes, to give the hosts' total some respectability after they had collapsed to 49 for seven in 12 overs. Spotted in Leeds! Indian Cricket Team Hits the Streets Ahead of 1st Test vs England Staving off a superb fightback by England with the ball, India scampered to the target in the final over, losing eight wickets. The hero of the chase was middle-order batter Sai Akash, who made 44. There are four more matches left in the series, with the next game to be played on Friday (June 27) at Worcester. Brief Scores: England's Mixed Disability team 123-8 in 20 overs (A Brown 77; Vivek Kumar 3-8, Ravindra Sante 3-8) lost to India's Mixed Disability team 124-8 in 19.1 overs (Sai Akash 44) by two wickets. ECB to launch special England vs India Women's series trailer Ahead of this summer's England Women versus India Women's series in England, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has teamed up with award-winning British-Indian director, Gurinder Chadha of Bend It Like Beckham fame to create a trailer celebrating the upcoming series. Chadha's first women's sports film in more than 20 years, the new trailer stars England women's team players Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Lauren Filer and Heather Knight to tell the story of the fierce rivalry between the two teams. The India vs England women's white-ball series starts with the first T20I on June 28 at Trent Bridge. Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
