Ciaran’s Peculier [sic] Blog

This week’s RTE Guide contains a very interesting interview with the talented young British actor David Proud. David is of course, wheel-chair bound, and he has used with wonderful skillsto help overcome some of the prejudice and ignorance surrounding disability. He asks why is it that there are no condom machines in disabled toilets? I can answer cynically because it is considered by the £able-bodied” who make decisions, that disabled guys just don’t have sex. They haven’t got the proper kit, it is believed. They are incapable of performing “proper” jobs so it goes without saying that the sexual act is beyond them as well. And then so many of the “Voluntary organisations” which supposedly look after the disabled would never ask such a question, as invariably their patrons include more than their fair share of do-gooders. 

 I’d love to tell David about the plight of a certain partially-sighted guy who couldn’t always see the condom machine, and who was too embarrassed to ask. He knew well that it would be a waste of time contacting the National Council for the Blind of Ireland on this, as on any other problem. What would Archbishop Clifford say?!

 David also mentions another piece of unbelievable ignorance – that disabled people don’t swear. Of course, if they do it is because they are angry and they are still having problems coming to terms with their position as God’s accursed.