In the 2nd episode, I spoke to Kevin Kelly who is the Head of Policy Advocacy & Campaigns with the NCBI. Kevin is not shy to publicity and has had many great career moments that made the press including commentary in leading Irish publication, The Independent and most recently reporting on the introduction of audio description for the League of Ireland.
I was eager to chat to Kevin as I had become aware of the NCBI in recent years for the amazing work they do with the visually impaired population of Ireland, in particular, the way they helped my visually impaired friend return to work as a nurse in A&E after she was left blind from a retinal detachment.
Kevin had a very similar story himself when he too suffered a retinal detachment during his teenage years, leaving him complexly blind. Despite his disability, Kevin soared through his education with the help of the NCBI in confidence building and dealing with his new circumstance.
“It was the beginning of my new life, the journey i was going to have to go on to take back my life and my independence”
Kevin went on to study journalism and later public affairs before going to work for the NCBI himself dealing with disabilty rights, health policy and advocacy and hasn’t allowed his situation to hold him back in any way.
“The NCBI want to empower people to live life to the full”
He tells an incredible story in this episode and is a prime example of how people can thrive in the face of adversary and win!
Do you or someone you know have a story to tell? We want to hear from you and get the topic of Diversity and Inclusion going!
Contact me on cliodhna@eurostarconferences.com
