I mentioned that I was meeting the staff from Special Olympics Ireland recently. I had a talk with them about the benefits of using social media – such as this very blog – to help causes like themselves. There are a lot of online ways to talk to people, get their attention, give them your message, fundraise and so on.
The presentation I made to Special Olympics dealt with just three of these: Facebook, Twitter and blogging. People who blog, like many of you, are more often than not up to speed on just how useful tools like blogs are, but it’s easy to forget that not everyone is aware of how powerful online communications can be. My friend Hammie, for instance, uses her Facebook page as a fantastic outreach point for parents or guardians of children with autism, and it is a shining example of how to maximise new communications. Still, there’s a leap to be made for a lot of people, and very often a fear of launching into the unknown.
This is the presentation I put together to try to give the gang at Special Olympics Ireland a perspective on the many benefits of social media. If some of it makes no sense (seeing as I’m not actually standing there in front of you boring the arse off you) then just ask and I’ll try to fill in any gaps.
Using blogs and social media to spread positive news
Special Olympics Ireland on Facebook
Can you help me push their Facebook membership towards 2,000 fans?
Next Thursday I’m meeting a group of people from Special Olympics Ireland. Volunteers. I’ve been asked to talk about social media, and how it can help organisations like them in fundraising and getting the positive messages and experience out. There are 300 million people worldwide on Facebook. I’d like to use it to make as many of them as possible aware of the amazing work Special Olympics do.
I won’t need to tell you lot what a great bunch they are, and not just in Ireland. As part of my presentation to them, I’m really hopeful that I can demonstrate how powerful our little blogging community can be for the cause too. We network, advocate, share resources and provide a great early warning system for each other, as well as having a laugh and keeping up to date with our wonderful friends worldwide.
On Friday last I pushed the same message out on Twitter. In the space of 24 hours my little group of followers on Twitter, none of whom are involved in the Ds scene, had added 60+ fans to the Special Olympics group. The fan base went from 1,660 people to 1,740 and is still climbing. It’s at 1,785 as I write. The internet has made this stuff possible, and I would love to hit 2k before next Thursday, Oct 22nd.
How can you help?
- Join the Irish Facebook page here.
- Link to your own area’s Special Olympics FB page too if you’re not in Ireland.
- Blog about the group yourself. Feel free to cut and paste from this post.
And if you want to follow me on Facebook, (not you, Revenue) here’s my profile. It’ll all be just lovely and we can have tea and scones and tut tut about the young people today.
Summer sports camp in Laois/Kildare
Image by Dru Bloomfield
Found this over on Irish Autism Action.
Summer Sports Camps are running in conjunction with the Laois, Kilkenny, Carlow and Kildare Local Sports Partnerships and Special Olympics Leinster.
It’s for any child with an intellectual disability between 6 and 16 years of age. Siblings welcome. If it sounds like you then check out the details at the Autism Action site.
Oh, and a quick apology for the lack of everything round here. A Jacob update is on the way when I can get him off the stairs and in front of the keyboard. 
Grandparents are parents too!
DSI, assisted by a crack team of highly trained commandos, will be storming the Gresham Hotel in Dublin on January 14th with an Information Day for grandparents of kids with Down Syndrome. It’ll be like the SAS storming the Iranian Embassy in London in 1980. Only with possibly less balaclavas. And more cake. But the crack commando unit will be there.
Obviously there’s a steep curve of learning for new parents dealing with Down syndrome. Not much thought is left over, at least initially, for the parents’ parents, who are struggling to cope with the information from an entirely different perspective. Possibly they feel slightly more useless, although I don’t think anyone could’ve out-uselessed how useless I felt when I first was coming to terms with my new status as a Downs dad.
Here are the details, with thanks to Nan P, most secret, deep-cover grandmére of all.
DOWN SYNDROME IRELAND GRANDPARENTS INFORMATION DAY
14th January 2009, 10.30am – 3.30pm
The Trinity Room.
The Gresham Hotel,
O’Connell St,
Dublin 1.
Crack commandos:
May Gannon – Counsellor.
Joan Murphy – Clinical Co-ordinator.
Grainne Murphy – Independence Officer.
Pascale Claes – Grandmother.
ALL GRANDPARENTS WHO HAVE A GRANDCHILD WITH DOWN SYNDROME ARE WELCOME.
On yer bike! Phone the National Office on 01 4266500
or email info@downsyndrome.ie to confirm your place! Vroom vroom!
The Special Needs Handbook needs authors!
Helen McGrath-Doherty is not someone I know anything about, except for the fact that she’s doing something terribly decent. The Special Needs Handbook is being compiled by her, and others I presume, to offer practical help, advice and tips to parents, carers and professionals.
She’s cleverly getting everyone else to write it – and that means you too. Here’s what she says:
We are compiling all the good ideas and practical solutions to everyday problems that parents and therapists have tried and tested over the years. Once compiled, the book will be made available free over the internet, with the possibility of publishing it (not for profit) and making it available through shops.
All contributors whose ideas are original and published in the book will be sent a free copy – so be sure to include your name and address along with the tip or tips you send in.
Imagine. Offering it for free. Of all the jar-headed ideas I’ve come across in this festive season of giving cards to every cashier you meet, this one really beats Banagher.
But seriously, a lot of you have so much accumulated knowledge on this subject that we’re bound to get somebody published, right?
So the competition is on. First one in buys the drinks.
My starter: On those days when you’re feeling a little bit conscious of all the looks your precious one may be getting from the normals, pull a face like this. It gives everyone a different focus.
Well then make your own suggestions if you’re so smart and good looking. Here’s the address for your suggestions:
helen@specialneedshandbook.com.
Ok, so the cover isn’t exactly epilepsy-friendly, but I’m not sure this is how it’ll end up. Anyway, shut up. It’s going to be free.
PS I found all this at India Knight’s excellent blog Isn’t she talking yet? at Times Online. Her daughter has Di George syndrome, also a chromosomal abnormality condition, and she uses her journalist profile to help special needs issues get heard. And she has a great sharp tongue too.
