Niamh Ní Hoireabhaird

Ireland

Freelance journalist and disability advocate ♿️ Interested in disability issues, accessible comms and politics. Email: [email protected]

Articles

Living with a rare disease: 'After so long, we're reluctant to take the government at its word'

1 month ago | thejournal.ie | Niamh Ní Hoireabhaird

Niamh Ní Hoireabhaird says talk is cheap when governments promise action on supports for people in Ireland with rare diseases.
'After so long, we're reluctant to take the government at its word'

1 month ago | thejournal.ie | Niamh Ní Hoireabhaird |Jane Matthews

OBTAINING A RARE disease diagnosis can take years, but I don’t think my doctors struggled to connect the dots and conclude that I had the same rare, genetic disease as my younger brother was diagnosed a few years before me. Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) is a neuromuscular condition that progressively causes muscle weakness and nervous system damage. There are under 200 people in Ireland with this condition. FA is just one of the over 6,000 recognised rare diseases.
‘As a disabled young woman, I have to choose between my clothes being functional or fashionable. Is the new Penneys adaptive range the answer?’

2 months ago | independent.ie | Niamh Ní Hoireabhaird

Able-bodied people can walk into almost any shop on the high street and expect to be able to walk out with something beautiful they can wear. Why should disabled people accept any less, asks fashion-loving 28-year-old Niamh Ní HoireabhairdIf you were to have asked me when I was 11 what I wanted to be when I was older, I would have told you I was going to be a fashion designer. At that age, I can’t imagine my designs would have been particularly groundbreaking.
‘As a disabled young woman, I have to choose between my clothes being functional or fashionable. Is Penney’s new adaptive range the answer?’

2 months ago | independent.ie | Niamh Ní Hoireabhaird

Able-bodied people can walk into almost any shop on the high street and expect to be able to walk out with something beautiful they can wear. Why should disabled people accept any less, asks fashion-loving 28-year-old Niamh Ní HoireabhairdIf you were to have asked me when I was 11 what I wanted to be when I was older, I would have told you I was going to be a fashion designer. At that age, I can’t imagine my designs would have been particularly groundbreaking.
These Gaeilgeoirí are making Irish fun again on social media - follow them if you want to improve your cúpla focal

Jan 15, 2025 | independent.ie | Niamh Ní Hoireabhaird

These Gaeilgeoirí are making Irish fun again on social media – follow them if you want to improve your cúpla focalSix native-speaking TikTok creators explain what the language means to them, and reveal their tips for anyone who wants to learnNative speaker Máire Ní Churraoin only posts on social media in Irish. Photo: Steve HumphreysBubbling just under the surface of the app, there is a thriving community of Gaeilgeorí on TikTok.
My emotional trip to Tokyo’s Robot Cafe –where the robots are operated by disabled or housebound people

Oct 30, 2024 | independent.ie | Niamh Ní Hoireabhaird

My emotional trip to Tokyo’s Robot Cafe –where the robots are operated by disabled or housebound people Niamh Ní Hoireabhaird and her husband pose with Yuki at the Avatar Robot Cafe in TokyoI’m so glad that my husband and I were on the same page when planning our wedding – we both wanted a very small, DIY ceremony so we could splash out on our dream honeymoon: a trip to northeast Asia, stopping in Beijing, Seoul, Busan and Tokyo.
Could The Olympics Help Make Cities More Wheelchair Accessible?

Jul 29, 2024 | huffpost.com | Niamh Ní Hoireabhaird

When my husband and I got married in December, we decided to keep it small and save our money for a dream honeymoon. I love to visit new places and try new things but traveling as a wheelchair user can be challenging, so I often find myself sticking to what I know. From Ireland where we live, it’s relatively cheap and easy to visit other European countries, so that’s what I’ve (mostly) stuck to.
‘I’ve all but lost hope of ever being a renter or owning my home’ - how the housing crisis is affecting people with disabilities

Jul 16, 2024 | independent.ie | Niamh Ní Hoireabhaird

Amidst an acute shortage of medically adapted homes, the housing crisis is severely affecting people with disabilitiesI’ve waved goodbye to far too many friends as they move to another country for a better quality of life, cursing the housing crisis on the way out. Finding a house, an apartment or even a room to rent is no easy task for non-disabled people, but adding disability and accessibility requirements into the mix makes it practically impossible. It’s a crisis within a crisis.
‘I’ve all but lost hope of ever being a renter or owning my home’ - how the housing crisis is impacting people with disabilities

Jul 15, 2024 | independent.ie | Niamh Ní Hoireabhaird

Amidst an acute shortage of medically adapted homes, the housing crisis is severely affecting people with disabilitiesI’ve waved goodbye to far too many friends as they move to another country for a better quality of life, cursing the housing crisis on the way out. Finding a house, an apartment or even a room to rent is no easy task for non-disabled people, but adding disability and accessibility requirements into the mix makes it practically impossible. It’s a crisis within a crisis.
Disability Pride

Jul 13, 2024 | thejournal.ie | Niamh Ní Hoireabhaird

I HAVE BEEN writing about, marching for and speaking out on disability rights for almost a decade now. But I haven’t always taken pride in my disability. That changed on 26 July 2016 when a man broke into a care facility for people with disabilities in Sagamihara, Japan and proceeded to stab 19 residents to death and injure 26 others. The attacker drove to a local police station, turned himself in, and stated that he wished for all disabled people to “disappear”.

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Niamh Ní Hoireabhaird @niamhnih

27 Mar 25

RT @lanauig_: Disabled people and their families are not your stick to stir the pot with. You consistently side with the architects of this…

Niamh Ní Hoireabhaird @niamhnih

14 Mar 25

RT @philipoconnor: The Irish word for genocide is "cinedhíothú". 👍

Niamh Ní Hoireabhaird @niamhnih

12 Mar 25

I was genuinely honored to sit amongst these amazing disabled women last week on International Women's Day to talk about representation, intersectionality, and disability justice. #IWD2025 #AccelerateAction Thank you @SightsaversIE for hosting this event! https://t.co/FofMGeizYa

Niamh Ní Hoireabhaird

Articles

Living with a rare disease: 'After so long, we're reluctant to take the government at its word'

'After so long, we're reluctant to take the government at its word'

‘As a disabled young woman, I have to choose between my clothes being functional or fashionable. Is the new Penneys adaptive range the answer?’

‘As a disabled young woman, I have to choose between my clothes being functional or fashionable. Is Penney’s new adaptive range the answer?’

These Gaeilgeoirí are making Irish fun again on social media - follow them if you want to improve your cúpla focal

My emotional trip to Tokyo’s Robot Cafe –where the robots are operated by disabled or housebound people

Could The Olympics Help Make Cities More Wheelchair Accessible?

‘I’ve all but lost hope of ever being a renter or owning my home’ - how the housing crisis is affecting people with disabilities

‘I’ve all but lost hope of ever being a renter or owning my home’ - how the housing crisis is impacting people with disabilities

Disability Pride

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