Earlier this year I was announced as one of the TEDx Speakers for TEDx in Omagh. I was flabbergasted that I was selected to one of the speakers at this event, which is based around ‘Transforming Our Future”.
Now a lot of people who are reading this are most likely laughing to themselves and thinking “Dermot is going to love talking about himself….. again”, but I can honestly say that is one of the most difficult things I’ve had to sit down and compose. In fact I am nowhere near finished, in fact I have barely scratched the surface. My house is coming down with paperwork at the moment and notes for this. However, I am enjoying the whole process and it’s truly a wonderful to be experiencing TEDx from the inside.
It is a good opportunity for me to share my stories, my journey and the people I have met along the way. It is not to show that I am special in any particular way and should lauded as such, but to show that I am the same as any person who may be there that day or watching from home.
I have a disability called Mucopolysaccharide Morquio Disease, which I will talk about and hopefully give people a little understanding about what this disability is and how it impacts on people’s lives. (I had to Google the correct spelling of the name too, so don’t worry) I will be talking about Vimizim and the NHS in England funding the drug. More on this in the coming weeks.
I will be covering my life as well, such as my 13 year work career at Omagh Enterprise, the challenges I met in the workplace and how lucky I have been to work in such an environment with people who helped me meet these challenges.
I will also be talking about work as Chairpersonship at Omagh Access Forum, which is a local lobbying forum in Omagh town for people with disabilities to ensure that access to services and buildings best meet the needs of all the members of the community.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a TEDx Talk without me talking about My Way Access. I will be talking about my journey to here, which started as a tiny seed back in the early 1990s and the BBC’s Newsround. What’s that? Well I guess you’ll have to catch my TEDxOmagh Talk in November to find out.
So as I am in the middle of writing this speech, what else do you think should be covered? My Way Access would love to hear your thoughts and views.
Get tickets for TEDxOmagh, please visit eventbrite.com.