Best Buddies

The society aims to create a link with Ability West and work as a liaison, giving students the opportunity to work with young adults with intellectual disabilities. Ability West is a voluntary organisation based in Galway which provides a range of person- centred, high quality, community-based services to people with intellectual disabilities and their families. Ability West will be running a programme labelled 'Best Buddies', which is an American programme founded by Anthony Kennedy Shriver in 1989. This programme will give people a chance to befriend a person with an intellectual disability. This programme was run in secondary schools last year and was very successful, but this year college students are being targeted.

However in relation to the society, it is not obligatory to commit to the programme and become a volunteer with Ability West , as the societies role is to direct people who wish to volunteer in the direction of Ability West an this programme. Also social events will take place in collaboration with Ability West. Furthermore the society will strive to inform students and the college as a whole of the needs, abilities and capabilities of those with an intellectual disability. These events can be undertaken by all members. This will be done by campaigns,(such as promotion of “Banning the R word” i.e. the slang use of the word retard ), publications in Sin magazine and Flirt FM. There will also be fundraisers for Ability West and other organisations and many social events, all with the ultimate goal of stripping away the connotations that lie on people about people with intellectual disabilities.

The society aims to give students an opportunity to get involved with Ability West and different programmes it offers, specifically 'Best Buddies '. This is important because 1 in 10 people have an intellectual disability. This society will give students an opportunity to understand what an intellectual disability is and help breakdown the existing barriers that may prevent them from meeting and getting involved in the life of a peer who has an intellectual disability. It also gives students an opportunity to promote equality. There will also be regular social activities and fundraisers which will reflect well on NUIG and furthermore Galway City. Ability West will be involved and so things are done in a safe manner and also Garda vetting is undertaken by them for students getting involved in programmes with Ability West

Best Buddies will be run with student volunteers in Ability West, but this society strives to make the process easier and appeals to the target market. Also for those who don't wish to become involved with Ability West, but still feel passionate about the topic, it gives them a chance to express their views and promote equality and learn that we have more similarities than differences.

Whilst this is where the society will be beginning we hope that in semester two we can get guest speakers to talk about Alseimers and Dementia and teach others about mental problems and we firmly believe that this society has endless possibilities .