Castlebar - County Mayo - Enable Ireland Safari Club

The official opening of the new ‘Safari Club’ for children with disabilities in Castlebar, Co. Mayo took place on 1 October 2009. The ‘Safari Club’ will house early intervention services for children from Mayo with complex needs and under the age of six. It is a collaborative service model supported by Enable Ireland, The Western Care Association and HSE Primary, Community and Continuing Care (PCCC).

The new centre gets its name from the animal-themed building. Each therapy room has a safari animal name to it: there is an elephant and a zebra room, for example. In addition to the name, the rooms have a distinctive light box with a large picture of the safari animal. The children love looking and touching the animal in the light box and some even insist on kissing their animal friend!

“What a wonderful place the Safari Club is, catering for all my daughter’s special needs and services all under one roof and location. The staff are very professional and the airy modern building with its family atmosphere is ideal for my daughter’s development”, commented Niamh Keane, whose child attends Enable Ireland.

To coincide with the opening, Enable Ireland hosted an Assistive Technology Conference in partnership with AbleNet. During the conference parents, therapists and pre-school teachers had an opportunity to gain more insight into the use of technology for children with disabilities under six. Assistive technology aims to enhance a person’s independence and offers the widest range of support so that the user can make best use of all the features and advantages that technology has to offer. This can vary from an adapted toy to a smart home.

For children who are unable or reluctant to use their voices, Ablenet offers a complete line of user-friendly Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) tools and systems that encourage social interaction, while fostering greater independence in virtually any environment. Ablenet’s AAC products are used by millions of people with a variety of medical and developmental conditions worldwide. From children with developmental language disorders, to individuals with physical disabilities such as cerebral palsy, to persons who are living with the affects of a stroke,

“We’re delighted to have our official opening of the Safari Club today. This is a great occasion for the children who attend the service, their families and for all the staff who work here. We’re looking forward to working together with our partners in our new centre and supporting children to achieve greater independence and inclusion in their communities,” commented Clare Lenehan, Enable Ireland Director of Services Galway & Mayo.

The new centre is fully equipped and will have therapy rooms, meeting rooms, waiting area for families, assistive technology and a quiet area.

From the centre, the Mayo Early Intervention Service will provide a high quality, family centered and coordinated service to children. This will include assessment and intervention, in line with the needs of families and the legislative requirements as identified in the Disability Act 2005.

Pictured at the official opening of the Enable Ireland Safari Club at Moneen Castlebar, Katie Burg, from Enable Ireland in Galway, regional assistive of Technology Service, showing Marie Reddington, speech and language therapist HSE and Sinead Carthy, speech and language therapist Safari Club some of the technology available to enhance the children’s lives. Photo © Ken Wright Photography 2009.

Claire Lenehan Director of Services Enable Ireland Galway & Mayo , pictured at the official opening of the Enable Ireland Safari Club at Moneen Castlebar. Photo © Ken Wright Photography 2009.

Pictured at the official opening of the Enable Ireland Safari Club at Moneen Castlebar front l-r; Mary Ward, HSE, Sean Gordan, HSE, Claire Leneghan Director of Services Enable Ireland Galway & Mayo, Fionnuala Donavan, Enable Ireland, Mary Courtney, Enable Ireland. Back L-R: Charlie Meehan, HSE, John O’Dea, Western Care, Jimmy Mulryan, Enable Ireland, Con O’Toole, Enable Ireland, Michael Kilcoyne Mayor of Castlebar, Donal Cashman, Chairman Enable Ireland, Martin Greeney, HSE, Dr. John Cunningham, HSE. Photo © Ken Wright Photography 2009.

Pictured cutting the tape at the official opening of the Enable Ireland Safari Club at Moneen Castlebar, back l-r; Donal Cashman, chairman Enable Ireland, Mary Connor, Claire Lenehan Director of Services Enable Ireland Galway & Mayo, Mona and Bafmala Abbaf, Michael Kilcoyne Mayor of Castlebar, front l-r Sean, David, and Emma Connor, Photo © Ken Wright Photography 2009.

Pictured at the official opening of the Enable Ireland Safari Early Learning Playschool at Moneen Castlebar Alan Joyce from Enable Ireland in Galway showing some of the assistive technology using a keyboard and mouse to Sinead Carthy, speech and language therapist Safari Club and Marie Reddington, speech and language therapist HSE and Angela Locke, parent, . Photo © Ken Wright Photography 2009.

Enable Ireland Safari Early Learning Playschool at Moneen Castlebar. Photo © Ken Wright Photography 2009.

Pictured at the official opening of the Enable Ireland Safari Club at Moneen Castlebar, Bafmala Abbaf and Sean Connor with Michael Kilcoyne Mayor of Castlebar. Photo © Ken Wright Photography 2009.

Michael Kilcoyne Mayor of Castlebar pictured at the official opening of the Enable Ireland Safari Club at Moneen Castlebar. Photo © Ken Wright Photography 2009.

Pictured at the official opening of the Enable Ireland Safari Early Learning Playschool at Moneen Castlebar l-r; Verna Joyce, FAS, Geraldine Glendan, FAS, Michael Kilcoyne Mayor of Castlebar, Claire Leneghan Director of Services Enable Ireland Galway & Mayo, Mary Mulryan, Enable Ireland,. Photo © Ken Wright Photography 2009.