Monday, October 14, 2013

Whose Lamh-ing now?


Back in 2009 I did a blog post about Lamh.  In the meantime while I was bitching about it someone got up and actually did something about it?  Something Lamh should have done a long time ago? 

That is they (Down Syndrome Dublin) have created a site http://kids.handsthattalk.ie/. The site allows users to interact with Tizzie who will demonstrate signs using ISL. Simple and effective.  It is what people have been looking for for years?

Now here is the question.  ISL?  Irish Sign Language?  Not Lamh?  Well I will look into this further but I suspect they wanted to do Lamh but the good people at Lamh wouldn't let them?  This is not a fact but a suspicion (at this point).

Furthermore in keeping with their cutting edge strategy they recently joined a little known website called Facebook - this in Oct 2013.  This is in fact useful as it has allowed a public forum for people to air their frustration (myself included).  As one poster nicely put it

Too little too late. Lamh should be out there in every school / preschool for the last 5 years at least. Why isn't this organisation willing to share. Anytime we looked for information it wasn't forthcoming ... Everything should be available on line. So easy ... What was the big deal with courses and non availability. What a joke. Free access, immediate on-line access. Simple ! Just do it LAMH.

I hasten to add I do not know this person.  Yeah this is a cynical sarcastic blog post but enough is enough - I'm mad!. 

Lamh have been told time and again by tax payers (that through the HSE fund them) that this is what people want and now they risk being made irrelevant?  I met with them, wrote to politicians and emailed them and nothing.  Shame on them for not serving those who need it most.

To end on a positive note MASSIVE respect to Down Syndrome Dublin.  You. Guys. Rock.  With you were getting the funding instead.