Breaking boundaries
John Fulham's spina bifida hasn't stopped him living life to the full, or from working with business to bring about positive change for others with disabilities, discovers Joy Orpen
Sunday February 08 2009
To some, it may appear that 37-year-old John Fulham has a disability; after all, he uses a wheelchair. But as far as he is concerned, he leads a perfectly normal life with few limitations.
He is almost as mobile as anyone else, and swifter than most of us on occasions. When we meet in a Dublin hotel, he transfers himself from the wheelchair to a comfortable armchair in the bat of an eye. I do a double take, it is so fast, but John just smiles his lopsided grin.
John was born with spina bifida, a congenital defect that prevents the spine from forming properly while in the womb.
"There are various degrees of the condition," says John. "Some people are severely impacted while others may be blissfully unaware they have spina bifida. But, generally speaking, most will be wheelchair users."
John says he got his first wheelchair when he was four and has been gadding about ever since.
His defining moment came in 2003 when he won the European Championship 100 and 200 metre sprints. He has also been a Paralympic finalist.
He says, when he was a youngster, other local children loved "scutting about" on the back of his wheels. "I used to let them have a go," he says. "It was a good way to break down barriers."
So he genuinely is OK about not being able to walk? John's answer is frank: "It has never cramped my style. What you never had, you never miss."
The proof of this is the way in which he leads his life. He is an assistant bank manager with AIB, he drives a nice car and lives in Donabate. However, he does realise there are many other people living with a disability who are not faring quite as well, for many reasons.
So, John has thrown himself behind the Kanchi Sounding Board, which seeks, through interaction with business leaders, to bring about positive change for those with disabilities.
Kanchi had its genesis in the Aisling Foundation, which was founded in 2000 by Caroline Casey, a visually impaired social entrepreneur. The organisation's aim is to change the landscape for those with different requirements and to do so from a business perspective.
The original name, though it appropriately means dream or vision, changed as people from overseas found 'Aisling' difficult to pronounce.
Caroline chose Kanchi because it is easier on the tongue, but also because it was the name of a very special elephant she had ridden on a memorable 1,000km trek across India to raise funds and to promote awareness. The Kanchi Sounding Board is the next stage in the organisation's evolution, and John is its new 'conductor'.
"Kanchi is about enhancing the relationship between business and society, and ensuring that the difference in people is valued and respected.
"It's like the elephant in the corner, we don't want to admit [disability] is there. What we are trying to do is get rid of that 'elephant' so people can get on with their lives," John explains.
Unlike Caroline's very noble beast, John's elephant is a metaphor for our inability to admit that disability is all around us. "It's not as blatantly on the agenda as it should be," he says.
He believes that while there is a good deal of great work being done on the ground, there now needs to be a solid push from the top; pressure needs to be put on leaders and managers to effect meaningful change within their organisations.
John is just one of 30 Irish and international personalities on the Sounding Board who all have a disability or a close association with one. Their purpose will be, as the name suggests, to create a picture for managers that illustrates the needs and aspirations of those with disabilities.
"If you want to influence architecture, business, entertainment or sport, you need to engage the leaders of the relevant sector," says John. "It's important disabled communities bring forward their own views."
John says managers should understand that it makes sound business sense to include people with disabilities in their equations.
"If I want to go into a bar and it has steps, would it not make sense for them to put in a ramp? Isn't my business as important as anyone else's? Is my money not as good as anyone else's?" he asks.
"Businesses need to be encouraged to look at this concept in a positive light and to see the benefits of including all people of all abilities. There are young and old, vision impaired, those with mental-health issues and so on. There are so many areas to be represented," he says. "However, business is beginning to realise that the disability world is full of potential, and that includes profit and skills," he explains.
So, he says, the Sounding Board plans to encourage the business community to be more proactive and creative in how they approach these issues. He cites the example of Aura Sports and Leisure Management, the overall winner in the private sector section of the O2 Ability Awards, a Kanchi initiative.
"They have gone to the trouble of making their facilities accessible to all. That benefits everyone," John says. "Those with a disability are included and made welcome, while the company benefits from their membership and possibly those of their families and friends, too." John maintains there are many small but subtle ways that changes can be made to assist those with disabilities. "Where there is someone with a hearing impairment, a round table would help. There are buzzers and other devices. We need to put in place practical things that don't cost too much but make such an enormous difference," John points out.
"Imagine being someone with autism
-- people are afraid to engage with you because they don't know about it. By learning about it, you can understand, accept and accommodate," he explains.
John is determined to embrace and understand the many and varied areas where disability crops up. He says: "Previously, I would have had reservations with mental-health issues. But I've made it my business to learn more about the subject. Right now, I find anorexia difficult to understand, but I am not going to shy away from it,"
"Someone may be too shy to talk about their disability -- or someone may be reluctant to talk to someone with a disability. This shouldn't be the case. I want to be treated the same way as everyone else," John explains."I am an equal, and I want people to feel comfortable about that."
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Tel: (01) 634-0018, or, for further information, see www.kanchi.org
- Joy Orpen
