Interviews

Name: Mei Lin Yap
Qualifications: Graduate of Trinity Centre for People with Intellectual Disabilities (TCPID)

About Me:  
My name is Mei Lin Yap, and I am a woman with Down Syndrome and a graduate of Trinity College Dublin. I don’t see myself as having a disability. I am aware of my needs and recognise that I need supports in my life. However, I feel more ‘like’ than ‘unlike’ other people. Living life with an intellectual disability can be challenging. I like to push my boundaries, and show others what people with intellectual disabilities can do. My family inspires me to be the best I can be.  They are strong individuals, successful, determined, kind and well educated. They have supported me and encouraged me over the years to be the best I can be. My brother and my sister are two people I admire. I would like to have what they have – to work, live independently , to be in a relationship, to be able to get married, to have an active social life.  I try to stay involved and create opportunities to meet people by keeping up my hobbies and interests, and developing my working life.

The most important person in my life is my mother; she is the number one person that I can share just about everything with. She is the one who helps me, provides for me, supports me, and encourages me. She is my mother and my friend; she means the world to me.

Regarding my education, I successfully completed the PLC in Business Technology with Marketing at St.Tiernan’s College of Further Education. I have a Certificate in Software Applications from Stillorgan College. I also have a Diploma in Event Management & PR from Dublin Business School. I am a graduate of the Certificate in Contemporary Living course in Trinity College.

I have many interests.  I am a competitive swimmer and I have represented Ireland at many swimming competitions abroad.  I love public speaking and I have done several courses in Public Speaking. I was invited to give a talk to Occupational Therapy students in Trinity as part of their disability module. I am proud to say that I delivered a talk and a PowerPoint presentation on Living with Disability. I am also an Editor of Frontline, an online magazine. The Irish Voice of Intellectual Disability.

What did you enjoy most about being a student in Trinity?
My sister graduated from Trinity College and it was great to follow in her footsteps. For me it was a big deal to be a university student and to attend Trinity College is one of my proudest boasts.  I imagined myself as a mainstream student, and felt included and accepted to a certain degree.

Having the opportunity to be a university student, and be exposed to normal experiences of college life, really did help shape me and build my confidence.  I became involved in several societies; one of the societies I joined was the trampoline club. That was a great experience for me but at first I was a bit isolated. It took a while to break down barriers and become accepted in the group. I knew I had “arrived” when one of the group felt comfortable enough to shout “Ah ye feckin eejit Mei Lin” when I made a mistake on the trampoline.  I went on a trip to Cavan for a weekend with the trampoline club. This turned out to be a very boozy weekend but my mum did her work well and I didn’t let her down.

Describe your most memorable day in Trinity?
My graduation from Trinity was the biggest highlight of my life and one of my proudest moments. That was a very special day: putting on that robe and graduating from one of the most prestigious universities in Ireland.

How did the CCL certificate course prepare you for your job with CPL?
I enjoyed the CCL course and being a student in Trinity. Although the course itself was not challenging for me, the opportunity to get involved in college life was hugely beneficial.  The Centre also appointed me as ‘Roll out Officer’ for the course.  This entailed giving talks at other third level colleges around Ireland and participating in focus groups.  This helped to develop my skills and confidence.  I began to feel I had skills that I could use in the work force.  The CCL Course was key to my success.  Through CCL I was introduced to Mary Carroll from CPL.  I became the first CCL graduate to be given an internship with CPL and I am delighted to say that I was recently made permanent.

What is your proudest achievement to date?
Qualifying to compete in Down Syndrome Swimming Competitions at an international level is my proudest achievement. I have been involved with The Irish Down Syndrome Sporting Organisation (IDSSO) for about 12 years now .This has given me wonderful opportunities to travel, meet new friends and have fun. The organisation selects and trains teams to compete in national, international and World Down Syndrome swimming competitions. Team Ireland has been very successful at these events. I have competed in Portugal, South Africa, Taiwan, Italy and Ireland. I brought back a world record in butterfly from Taiwan. I have won many medals.  I did a parachute jump in 2015 to raise funds for the IDSSO and I hope there will be many more exciting adventures.

What would you like to say to those who donate money to support the Centre?
The support of those who donate money is essential to give opportunities to future students to unlock their potential. Overall I think that supports are really important for people with all disabilities. Some of us need support in different aspects of our lives in order to live our lives fully.  As a person with an intellectual disability I am aware that when we dream big and others dream big for us then we can achieve our potential. TCD and CPL dream big and made my dreams come true. I hope from this you can see the far reaching positive effect of the Trinity course on my life and understand the importance of supporting the Trinity Centre for People with Intellectual Disabilities - so they in turn can support us.

What do you enjoy most about working in CPL?
I am delighted and excited and so proud to be part of CPL workforce. I was made most welcome and found them to be inclusive and supportive.  As a woman with an intellectual disability inclusivity, support and acceptance of diversity in the workplace are important issues and CPL is certainly accepting, supportive and inclusive.  During my first week I was informed they were holding their Annual Ball 2017. This was an informal evening event and I was delighted to be invited to attend. It was a great opportunity for me to dress up and meet lots of staff from all the branches. I was petrified at the thought. On the night everyone I already knew made great efforts to make me feel at ease and to introduce me to others. I had a great evening. I love my job and my work colleagues and I look forward to going to work. Having a job makes me feel accepted and included and a fully fledged adult who can contribute to society.

What are your future plans?
I have teamed up with a fellow TCPID Trinity graduate, Margaret Turley. We are in the process of setting up a Network/Society in Trinity College Dublin. I met Margaret through a lecturing project through which we were giving lectures to social work students in Trinity College.  This is a very exciting project and we are hoping to be in a position to roll it out soon.

I am competing in the Down Syndrome European Swimming Championships in Paris in October. Hopefully, if I train hard I will qualify to compete in the World Down Syndrome Swimming Championships in Nova Scotia, Canada in 2018.

I look forward to the future and hopefully meeting that special someone to share my life. In the meantime I will continue to dream big.