I’ll be updating as I go. Watch this space! Constructive feedback very welcomed. (2016)

Well that was 10 years ago in 2016 and 10 years later in 2026 I’m finally with the help of AI updating the blog post that has turned into an essay.

With our shorter attention span and focus these days I may well lose many in writing however there may be some that are interested to hear about the work we started in 2006 and how it became a collaborative project over the years.

Filming Dublin: A Journey Through Art, Access & Resilience

This photograph begin the focus of this blog in 2016 and takes me back to my time studying for my Master’s degree at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin in 2012. As part of my research and creative practice, I spent many days filming, documenting experiences, and exploring the relationship between art, identity, disability, and the spaces we move through.

Looking back, this image captures more than a moment in time. It reflects resilience, determination, and the commitment to pursuing creativity despite the barriers that can sometimes exist in our environments and society. My wheelchair was not a limitation—it was simply part of the journey, allowing me to navigate the city while gathering stories, observations, and inspiration that would later influence my artistic practice.

Dublin became both a classroom and a canvas. Every street, conversation, and filming session offered an opportunity to reflect on accessibility, inclusion, and the power of art to create dialogue and understanding.

Today, as I continue my multidisciplinary healing arts practice, I carry many of the lessons learned during those years: the importance of listening, observing, documenting, and creating spaces where every person feels seen, valued, and included.

This image reminds me how far I have travelled—not just through the streets of Dublin, but through education, creativity, healing, and personal growth.

✨ Sometimes the path is not the easiest one, but it often becomes the most meaningful.

#NCAD #Dublin #MastersDegree #ArtistJourney #DisabilityAwareness #AccessibilityMatters #ArtsAndHealth #CreativePractice #DocumentaryWork #Resilience #Inclusion #KathleenOLearyArtworks #PupAKCommunity #HealingThroughArt

#CreativePractice #DocumentaryWork #Resilience #Inclusion

#KathleenOLearyArtworks #PupAKCommunity #HealingThroughArt

‘Second Sight | Site’ Video Still 2013. Locis EU Residency

Paddling with Purpose – 2012

In 2012, I set out on the River Garravogue — the border between Co. Leitrim and Co. Sligo — to create a short film that would become part of my artistic voice.

In my wheelchair, attached to a stand up paddle board, I became part of the river — moving at its pace, listening to its rhythm, letting it guide me.

It was a journey of freedom, creativity, and connection. 💚

This was more than a film project — it was a personal and group pilgrimage with the support of 9 other people including David O’Hara who lend me the GoPro and the SUP.

Filming ‘Second Sight | Site’ along the beautiful River Garravogue allowed me to explore themes of perception, identity, and belonging—while questioning and challenging the boundaries of what is possible.

Accessible adventure.

Creative practice.

Storytelling from the heart.

I carry this river within me still.

Honouring the journey.

Honouring the river.

Honouring the story. 🌊

#CreativeJourney

#RiverStories

#DisabilityPride

#FilmArtLife

Using my wheelchair attached to a stand-up paddle board, I navigated the river as part of the filmmaking process. What began as a creative project became something much deeper—a journey of resilience, freedom, and connection with the landscape around me.

The river taught me to move at a different pace, to listen, observe, and trust the unfolding journey. It challenged perceptions of disability, access, and what is possible when creativity leads the way.

More than a decade later, I still carry the memory of those quiet waters and the lessons they offered.

Honouring the river. Honouring the journey. Honouring the story. 💚🌊

#KathleenOLearyArtworks #CreativePractice #DocumentaryWork #DisabilityArts #Inclusion #Resilience #RiverStories #FilmMaking #PupAKCommunity #HealingThroughArt #Leitrim #Sligo #IrishArtist

The Journey Beyond the Path | 

Second Sight | Site (2012)

This still from my short film Second Sight | Site captures another important moment in my journey exploring access, perception, and the lived experience of disability.

Filmed along the roads and landscapes surrounding the Rural roads in West Cork, this work examined how wheelchair users navigate and interact with different environments. Each path, surface, incline, and obstacle tells a story—not only about physical access but about inclusion, independence, and belonging.

Through the lens of the camera, I sought to document the everyday realities of moving through spaces that are often designed without disabled bodies in mind. Yet alongside these challenges, I discovered beauty, resilience, and a deep connection to the landscape.

This film was not simply about where I could go; it was about how I experienced the world and how the world responded in return.

More than a decade later, these images continue to remind me that accessibility is not a privilege—it is a pathway to participation, creativity, and community.

Every road tells a story. Every journey deserves to be seen.

💚♿🎥

#SecondSightSite #KathleenOLearyArtworks #DisabilityArts #CreativePractice #DocumentaryWork #AccessibilityMatters #Inclusion #Resilience #WheelchairLife #IrishArtist #ArtsAndHealth #CreativeJourney #PupAKCommunity #HealingThroughArt #FilmMaking #DisabilityPride #Leitrim #Sligo #AccessibleIreland

Liminal; Different Views | Viewing Difference – NCAD Dublin, 2013

This photograph taken by a student documents a public intervention and awareness project created during my M.A. in Art in the Contemporary World at NCAD, Dublin.

Liminality; Different Views | Viewing Difference began with Women Independently Living in Co. Leitrim with a cross border partnership with Women Making Waves in Co. Fermanagh in 2006. to raise.

Liminality: Different Views | Viewing Difference

Liminality: Different Views | Viewing Difference was a touring multidisciplinary arts exhibition developed through a cross-border partnership between Women Independently Living (WILL), Co. Leitrim and Women Making Waves, Co. Fermanagh.

The project brought together women with disabilities to explore themes of identity, belonging, access, visibility, and life on the border through creative practice. Working across disciplines including photography, film, installation, performance, documentation, and participatory arts, the exhibition created a platform for women to share their lived experiences and perspectives.

Touring across Leitrim, Fermanagh, Derry, Belfast, London, and Sligo, the exhibition raised awareness of both local and international issues affecting women with disabilities, particularly those living in border communities. The project highlighted the unique challenges and opportunities experienced by women navigating geographical, social, cultural, and physical boundaries.

The title Liminality refers to the space between places, identities, and experiences—a threshold where transformation, reflection, and change can occur. Through creative expression, participants challenged stereotypes surrounding disability and created opportunities for dialogue, understanding, and social inclusion.

More than an exhibition, Different Views | Viewing Difference was an act of advocacy, empowerment, and visibility. It celebrated the creativity, resilience, and voices of women with disabilities while encouraging audiences to reconsider how society views difference, accessibility, and participation.

The project demonstrated the power of the arts to connect communities across borders, foster understanding, and create meaningful conversations around equality, inclusion, and human rights.

The work explored accessibility, inclusion, and the diverse ways people experience and navigate public spaces. Through collaboration, participation, and creative action, we sought to highlight the barriers that many disabled people encounter every day—barriers that often remain invisible to those who do not experience them.

The banner, “Liminal; Different Views | Viewing Difference,” invited people to pause, reflect, and reconsider how we design our environments, institutions, and communities. It challenged assumptions about disability and encouraged conversations about equality, access, and belonging.

Art has the power to make the unseen visible. This intervention became a platform for dialogue, bringing together people from different backgrounds and experiences to advocate for a more inclusive society.

More than a decade later, the message remains just as relevant: accessibility is not a special accommodation—it is a fundamental human right.

Through creative practice, we can continue to challenge barriers, amplify diverse voices, and imagine a world where everyone can participate fully.

💚♿🎨

“Different views create deeper understanding. Viewing difference creates change.”

#KathleenOLearyArtworks #NCAD #ArtInTheContemporaryWorld #DisabilityArts #AccessibilityMatters #Inclusion #CreativePractice #SociallyEngagedArt #ParticipatoryArts #ArtsAndHealth #DisabilityPride #DifferentViewsViewingDifference #PublicArt #CreativeChange #PupAKCommunity #HealingThroughArt #IrishArtist #Resilience #Equality #AccessForAll

Voices for Change: Organising a Disability Rights Protest in Manorhamilton in 2023.

In 2023, I had the privilege of organising a disability rights protest in Manorhamilton, County Leitrim, bringing together disabled people, allies, advocates, families, and community members to raise awareness of the ongoing challenges faced by people with disabilities across Ireland.

Standing on the streets with banners reading “Disability Power Ireland,” “Ratify UNCRPD,” and “Nothing About Us Without Us,” we gathered not only to protest but to create visibility. Visibility is powerful. Too often, disabled people are excluded from conversations that directly affect their lives, whether in healthcare, housing, education, employment, transport, or community participation.

The protest was inspired by a shared belief that disability rights are human rights. It was an opportunity to highlight the importance of meaningful inclusion and to call for stronger implementation of policies that support disabled people to live independently, participate fully in society, and have their voices heard.

One of the central messages of the day was support for the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). While progress has been made, many disabled people continue to experience barriers that limit access, equality, and opportunity. Our gathering aimed to remind decision-makers that commitments on paper must be translated into action in everyday life.

What made the event particularly special was the sense of community and solidarity. People came together from different backgrounds and experiences, united by a common goal: creating a more inclusive society where disability is recognised as a natural part of human diversity rather than something to be hidden or overlooked.

As an artist, activist, and disabled woman, I have long been interested in how public spaces can become places of dialogue and change. This protest was not only an act of advocacy but also a form of participatory social engagement, creating conversations within the local community and beyond. Every banner held, every story shared, and every person who stopped to listen contributed to a wider movement for equality.

Looking back, I am proud of what was achieved that day. The protest demonstrated that even in a small rural town, collective voices can create impact. It reminded us that change begins when people come together, speak out, and refuse to be invisible.

The work continues, but so does the determination. Together, we can build communities where accessibility, dignity, and inclusion are not aspirations but realities.

“Nothing About Us Without Us.”

Organised in Manorhamilton, County Leitrim, 2023, to raise awareness of disability rights, inclusion, accessibility, and the voices of disabled people in Ireland.♿💚✊🏻

Disability Power Ireland – Dublin and Leitrim Protest 2023

One of the most powerful moments of our national day of action in 2023 was joining fellow activists, advocates, families, and allies in Dublin as part of the Disability Power Ireland protest.

While communities gathered across Ireland, the Dublin demonstration brought disabled people and supporters together in the heart of the city to demand equality, visibility, and meaningful change. As we moved through the streets, our voices carried a simple but powerful message: disability rights are human rights.

The day was filled with determination, solidarity, and hope. Wheelchair users, people with visible and invisible disabilities, personal assistants, family members, service dogs, and supporters stood together to challenge barriers that continue to affect disabled people every day. We called for accessible services, independent living supports, equal opportunities, and the full implementation of the rights outlined in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

What struck me most was the strength of our collective voice. Every person present represented countless others who face obstacles in education, employment, healthcare, transport, housing, and community participation. Together, we transformed public space into a platform for advocacy, awareness, and action.

As both an artist and disability activist, I believe that visibility creates change. The protest was not only about highlighting what needs to improve; it was also a celebration of community, resilience, creativity, and the power of disabled people coming together to shape their own futures.

The banners, conversations, speeches, and shared experiences throughout the day reminded us that progress happens when people refuse to remain silent. The Dublin protest was a powerful example of grassroots activism in action and a reminder that every voice matters.

I am proud to have stood alongside so many incredible people who continue to advocate for a more inclusive and accessible Ireland.

The Disability Power Tree – A Symbol of Inclusion, Diversity and Collective Strength. K O’Leary CC .

This artwork was created as a visual representation of Disability Power Ireland and the rich diversity of the disability community. At its centre stands a strong tree, symbolising resilience, growth, connection, and the collective strength that emerges when people come together to advocate for equality and inclusion.

The trunk represents our shared foundation as a community. While each person’s experience of disability is unique, we are connected through common aspirations for dignity, accessibility, participation, and human rights. The rainbow pathway running through the tree reflects diversity, inclusion, and the many journeys that disabled people travel throughout their lives.

Each branch extends in a different direction, holding symbols, signs, birds, flowers, and images that represent the broad spectrum of visible and invisible disabilities. Just as no two leaves on a tree are identical, no two disabled people have the same experiences, challenges, or strengths. Yet together we form a vibrant and interconnected ecosystem.

The birds flying freely from the branches symbolise freedom, independence, self-determination, and the right of every person to participate fully in society. The flowers growing around the tree represent individuals, families, allies, carers, advocates, and communities who support and nurture one another.

The artwork also reflects the values at the heart of Disability Power Ireland: solidarity, empowerment, accessibility, equality, and social justice. Rather than focusing on limitations, the tree celebrates the talents, creativity, contributions, and lived experiences of disabled people.

For me as an artist and disability activist, this piece was about creating a positive and inclusive symbol that recognises disability as part of human diversity. It is a reminder that our differences do not weaken society; they enrich it. Like the branches of a tree, we may grow in different directions, but our roots remain connected.

The Disability Power Tree stands as a visual statement that every voice matters, every experience has value, and every person deserves to be seen, heard, respected, and included.

Artwork I created for Disability Power Ireland to celebrate disability pride, diversity, inclusion, advocacy, and community.

Nothing About Us Without Us.

♿💚✊

#DisabilityPowerIreland #DisabilityRightsAreHumanRights #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs #AccessibilityForAll #InclusionMatters #UNCRPD #DisabilityJustice #IndependentLiving #DisabilityAdvocacy #IrelandForAll #DublinProtest #CommunityAction #EqualityForAll #DisabilityAwareness #VoicesForChange