Turas Saol (“Life Trip” in Gaelic)– Wheel Chair Life Skills Program
The team at Crann Centre Ltd, in Cork, Ireland, and faculty in the IU School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics have been engaged in a bidirectionally beneficial partnership since 2016 and share a commitment to caring for persons with complex disabilities from a clinical, research and community perspective. Dr. Joseph O’Neil, as medical director of the Riley Spina Bifida program, and Dr. Mary Ciccarelli, as the director of the Center for Youth and Adults with Conditions, are working with the team of the Crann Centre who provide community service to persons with spina bifida and other neurophysical disabilities and their families.
One of the collaborations signature programs is Turas Saol (“Life Trip” in Gaelic)– Wheel Chair Life Skills Program. This is one of the very few sites around the world working on enhancing wheelchair skills especially for children. The collaboration includes faculty in the IUPUI School of Health and Human Sciences as well as the Riley Rehab Department and Child Life Zone. They also receive valuable mentorship from the wheelchair team at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia.
Contact: Mary R Ciccarelli, MD
