THE President, Mrs Robinson, helped APIC, the National Arts and Disability Centre of Ireland, celebrate its third anniversary yesterday at its headquarters in Great Strand Street, Dublin. The organisation provides services for people with disabilities to pursue careers in the arts.
"The idea of the APIC centre is looking at people with disabilities and the gift that they may have inside," said Ms Susan Murray, a trainee at the Cerebral Palsy of Ireland centre in Sandymount.
Ms Murray, who has used the services provided by APIC to develop her writing skills, read a poem, A Special Guest, which she wrote for the President's visit.
Up to 3,000 people a year use APIC's services. The organisation has a staff of three, including its two founders.
They are Mr Dave Thomas and Mr Declan O'Sullivan, who started with a £15,000 loan from Bank of Ireland.