Joanne O’Riordan was born in 1996 with an extremely rare condition known as Total Amelia; she is one of only nine people on the planet that suffers with the condition, which means she has no limbs. Despite the very obvious restrictions that her condition places on her she has managed to ensure that technology will help to ease her dependency on others as well as enhance her quality of life. In April 2012 she addressed a women in technology conference at the United Nations in New York in an effort to help highlight the importance of technological development in her life and demonstrate that despite her lack of limbs she is undoubtedly not limited. This is her life story.
When Joanne O’Riordan came to national prominence by door stepping Enda Kenny on the election circuit in 2011 she made sure to leave a lasting impression and also make him promise not to cut her disability allowance. When he reneged on this promise she was further propelled into the spotlight when her meeting with him, which was recorded, showed the promises made and ensured an about face. The stock footage is cringe worthy for our leader but serves to highlight how easy it is for politicians to simply see numbers and figures whilst forgetting about the people at the heart of it.
The home camera footage of Joanne’s life to date is enjoyable to watch and when she makes her way into the United Nations to complete her speech you really do feel the strength in this very admirable and inspirational young woman. It is seeing how positive and inspirational Joanne is that makes this documentary so enjoyable to watch.
The area in which this production falls down is in its amateurish delivery; it would be better suited to the smaller screen as the GoPro camera footage and hand held home interview footage lacks the cinematic qualities the big screen requires. That said Joanne’s inspirational story is deserving of this elevated platform so its deficiencies will fade into the background.