Frank Larkin
Born1972[1]
Died27 March 2020(2020-03-27) (aged 47–48)
Known forDisability rights activism
SpousePauline[2]
ChildrenNone
Parents
  • Frank Snr (father)
  • Brighdin (mother)

Frank Larkin (1972 – 27 March 2020) was an Irish disability rights activist. He was one of the most prominent such figures in his country.[3]

Biography

Larkin was born with the birth defect spina bifida.[4] He stated that his "will to campaign" came from "the frustrations I experience relating to having a disability".[5]

He ran for Letterkenny Town Council as a Fine Gael candidate in the 2009 elections, but was unsuccessful.[4]

He attended a hearing on disability issues at the European Parliament in 2012.[6] Larkin was elected chairperson of his country's national campaign for disabilities in 2013.[4][7]

He was one of twenty participants from fourteen different countries chosen to attend a conference in Budapest in March 2014.[8][9]

In 2015, Larkin became involved in a dispute with Facebook over posts it decided were not offensive, among which was an advertisement for a spina bifida doll that encouraged the buyer to abuse it.[10] He thought about deleting his account but instead he led a petition against the posts, which was ultimately successful.[11][12]

In 2016, Larkin became involved in a dispute with the makers of Coronation Street over the language used by character David Platt to his grandmother Audrey Roberts in an episode of the TV series.[3] Also that year, he worked on an accessibility guide for his local area.[3][13]

He represented his country at the European Network for Independent Living in Brussels in 2019.[4]

Larkin was a sports enthusiast who followed the English association football team Liverpool.[4]

Among the issues he spoke out against were being sent two tickets for each football game he attended, one of which he had to pay for and intended for a companion which he did not need;[14] illegal parking in disabled spaces;[13][15][16][17] measures imposed by government on disabled people;[18] discrimination by taxi drivers;[2] and securing parking spaces outside court for disabled people.[19]

Larkin died suddenly in hospital in 2020 at the age of 48.[4] He had been active in calling for disability access to polling stations in the weeks before his death.[20] Days before he died, he had been admiring the weather.[21] He was survived by his wife Pauline, his mother Brighdin, his father Frank Snr and his siblings: Louise, Geraldine, Olga, Sharon, Linda, Paul and Gareth.[22][23][24][25]

See also

References

  1. ↑ AccessIreland: Frank Larkin 1972 - 2020
  2. 1 2 McCallig, Elaine (20 November 2016). "Outrage after activist denied taxi due to disability".
  3. 1 2 3 Forker, Mark (2 August 2016). "Local campaigner embroiled in row with Corrie bosses".
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 McNulty, Chris (27 March 2020). "Sadness in Donegal at death of disability rights activist Frank Larkin".
  5. ↑ Forker, Mark (29 June 2016). "Interview with disability awareness activist Frank Larkin".
  6. ↑ "Donegal man to represent disabled in European Palliament". 6 February 2012.
  7. ↑ "Frank gets top job". 7 October 2013.
  8. ↑ "Donegal disability campaigner to attend hate crime conference". 13 March 2014.
  9. ↑ "Donegal disability campaigner vows to continue work after attending conference". 28 March 2014.
  10. ↑ Forker, Mark (16 April 2015). "Donegal disability campaigner left horrified at repulsive posts left on Facebook page".
  11. ↑ "Deal appropriately with hate speech and images online relating to disability". Change.org. 2015.
  12. ↑ Forker, Mark (22 April 2015). "Trolls defeated as offensive Facebook page deactivated".
  13. 1 2 McCallig, Elaine (26 August 2016). "Activist hits out at non-badge holders taking wheelchair accesible [sic] spaces".
  14. ↑ "I don't need two tickets for Croke Park, says wheelchair-bound fan". 18 August 2011.
  15. ↑ "Frank has disability allowance cut because he could not find a parking space". 20 May 2013.
  16. ↑ Maguire, Stephen (21 May 2013). "Wheelchair user docked disability allowance". The Irish Times.
  17. ↑ "Victory for Frank! Wheelchair-user has disability allowance reinstated". 22 May 2013.
  18. ↑ "No coherent plan for disabled in Budget 2014 says Donegal campaigner". 22 May 2013.
  19. ↑ McCallig, Elaine (26 January 2018). "Campaigners secure wheelchair accessible parking at new courthouse".
  20. ↑ "Election 2020: Sixteen Donegal polling stations do not have disability access". 21 January 2020.
  21. ↑ "Tributes paid following death of Frank Larkin". Donegal News. 27 March 2020.
  22. ↑ Doherty, Diarmuid (27 March 2020). "Shock and sadness at news of the death of Frank Larkin". Donegal Live.
  23. ↑ "Parish says a fond farewell to the late Frank Larkin". 29 March 2020.
  24. ↑ "Death Notice of Frank Larkin (Jnr)". 27 March 2020.
  25. ↑ "Finn Harps pay tribute to club volunteer Frank Larkin". Highland Radio. 28 March 2020.
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