Áirc Midlands : Supporting Children with Disabilities

02/09/2026

Fantastic opportunity for family carers to meet each other and also have their voices heard by Midlands’s based politicians 👏🏼 💙 🩵

📣 Laois, Offaly, Longford & Westmeath Family Carers – Your Voice Matters! 💙

Have your say on the issues that matter most to family carers ahead of Budget 2027.

Join Family Carers Ireland for a Town Hall & Local Assembly, where you'll have the opportunity to meet local TDs, Senators, fellow family carers and Family Carers Ireland staff to discuss the priorities that can make a real difference to carers and their families.

Family Carers Ireland has submitted its Pre-Budget Submission to Government, outlining the key measures needed to better support family carers. This event is your chance to share your own experiences and ensure that the voices of family carers are heard as Budget 2027 is being shaped.

Following the Town Hall, stay for our Local Assembly, where you can:
💙 Meet other family carers in your area.
💙 Learn about the work of Family Carers Ireland.
💙 Share your views and help shape future advocacy, policy and local supports.
💙 Meet your local National Council of Family Carers delegate.

📅 Thursday, 10th September
☕ 10:30am – Registration & Tea/Coffee
🗣️ 11:00am – Town Hall
🤝 12:00pm – Local Assembly
🍽️ 1:00pm – Light lunch
📍 Tullamore Court Hotel, Offaly (R35 D406)

✅ Registration is free, and everyone is welcome.
Register via https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/town-hall-local-assembly-carers-priorities-for-budget-2027-tickets-1991902237212 or visit www.familycarers.ie/events for more information.

We look forward to welcoming you to what promises to be an informative, engaging and supportive event.

23/07/2026

New Galway café creates training and employment opportunities for adults with intellectual disabilities

🔗Read more: https://tinyurl.com/y54wu7kw

21/07/2026

Amazing idea. We love this and will be following with great interest and enthusiasm 🥳❤️

16/07/2026

Great opportunities here for carers returning to work. Your lived experience is a big boon to your CV.

16/07/2026

Information on the latest education announcements

There have been some important developments in education over the past week.

📅 Key dates

🗓️ 7 July 2026 – The NCSE Parents Notify portal opened for children seeking a ‘special class’ or ‘special school’ place for the 2027/28 school year.

🗓️ 1 September 2026 – Deadline for parents and guardians to notify the NCSE through the Parents Notify portal.

🗓️ 15 September 2026 – Deadline to submit supporting documentation (or as soon as possible afterwards if it is not yet available).

You can access the Parents Notify portal here: https://www.ncse.ie/parents/current-application-processes/parents-notify-special-class-special-school-placement/

The Government has also announced a new National Forum on Inclusive Education. This presents an opportunity to improve the education system - but only if disabled students, families and representative organisations are meaningfully involved from the very beginning.

At Inclusion Ireland, we know that planning is important. But planning must lead to action.

Too many children and young people with intellectual disabilities continue to face barriers to accessing education. Every child has the right to:

- Learn in their local community.

- Receive the supports they need to participate and thrive.

- Have their voice, and the voices of their families, heard in decisions that affect them.

As we highlighted in our Budget 2027 Submission, inclusive education requires sustained investment - not only in school places, but in the supports that enable every child to belong, participate and succeed.

We'll continue to work with families, schools and Government to ensure every child can realise their right to an inclusive education.

13/07/2026

Some new resources on the ADM for caregivers.

12/07/2026

09/07/2026

The controversy over Galway’s unused beach mats for wheelchair users has highlighted a much larger issue, casting a spotlight on the accessibility barriers that continue to shape daily life for many people across the city.

Earlier this month, Galway City Council discussed the rollout of beach wheelchair mats, currently lying idle in Leisureland. While council management committed to exploring suitable locations, concerns were raised that many local beaches may not be suitable due to tidal pulls.

However, for many wheelchair users, the lack of beach access is one part of a much larger issue. Some say they feel “segregated from society” because Galway has failed to evolve into a truly disability-friendly city.

🔗Read more: https://tinyurl.com/3cj9t25u