Active Disability Ireland

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Active Disability Ireland Creating an Ireland where people with disabilities have equal opportunities to be active

A National organisation providing a collaborative and partnership platform to enhance Sport and Physical Activity opportunities for people with disabilities.

Invisible Disabilities Week 🌻🔎Across Ireland, 1 in 5 people live with some form of disability and 80% of these are non-v...
18/10/2026

Invisible Disabilities Week 🌻

🔎Across Ireland, 1 in 5 people live with some form of disability and 80% of these are non-visible. That's just under 1 million people.

Earlier this year, Active Disability Ireland joined the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower initiative to raise awareness of non-visible disabilities and strengthen inclusion across sport and physical activity in Ireland.

The Sunflower is a recognised symbol that people can choose to wear to discreetly communicate that they have a non-visible disability and may need additional support, patience or understanding.

We encourage our community to be patient, avoid making assumptions, and remember that someone’s needs may not always be immediately apparent. Whether you’re a coach, volunteer or participant, small actions can help create environments where everyone feels recognised, respected and supported.

This Invisible Disabilities Week, let’s continue to raise awareness and encourage more inclusive experiences across sport and physical activity, so everyone has the opportunity to participate.

Find out more on Disabilities Sunflower - Ireland

| Hidden Disabilities Sunflower - Ireland |

Introducing the Xcessible Gold Award 🏆 Active Disability Ireland is thrilled to announce the Gold criteria for our Xcess...
15/10/2026

Introducing the Xcessible Gold Award 🏆

Active Disability Ireland is thrilled to announce the Gold criteria for our Xcessible programme, marking the highest standard of inclusion within the programme.

Building on the Bronze and Silver standards, Gold supports National Governing Bodies and Local Sports Partnerships to move from commitment to sustained action, embedding inclusion across every part of their work.

💬 Speaking on the announcement, Strategic Operations Manager Stephanie MacSweeney shared:

“The Xcessible Gold criteria is about moving from commitment to sustained action. It supports NGBs and LSPs to build on their journey of inclusion, to embed accessibility across their organisation and ensure that people with disabilities are considered in every aspect of how sport and physical activity is planned, delivered and evaluated.”

Learn more 🔗 link in bio

💬 WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU 💬Active Disability Ireland in partnership with the University of Limerick is researching the ...
14/10/2026

💬 WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU 💬

Active Disability Ireland in partnership with the University of Limerick is researching the area of: Social Participation in Sport and Active Recreation among adults with disabilities in Ireland.

We invite anyone over the age of 18 year living with a disability to complete our anonymous survey, or schedule an online/in-person interview to have your voice heard.

For more information & to access the survey 🔗https://activedisability.ie/research-social-participation-in-sport-and-active-recreation-among-adults-with-disabilities-in-ireland/

💬 To schedule an interview, contact our Insights Officer Robert Purcell at [email protected]

Panel Announcement 📢 Active Disability Ireland National Conference Joining the CEO panel will be Active Disability Irela...
13/10/2026

Panel Announcement 📢 Active Disability Ireland National Conference

Joining the CEO panel will be Active Disability Ireland’s Brenda O’Donnell, Gavin MacLeod of Scottish Disability Sport, and Fiona Reid of Disability Sport Wales to explore the theme of ‘Openness’. The panel will delve into the importance of leading by example and maintaining an open mindset within senior leadership teams to set the example across the organisations and their wider network.

Drawing on their experiences across Ireland, Scotland and Wales, the three CEOs will share perspectives on the current disability sport landscape in their respective countries, highlighting the role of open leadership in driving progress, strengthening collaboration and advancing inclusion in sport and physical activity.

➡ ‘Openness’ is the first of five themes drawn from the Sport Inclusion Disability Charter that will guide discussions throughout the day.

Tickets now available 🔗 https://activedisability.ie/national-conference/

12/10/2026

Recap of our Training & Education Launch 🚀

Our new suite of workshops is now live ➡️ Access via the link in our bio.

✅ New workshops:
Autism in Sport
Disability Inclusion Training
Inclusive Fitness Training

NEW ➡ Training & Education Workshops 🧑‍💻Our suite of online workshops equip participants with the knowledge, competence ...
12/10/2026

NEW ➡ Training & Education Workshops

🧑‍💻Our suite of online workshops equip participants with the knowledge, competence and practical skills to confidently include people with disabilities in sport and physical activity.

🔎Each interactive workshop has been co-designed with people with disabilities, ensuring lived experience is at the heart of our approach.

💁Our workshops are suitable for parents, teachers, coaches, volunteers, coaching administration staff, healthcare workers, fitness professionals or individuals working in the sport, health, education or community sectors.

➡ Available workshops:
Disability Inclusion (Introduction) | 45 - 60 minutes
Autism in Sport | 3 hours
Disability Inclusion Training | 3 hours
Inclusive Fitness Training | 3 hours

Find workshops & access our Learning Hub 🔗 https://activedisability.ie/training/

To wrap up a day of discussion and reflection, MC Rob Hartnett shared the key sentiment of the day:💬 “Today was one of l...
09/10/2026

To wrap up a day of discussion and reflection, MC Rob Hartnett shared the key sentiment of the day:

💬 “Today was one of learning and taking the next steps towards a truly inclusive sporting and wider society. It won’t happen overnight, but it might not happen at all without taking the time to be purposeful about how we can educate ourselves in the areas that make us champions of inclusion, in the approaches we make, the facilities we build, the language we use and the way we hold ourselves to account.”

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to everyone who joined us on the day, to our partners who are working to create environments where people with disabilities can participate and belong, and to all of the speakers who shared their insights and experiences across our panels.

📢 Training & Education Launch and Xcessible Gold 📢 (2/2) We welcomed Sport Ireland’s Declan O’Leary to the launch, who s...
08/10/2026

📢 Training & Education Launch and Xcessible Gold 📢 (2/2)

We welcomed Sport Ireland’s Declan O’Leary to the launch, who spoke on the wider contribution of the milestone to the sport sector, sharing:

💬 “These workshops will contribute to Building Capacity in the sector by allowing volunteers and professionals to learn at a pace, place, and time that suits them as individuals. In turn, by applying this new, practical knowledge, they can provide positive, meaningful movement experiences to each person with a disability that they coach, lead, or instruct.”

➡ Our second panel of the day announced the Xcessible Gold Award, the highest standard of the Xcessible Programme. The pathway is designed to support National Governing Bodies and Local Sports Partnerships in embedding a culture of inclusion at the highest level within their organisations.

Speaking on the announcement, Oisín Jordan (Special Olympics Ireland), Xcessible Panel Chairperson, shared:

💬 “At the heart of Xcessible is a simple ambition: that people with disabilities can access quality sporting opportunities in their own communities and feel that they truly belong. The Gold Xcessible Award is the final step in an organisation’s inclusive journey that recognises NGBs and LSPs that are showing real leadership in making inclusion part of everyday practice, building the knowledge, confidence and structures that will help create lasting change across Irish sport.”

The launch was concluded by Active Disability Ireland Chairperson, Brian O’Callaghan, who echoed the importance of collaboration across the sector, the real-life impact of the Training & Education initiatives as they are applied in clubs and local communities, and the life-changing nature of sport in the lives of people with disabilities.

📢 Training & Education Launch 📢 (1/2) Active Disability Ireland was delighted to host the launch of our new Training & E...
08/10/2026

📢 Training & Education Launch 📢 (1/2)

Active Disability Ireland was delighted to host the launch of our new Training & Education Framework at the Sport Ireland Campus earlier this week. The launch marks an important milestone for the organisation, with the provision of three online workshops designed to support coaches, volunteers, parents and people working across the sector to deliver sport and physical activity sessions to people with disabilities.

CEO Brenda O'Donnell opened the launch, reflecting on the journey of developing the workshops and emphasising the focus on creating an accessible, robust and sustainable Training & Education Framework to drive the organisation's vision of creating an Ireland where people with disabilities have equal opportunities to be active.

MC Rob Hartnett guided us through the morning, chairing a panel with Anna O'Connor (Training & Education Development Lead) and Dr Sharon Kinsella (Programme Director, SETU), who spoke on the importance of co-designing the workshops with people with disabilities and people working in the sector to capture their lived experience and ensure the workshops reflect the needs of the people they aim to support. The conversation centred around the consultation and collaborative process of developing the workshops and the importance of open conversations throughout these processes.

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📢 Active Disability Ireland launches a suite of training & education workshops to provide accessible disability inclusio...
06/10/2026

📢 Active Disability Ireland launches a suite of training & education workshops to provide accessible disability inclusion education to all.

💬 Active Disability Ireland CEO, Brenda O’Donnell welcomed the launch, sharing: “Today marks an important milestone for Active Disability Ireland and for the continued development of our Training and Education Framework. These new workshops represent a significant investment in building the knowledge, confidence and capacity of those delivering sport and physical activity opportunities across Ireland. By making high-quality, accessible education available across the sector, we are helping to create environments where people with disabilities can participate, belong and thrive. This launch is only the beginning. We are committed to working with partners across the sector to build a more inclusive sporting landscape, where people with disabilities have equal opportunities to be active, achieve their potential and experience all the benefits that sport and physical activity can offer.”

Read the full story now 🔗 activedisabilityireland.ie

Address

Active Disability Ireland, Kerry Sports Academy, MTU North Campus
Tralee
V92HD4V

Telephone

353667145646

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