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June 2026: Message from the CEO
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June has been a month of milestones for DFI, from a landmark UN conference to the launch of our Pre-Budget Submission. I am proud of what our network has achieved together.
I was honoured to be part of the Irish Delegation to the UN Conference of States Parties to the CRPD in New York. Sitting in that room, the framing of disability rights as human rights ran through every session, shifting the conversation from charity towards obligations and accountability.
Ireland's upcoming EU Council Presidency gives us a real opportunity to mainstream disability rights across a full programme of work, and we will be pushing hard to make sure that opportunity is not wasted.
Our AGM on 24 June was another highlight. Sinéad Burke's keynote reminded us all that compliance is the floor, not the ceiling, and her challenge to build genuine, ambitious accessibility has stayed with me since. It was also a chance to adopt our Annual Report 2025 and hear directly from members about what collective action means in practice, from small volunteer-led charities to national alliances.
Make Way Day 2026 saw communities right across the country turn out in force, from a launch in Carlow to a protest in Kilkenny and follow-up coverage in Cork. Moving the campaign to May gave the issue clear air ahead of the Budget, and the response shows just how much energy there is for tackling everyday obstacles to accessibility.
Most significantly, we launched our Pre-Budget Submission 2027, "The least we can expect." Budget 2027 arrives at a genuine turning point, with the National Human Rights Strategy published and Ireland preparing for its first UN hearing on disability rights. This is the first real test of whether Government will deliver, and I would encourage everyone to read the submission, share it, and contact your local TDs using our communications toolkit.
Alongside all of this, our policy team has continued pushing on Cost of Disability, energy poverty and the review of the Disability Act 2005, and I want to thank everyone who contributed to what has been an extraordinary month.
There is much more in this issue, and I hope you find it useful. I look forward to continuing this work together.
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Elaine Teague CEO
Disability Federation of Ireland
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Spotlight
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UN COSP: disability rights are human rights
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DFI was part of the Irish Delegation to the UN Conference of States Parties to the CRPD (COSP) in New York. Our CEO Elaine Teague shared a reflective piece on what she took from the conference. Some of the hiighlights include:
Disability rights are human rights
That framing ran through the whole conference, shifting the conversation from charity and welfare towards obligations, accountability and full inclusion across health, education, employment and housing.
Ireland's EU Council Presidency is a real opportunity
Rather than confining disability to a single conference, the Presidency gives Ireland the chance to mainstream disability rights across its full programme, and Ireland will be assessed on exactly this through the EU Presidency Scorecard.
Progress is real, but it is not arrival
Steps like the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act, the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People and Ireland's signing of the Optional Protocol matter. The gap between what the Convention requires and what disabled people experience day to day remains significant.
Technology cuts both ways
Assistive technology and AI offer real opportunity, from device lending schemes to accessible training, but cost, privacy and disinformation risks fall hardest on people who are already in vulnerable situations.
Conflict was named directly
Sessions on disability in Sudan, Gaza and Ukraine were honest and difficult to hear, and Ireland announced additional funding for the Global Disability Fund in response.
Read Elaine's full reflection here.
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"Compliance is the floor, not the ceiling": Sinéad Burke headlines DFI AGM 2026
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Tilting the Lens founder Sinéad Burke delivered a masterclass in disabled leadership at the DFI's Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 24 June 2026 at the Academy Plaza Hotel, Dublin. Members gathered to review the year's work and adopt the Annual Report 2025, before a wide-ranging afternoon conversation in which Burke urged the sector to move beyond compliance towards genuine, ambitious accessibility.
A masterclass in disabled leadership
DFI Director of Advocacy Emer Begley welcomed Sinéad, an educator, writer, broadcaster and global advocate whose consultancy works with brands including Gucci, Ralph Lauren, Netflix, Pinterest and Starbucks. Sinéad spoke about her personal connection to DFI's work, having grown up in a household of advocates. Her parents founded Little People of Ireland in 1997 and ran it voluntarily, giving her first-hand understanding of the sacrifices, good intentions and lack of resources that advocacy demands.
Asked what gives her hope, Sinéad pointed to progress, including government taking a human rights-based approach to strategy and policy, something she called a pipe dream a decade ago, while cautioning that the sector is still "filling the potholes of 20 years ago." Her central challenge to the room was that society continues to hold a low level of ambition for disabled people, and that the task ahead is not only to solve the past but to build the infrastructure for the future.
A recurring theme was the gap between compliance and genuine accessibility. She argued that compliance is the floor, not the ceiling, and that a compliance mindset too often places the burden on disabled people to identify problems without any commitment to fixing them. She drew on her consultancy's work across the built environment, workplace culture, and product and service design, emphasising her belief that lived experience is intellectual property.
Through many examples, from an office building where evacuation lifts and a Changing Places bathroom were secured beyond the requirements of compliance, to the inaccessibility of new car designs and electric vehicle chargers, Sinéad made the case that accessibility requires disabled leadership in every room and every conversation. She described accessibility as being like a sandcastle: without constant building and attention, the tide simply washes it away. Culture, she argued, is not a set of principles but a set of consistent actions.
Responding to audience questions on remote work, tokenism, organisational culture and advocacy burnout, she spoke with striking honesty about the personal toll of public life and the importance of celebrating progress while continuing to push for change. She closed with an invitation to keep working together, sharing research and learning so the sector can move forward faster.
A year of advocacy, reviewed
Earlier in the day, CEO Elaine Teague introduced DFI's Annual Report 2025, guiding members through the organisation's progress over the past year.
She highlighted DFI's continued investment in member supports, the launch of a new eLearning programme on Disability Equality and Awareness, the Emergency Winter Payment Campaign, and the development of DFI's Pre-Budget Submission for Budget 2027, "The Least We Can Expect."
Closing her address, she told members: "Together we can ensure that the rights of disabled people are not just recognised but realised."
Members share their stories
A highlight of the morning was a panel in which DFI members shared their experience of working with the Federation over the past year.
The panel brought together four very different perspectives: Carol Brill, Founder and Chair of Usher Syndrome Ireland; Alison Ryan, CEO of Cork Centre for Independent Living; Richard Stables, Information and Support Manager at Headway Ireland, and Alison Cotter, Advocacy and Research Officer at MS Ireland.
Alison Cotter spoke about the power of collective action.
She described how advocacy can feel like pushing a boulder uphill. Progress can be slow, and change can be hard to achieve. Having a space like the DFI Policy and Advocacy Forum is crucial. It provides not just an opportunity to align on key priorities, but also a sense of shared purpose and momentum.
Carol Brill spoke movingly about the realities facing small, volunteer-led charities, including managing family breakdowns, mental health crises and complex rare-disease issues without professional resources or the manpower of larger organisations.
She credited DFI with being a voice for her community when the capacity simply wasn't there, and praised the support DFI provides around governance, compliance and connecting small charities to others who have faced similar challenges.
Alison Ryan described how DFI helped bring Ireland's 17 Centres for Independent Living together into the National Alliance for CILs.
By securing and administering Training Links funding through The Wheel, DFI gave the centres a shared focus around sustainability, leadership and strategic planning and the structure needed to build trust and stay the course.
She noted that collective working is not always easy, but that the resulting alliance now carries real weight on issues such as the future of Personal Assistance services, strengthened further by data from DFI's member survey.
Richard Stables outlined his operational work with DFI on the implementation of New Directions standards for adult day services, working alongside the HSE and DFI's Cathy McGrath.
He described the value of sitting in the room to test how policy will work in practice, keeping the process transparent and bringing members' real-world concerns to the table, a bi-directional flow of information that ensures members are briefed and the HSE is held to account.
Drawing the threads together, DFI CEO Elaine Teague reflected on connection, credibility and mandate, shared advocacy, and practical supports. She remarked that what came through most strongly was the power of the collective and the value of being part of a national conversation broader than any single organisation, town or issue.
Looking ahead
Bringing the day to a close, DFI thanked Sinéad Burke for a superb and generous contribution, looking ahead to future collaborations, and left members with a question to carry forward: how can each of us move one step from where we are, so that small steps together create real change in the right direction?
Thanks to all members who attended, to the panellists who shared their stories, and to Sinéad Burke and Tilting the Lens.
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Make Way Day 2026
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Friday 29 May marked Make Way Day 2026. Make Way Day is a national campaign, held annually to highlight the everyday obstacles that make public spaces harder to navigate for people with disabilities. Obstacles may include cars parked on footpaths, wheelie bins left out, overgrown hedges and sandwich boards outside shops.
This year's campaign took place on a new date. We moved it from its traditional late September slot to give the issue of accessibility clear air away from the Budget, with the added bonus of better weather for outdoor accessibility audits. Members, partners and the public turning out in strength across the country.
Local activists marked the day with action across the country.
Carlow leads the way
While the day's energy was visible at events around the country,
Carlow led the way with a launch event at Carlow County Council alonside local community groups including:
- Carlow Public Participation Network (PPN)
- Carlow Centre for Independent Living,
- Delta Sensory Gardens
- Special Olympics Ireland.
Dublin PPN
Dublin PPN's Disability Thematic Group marked the day with an event at Finglas Youth Resource Centre, forming part of Dublin City's "A Thriving City for All Festival 2026", which shines a light on barriers to social inclusion for people with disabilities and other communities across the city.
Kilkenny turned awareness into direct action.
Kilkenny Access Group staged a demonstration at MacDonagh Train Station, focused on a lift that has never worked since it was installed during the shopping centre development in 2007. The protest called for the lift to be brought into service, drawing local media coverage of both the demonstration and the wider Carlow and Kilkenny activity.
Offaly's county council backed the message directly
Offaly County Council asked residents to keep footpaths clear of cars, vans, wheelie bins, kegs, sandwich boards, overgrown hedges and bikes tied to railings, framing it as a simple way for the county to work together on accessibility.
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown tied the day to longer-term work
The council marked Make Way Day alongside members of its Disability Consultation Group, which brings together Enable Ireland, the Irish Wheelchair Association and Vision Ireland. An Cathaoirleach Jim Gildea and chief executive Frank Curran both spoke about accessibility as a shared responsibility, and the council pointed to a new Access Strategy currently in development.
Cork kept the conversation going after the day itself
In a follow-up Irish Examiner column, Michael Moynihan spoke with Johnny Murphy, chair of the Cork Access Group, who said the city has lost roughly ten disabled parking bays in recent years, between pedestrianisation on Tuckey Street and changes on the South Mall and Morrison's Island.
He pointed to MacCurtain Street as proof of what's possible when accessibility is built in from the start, contrasting it with Bishop Lucey Park, where the Cork Access Group wasn't consulted during a €7 million redevelopment that he says now excludes wheelchair users on its stone surfacing.
This only scratches the surface of the incredible support form local authorities, community organisations and individuals across the country.
Additional content
Nationally, DFI CEO Elaine Teague featured in a video marking the day, and our press release carried the voice of disability advocate Gary Kearney, grounding the campaign's core message in lived experience. He reiterated that this isn't about pointing fingers at any individual, but about asking everyone to pause and consider whether something as small as a wheelie bin or an A-board is getting in someone's way.
See Make Way Day 2026 campaign video here:
See Elaine's video here:
Looking ahead
Make Way Day only works because of the people who show up for it, including local councils, PPNs, CILs, member organisations and individual advocates who took the time to get out, spot an obstacle, and share it.
Thank you to everyone who made this year's campaign a success.
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Pre-Budget Submission 2027: The least we can expect
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DFI has launched its Pre-Budget Submission 2027, "The least we can expect", setting out what is needed, and why 2027 is the moment Government must deliver on the promises it has made.
A turning point
Budget 2027 arrives at a turning point. The National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People has been published, Ireland is preparing for its first UN hearing on disability rights, and after decades of advocacy a Cost of Disability payment is finally on the horizon. This progress is hard-won. This is the first real test of whether Government will deliver across every Department.
A whole-of-Government response
The barriers facing disabled people don't respect departmental boundaries. Housing, health, transport, income, employment and community inclusion are deeply interconnected. Progress in one depends on action in another.
Two changes cut across everything. Accessibility and Universal Design must be built in from the outset, not bolted on afterwards. And Disabled Persons' Organisations must be properly funded.
Why this matters now
Disabled people face extra costs of between €11,046 and €15,617 every year, while Disability Allowance remains over €100 a week below the poverty line. Two-thirds of disability services are delivered by voluntary organisations, many of them under serious financial pressure. And the everyday reality remains far from the equality the State has committed to.
Our priorities
The submission sets out priorities across:
- Disability services and supports
- Mainstream healthcare
- The Cost of Disability and poverty
- Community inclusion and transport
- Housing.
Crucially, these asks are informed by DFI's work with members throughout the year, shaped by consultations, surveys, and the lived experience of the disabled people, families and frontline staff our members support every day.
As the Tánaiste himself put it, the least disabled people can expect is the same access to services and supports as everyone else. Budget 2027 must make that real.
Read the full submission here.
Get involved
1. Read the submission.
2. Share it across your networks using #TheLeastWeCanExpect #DisabilityBudget27.
3. Contact your local TDs: our communications toolkit includes ready-to-go social posts, template letters and a full list of TDs (including email and X handles) by constituency.
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Actioning Advocacy
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DFI in Conversation with Social Democrats
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Social Democrats disability spokesperson Liam Quaide TD speaking DFI's Emergency Disability Payment protest at Leinster House in Decemeber 2025.
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Director of Advocacy Emer Begley and Policy Advocacy Manger Fleachta met with the Social Democrats policy team, and Eoin Hayes, Social Protection spokesperson and Liam Quaide, Disability spokesperson.
It was a timely discussion, taking place just before the publication of our Pre-Budget Submission and while the Social Democrats were developing their own alternative budget.
We had a wide-ranging discussion on a number of issues. It was an opportunity to brief the Deputies on issues of concern including the cost of disability, sustainability of voluntary organisations in our members as well as local implementation of the UN CRPD.
We stressed also the need for transparency in budget decision-making and within the budget announcement.
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National Economic Dialogue
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The National Economic Dialogue (NED) is an important date in the budget calendar as an opportunity for social dialogue between the State, government departments, ministers and civil society.
DFI's Director of Advocacy, Emer Begley and Policy Advocacy Manager, Fleachta Phelan attended NED on 5 June. They joined colleagues from the sector, raising issues of concern for citizens across the State.
Disability on the agenda
The Taoiseach opened the event, speaking to issues of financial sustainability, and a stronger and fairer Ireland as drivers for Budget 2027. Disability was a feature throughout the day, referenced by multiple government ministers and came up as an issue in a number of the afternoon's workshops.
DFI's Input from the floor
Emer gave an input from the floor addressing the Tánaiste Simon Harris and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Jack Chambers, noting the importance of this year, as the 20th anniversary of United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD)
She stressed that disability is mainstream, of relevance to all government departments and highlighted a number of key asks which are embedded within our pre-budget submission, including addressing the cost of disability as well as providing sustainability for voluntary organisations, securing their financial base for continuity and development of critical community supports.
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Members Newsfeed
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Special Olympics Ireland marks 40 years with historic Summer Games
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DFI member, Special Olympics Ireland, delivered a landmark in June with the return of the Ireland Summer Games, the country's largest inclusive sporting event, marking the 40th anniversary of Special Olympics in Ireland and the first national games staged since 2018.
Some 1,277 athletes with intellectual disabilities took part, ranging in age from seven to their seventies, competing across 12 sports in nine venues, from athletics and swimming to basketball, football, golf, gymnastics and kayaking.
The achievements went well beyond medals. Dara Kiernan, competing in badminton for the second time, spoke of the excitement of meeting and competing with athletes from all over Ireland. Limerick City's team of 20 athletes returned home to a hero's welcome, having won 37 medals, one of many clubs nationwide celebrating strong performances.
Special Olympics Ireland CEO Karen Coventry, marking 24 years of involvement with the Games, spoke of the professional and personal privilege of being part of the event, while President Catherine Connolly praised the organisation's wonderful impact on Irish sport and its influence far beyond it.
As one club put it, the Games were about lifelong memories, strengthened friendships and every athlete getting the chance to shine. Special Olympics Ireland supports almost 8,000 athletes annually, empowering them to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage and share their gifts with their communities.
We want to congratulate all the athletes, coaches, volunteers and families behind such a remarkable year.
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Another Busy Month on Cost of Disability
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It's been another packed month of activity on Cost of Disability. Here's where things stand.
Reflecting together as members
We gathered as members to reflect collectively on our experience of the Cost of Disability Summit. We're now planning to write to the Department of Social Protection to share member feedback and concerns about the summit, and to set out what we think should happen next.
Our Budget 2027 submission
We made a detailed Budget submission to the Department of Social Protection, bringing together the most recent data, evidence and research alongside a series of solution-oriented recommendations for progress across a range of issues in Budget 2027. You can read our Budget submission to the Department of Social Protection here.
We'll be attending the Department's annual Pre-Budget Forum, and we'll report back next month.
All-Island workshop on Cost of Disability
We attended a workshop on Cost of Disability convened by the All-Island Social Security Network, bringing together academics, policy analysts and people with lived experience to share reflections on Cost of Disability supports, or the lack of them, in both the Republic and Northern Ireland. We had an interesting discussion about what a whole-island Cost of Disability payment might look like.
Bilateral meeting with the Department
We attended the bi-annual bilateral meeting between the Community and Voluntary Pillar, for which DFI is the disability member, and the Department of Social Protection.
Issues raised included the Cost of Disability process, the Department-wide means-testing review, social cohesion, the new Roadmap for Social Inclusion, energy poverty, income disregards, and the forthcoming EU presidency.
In our input, we asked about the follow-up report due in July on the Cost of Disability summit and consultation. We emphasised the need for the report to be published, and for further consultation to take place on the key recommendations.
Find out more
Our Cost of Disability summary and detailed submission are available here.
Our DSP Budget submission is available here.
If you'd like to stay actively up to date on this area of work, drop a line to Fleachta Phelan at fleachtaphelan@disability-federation.ie.
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Pushing for action on energy poverty
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Towards the end of May, DFI joined the Irish Wheelchair Association at a focused afternoon workshop in the Department of Climate, Energy and Environment, hosted by the secretariat of the National Energy Affordability Taskforce.
The engaged, interactive session brought together a range of civil society organisations, the Citizens Information Board and Department officials, with a focus on tackling energy poverty in the short, medium and long term, across social protection and income supports, customer protection, and energy and retrofitting.
We used the opportunity to highlight the particular difficulties disabled people face, including higher energy consumption combined with lower incomes, and supports that are not fully protecting people from price rises and arrears.
We again stressed the need for action. This includes emergency supports for people who are struggling right now, and for careful targeting of the groups most at risk. We emphasises that this needs to be addresssed both in the forthcoming Budget and in longer-term measures.
We carried the same message into our recent bilateral with the Department of Social Protection. Alongside other organisations, we emphasised the Department's important role in providing the Fuel Allowance and other supports, and the need for it to be actively involved in energy poverty work, even while that work is led by the Department of Climate, Energy and Environment. We hope to follow up on this in the coming months.
We've also updated our analysis of the energy poverty context in our Budget 2027 submission to the Department of Social Protection, see pages 14–17 and 20–21.
Have your say
The CRU public consultation on Protecting and Supporting Customers Facing Sustained High Energy Prices has been extended until Friday 3 July.
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DFI attends launch of new report on the Disability Act 2005
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We were at the launch of The Disability Act 2005 at 21: Reflecting, Reforming, Reimagining, a significant new report from Professor Shivaun Quinlivan and Dr Charles O'Mahony of the School of Law at the University of Galway. DFI was glad to be at the launch.
The report arrives at a pivotal moment. The Government has committed to reviewing and reforming the Disability Act 2005 in consultation with stakeholders, and the public consultation is now open. This report offers a clear, evidence-based contribution to that conversation.
Marking twenty years since the Act was enacted, the research draws on three sources of evidence: a structured legal and policy review, a national conference held at the University of Galway in December 2025, and a national survey that gathered 156 responses from disabled people, family members, advocates, professionals, and policymakers.
A consistent message runs through the findings. While the Act was presented as a landmark when it was introduced, it provides a right to an Assessment of Need without a corresponding right to the services that assessment identifies. Respondents repeatedly described a gap between what the law promises and what people actually receive, with assessments often leading to delay rather than support.
Of those surveyed, only a small minority viewed the Act as effective in protecting the rights of disabled people, and there was overwhelming support for comprehensive, rights-based reform aligned with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD).
The report also examines accessibility and the Access Officer role, public sector employment targets, enforcement and complaints mechanisms, and the work of the Centre for Excellence in Universal Design. Across each area, the same pattern emerges: obligations without enforceable outcomes, and commitments without accountability.
Crucially, respondents were clear that disabled people must lead the reform process, not simply be consulted on it. The principle of "nothing about us without us" features throughout, framed not as a slogan but as a democratic and human rights imperative.
The report sets out a series of recommendations for legislative reform, including converting Assessment of Need into an enforceable entitlement, strengthening independent oversight and enforcement, embedding CRPD principles in the text of the Act, and expanding the meaningful participation of Disabled Persons' Organisations.
It is a timely and important read for anyone working in or affected by disability policy in Ireland.
Have your say
With that public consultation now open, the next article sets out the full detail of how the Government's review will work, and how you can take part.
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Events and Consultations
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Government launches public consultation on Disability Act review
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The Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley, and Minister of State for Disability, Emer Higgins, have launched a public consultation to inform a review of the Disability Act 2005. This is the first update to the Act in over 20 years.
Disabled people, their families, carers and representative groups are invited to submit their views, experiences and expertise as part of the process.
The review will examine the Act in light of Ireland's obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD), which Ireland ratified in 2018. It will also consider the Programme for Government commitment to place an autism strategy on a legislative footing.
The Disability Act covers a wide range of areas including the definition of disability, assessment of needs, accessible public buildings, universal design, employment, and the use of genetic data.
Submissions are open until 9 September 2026 and are accepted in writing (email or post), as well as audio and video format. Accessible formats are available including ISL video, Easy-to-Read, screen reader-friendly and braille on request.
Consultation events will follow later in 2026, alongside international research into good practice on embedding UNCRPD obligations into domestic law.
Find out more about the Act and submision process.
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Access Media: A series on Disabled Representation in the Irish Media
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Calling all media and communications professionals!
Would you like to learn more about how you can make Irish media more inclusive when it comes to the representation of disabled people?
The Disability Participation News Hub are delighted to once again join forces with Disabled Women Ireland, with the support of Coimisiún na Meán, to raise awareness about how disabled people are represented in Irish media, and how we can all play a part in creating change.
Our Access Media Series aims to connect you with disabled people working behind the scenes, on our screens, and across all forms of media, on the challenges and opportunities in accessing and working in these spaces, and what can be done to further inclusion and representation.
Sessions will take place online from July to November 2026, featuring webinars and panels where you can learn more on the following topics:
- Session 1: Language and Ethical Storytelling
- Session 2: Accessing Production Spaces in Ireland as a Disabled Person
- Session 3: Representation of Disabled People in Irish Journalism
- Session 4: Representation of Disabled People in Irish Film, TV and Broadcast Media
- Session 5: Misinformation and Disinformation in the Media – The Impact on Disabled People.
ISL interpretation will be available for each session.
Register via Eventbrite and spread the word with your networks!
Keep an eye on our social media for speaker updates and highlights.
This series is supported by Coimisiún na Meán.
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Making Waves for Inclusion:
Watersports Inclusion Games 2026 Launches in Galway
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The 2026 Watersports Inclusion Games were launched at Galway Hooker Sailing Club by Councillor Helen Obgu, member of Galway City Council and Games Ambassador Mark Henderson. The event, set to take place in Galway on 11 and 12 July 2026, is a free event celebrating watersports for people of all abilities from the physical, sensory, intellectual and learning spectrums, and of all ages and demographics.
First run in 2017, this year’s event will take place in the Port of Galway with bases at the Galway Sea Scouts Den and the Galway Hooker Sailing Club located the New Docks. There will be sailing, kayaking, canoeing, water skiing, fast boat rides and a sensory area. 400 participants and 300 volunteers are expected to take part across the weekend.
The Watersports Inclusion Games is a national event which aims to make watersports a more inclusive and accessible place for all. It is organised by Irish Sailing in association with Canoeing Ireland and Galway Local Sports Partnership along with Galway Sea Scouts, Galway Hooker Sailing Club, Galway City Sailing Club and Galway Bay Sailing Club.
The event is supported with activities by Sailing into Wellness, Diving Ireland and Kinsale Outdoor Education Centre. Offering further support are numerous local and national organisations including Safe Haven Sailing and clubs and training centres from around the country who will support the event with resources, volunteers, instructors and facilitators.
The games, a regular landmark occasion kicking off the summer watersports calendar, are the product of ongoing inclusion training and awareness drives being activated by the organising bodies in line with Sport Ireland’s Policy on Participation in Sport by People with Disabilities and are enabled by grant funding from Sport Ireland.
Irish Sailing are also delighted to welcome Mezzino as accommodation partner for the Games. Mezzino Student Living is one of the leading providers of purpose built student accommodation across Ireland and the UK and are offering discounted rates for those attending the Watersports Inclusion Games.
For further information or images from the launch please contact Irish Sailing Communications on louise.kane@sailing.ie or 086 701 3610
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An Eye on Europe
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New air passenger rights regulation: big wins for persons with disabilities
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The revised regulation on air passenger rights, provisionally agreed by the EU Institutions on 15 June, brings significant improvements for passengers with disabilities.
We are pleased that the final text is significantly better at protecting the rights of passengers with disabilities than current regulations. We especially welcome:
- The obligation for airlines to pay for the full cost of replacement for lost or damaged mobility equipment and compensation for injured assistance dogs. This is a marked improvement over the current law, where legal liability was capped to around 3,000 euros, far short of the real cost for repairing and replacing most wheelchairs and other mobility equipment.
- The obligation for airlines to provide temporary replacement at no cost if the person's equipment gets lost or damaged or compensation for temporary issues caused by injured assistance dogs.
- The right of compensation and rerouting when passengers with disabilities miss a flight due to the lack or delay in the provision of assistance.
- The possibility for passengers with disabilities to sit with their accompanying person free of charge.
These new provisions are sorely needed, as the European Disability Forum's recent report shows that nearly 7 in 10 people with disabilities consider they are discriminated against when flying.
However, some of our demands remain unmet:
- Clearly prohibit denial of boarding on the grounds of disability.
- Uphold the right for persons with disabilities to travel without ‘needing approval’ (no prenotification requirements).
- Ensure the mutual recognition of assistance dogs throughout the EU.
We now expect the European Council and the Parliament to finally approve the deal quickly, and we will advocate for a swift and equal implementation of the new law.
Gunta Anca, the President of the European Disability Forum, said:
“This is excellent news for passengers with disabilities, who often live ‘waking nightmares’ when flying. We commend these improvements but will continue to advocate for true equal access for all.”
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In the news: DFI and members making headlines
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This segment shines a light on DFI and our members making waves in the media, locally and nationally.
Every month, we’ll highlight interviews, articles, and appearances that showcase the incredible work happening across our network. Whether it’s championing rights, sharing lived experience, or shaping policy, our members are leading the conversation, and we’re here to amplify it.
Our media scanning isn't perfect, so if you were in the media over the last month and don't see your segment here, send Tom a link and we'll include it next month!
DFI
Ability West
Acquired Brain Injury Ireland
ADHD Ireland
Alcohol Forum
Arthritis Ireland
Association of Occupational Therapists of Ireland (AOTI)
Autism Support Louth and Meath
Bluestack Special Needs Foundation Ltd
Care Alliance Ireland
Childvision
Cork Stroke Support
Crann Centre CLG
DEBRA Ireland
Down Syndrome Ireland
Dyslexia Ireland
Enable Ireland
Family Carers Ireland
FASD Ireland
Galway Autism Partnership (GAP)
Galway Rural Development
HAIL (Housing Association for Integrated Living)
Inspire Wellbeing
Irish Guide Dogs for The Blind
Irish Heart Foundation
Irish Kidney Association
Irish Lung Fibrosis Association (ILFA)
Irish Wheelchair Association
Lakers Sport and Recreation Club
Mayo Autism Camp
Multiple Sclerosis Society of Ireland
Neurological Alliance of Ireland
Parkinson’s Ireland
Positive Futures
Special Olympics Ireland
Spinal Injuries Ireland
Vision Ireland
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The DFI Podcast
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The DFI podcast
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You can find all episodes of The DFI Podcast on Spotify and on our website, where you can also subscribe to future episodes.
If you would like to get in touch with us about the podcast email info@disability-federation.ie. You can find out more about the DFI on our website www.disability-federation.ie.
The DFI Podcast is sponsored by TTM Healthcare.
Our podcast is sponsored by TTM Healthcare.
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For more on all of the content featured in our newsletter see www.disability-federation.ie.
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Copyright © 2024 Disability Federation of Ireland, All rights reserved.
Disability Federation of Ireland (DFI) is the national support organisation for voluntary disability organisations in Ireland who provide services to people with disabilities and disabling conditions.
Disability Federation of Ireland, Fumbally Court, Fumbally Lane, Dublin 8. Telephone: 01 4547978, Email: info@disability-federation.ie, Web: www.disability-federation.ie
Disability Federation of Ireland, is a company limited by guarantee not having share capital, registered in Dublin, Ireland with offices at Fumbally Court, Fumablly Lane, Dublin 8. Registration Number 140948, CHY No 6177
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