Cavan Disability Network

10/10/2026

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To mark World Sight Day, Vision Ireland’s Book Bridge Project has converted another resource into accessible formats.

Alfie and the Magic White Stick by Julia & Sean Coupe, was created to help children explore sight loss and visual impairment through an engaging story. It is a heartwarming children's book that introduces young readers to visual impairment through the adventures of a young boy named Alfie.

Following their own experiences of sight loss and a rapid shift in their lives, the author and illustrator wanted to create something positive from the experience. They noticed how tools used for visual impairment, like the white stick, are often viewed solely through a medical lens. They wanted to reframe the white stick as a symbol of empowerment, adventure, and a new way of "seeing" for children.

The book focuses on friendship, building empathy, celebrating differences, and understanding that experiencing the world relies as much on feeling and intuition as it does on sight.

This work centres on a core philosophical question: What if seeing the world wasn't just about what you look at—but how you experience it? Reviews have highlighted its value in Social-Emotional Learning (SEL). Its gentle, heartfelt tone makes it a useful starting point for caregivers and teachers to spark early conversations about accessibility, disability, and the simple truth that "anything is possible" when children are given the right support.

We worked with the author and illustrator to convert this resource into braille and audio formats, to maximise the reach of this valuable resource.

The Book Bridge Project is a joint venture between Vision Ireland’s Counselling, Wellbeing & Emotional Support Service and Library Access Services. It has been made possible by generous funding from the Hospital Saturday Fund. For more information or to access the resources, visit www.vi.ie , email: [email protected] or call 1800 911 250

08/10/2026

08/10/2026

Multisport Inclusive Halloween Camp

From Tuesday October 27th to Thursday October 29th.

More info in Cavan Sports Partnership Facebook post.

🎃Multi-Sport Inclusive Halloween Camp🎃

Join us for a fun-filled Multisport Inclusive Halloween Camp, where children and teenagers with a disability can enjoy sport, games, and Halloween-themed activities in a welcoming and supportive environment.

This camp is designed to ensure everyone can participate, have fun, make friends, and develop new skills regardless of ability or experience.

🗓️Dates: Tuesday October 27th - Thursday October 29th
🕚Time: 11am - 1pm
📍Location: Cavan Leisure Centre
💰Cost: €20 per person
🔗Booking link: https://cavansportspartnership.ie/event/multi-sport-inclusive-halloween/

Please note:
• Cancellations made more than 48 hours before the programme start date/time are eligible for a full refund.
• Cancellations made less than 48 hours before the programme start date/time are non‑refundable.

This policy ensures fairness and allows us to manage scheduling, resources, and programme preparation effectively.

Cavan Swimming Pool & Leisure Complex Cavan Disability Network Cavan Autism Parents Support CLG

06/10/2026

In case you missed it: this one really matters.

The UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has published General Comment 11 on Article 29 of the UNCRPD.

So what does that actually mean?

A General Comment explains what an article of the UNCRPD means in practice and what States are expected to do to meet their obligations.

Article 29 is about our right as disabled people to participate fully in political and public life. That means voting, standing for election and participating in political life. But crucially, it also means our right to organise collectively through Disabled Persons Organisations (DPOs) and to have those organisations meaningfully involved in decisions that affect our lives.

General Comment 11 makes some things very clear.

Consultation cannot simply happen after decisions have effectively been made. DPOs need to be involved from the beginning and throughout the development, implementation and monitoring of policy.

Having one disabled person at a table is not automatically representative participation. Organisations speaking on behalf of disabled people cannot replace organisations led, directed and governed by disabled people themselves.

And meaningful participation needs to be properly resourced. States have a responsibility to create the conditions that allow independent DPOs to organise, develop our own analysis and participate effectively at local, national and international levels.

That is hugely important for Ireland.

ILMI contributed directly to the development of General Comment 11 through our submission to the UN Committee, drawing on our experience as a national DPO and the development of local DPOs across Ireland.

For us, this is about more than having a seat at a table. It is about power, representation and who gets to shape the decisions that affect disabled people’s lives.

Nothing About Us Without Us is not just a slogan. Article 29 gives it substance.

Read our full analysis of General Comment 11 and why it matters below 👇
https://ilmi.ie/ilmi-welcomes-uncrpd-committee-publication-of-general-comment-11-on-article-29-of-the-convention/



IMAGE: Bold ILMI graphic highlighting UNCRPD General Comment 11 and Article 29, the right of disabled people to participate in political and public life.

30/09/2026

🌿 Cavan Social Farming Awareness Week - event Monday 3rd October 💚

A great opportunity to learn more about Social Farming, the people involved, and the experiences and opportunities available on social farms.

👇 For full details on the upcoming open days, including how to book and get involved, see the post below on Social Farming Ireland's page.

30/09/2026

🏀 Inclusion Basketball Programme for children with additional needs starts Saturday 3rd October in Virginia Show Centre.

More information in Cavan Eagles Basketball Club's Facebook post

🏀 Inclusion Basketball is back! 🦅

Our Inclusion Basketball Programme for children with additional needs starts next Saturday.

📅 Saturday 3rd October

⏰ 11:00am – 11:45am

📍 Virginia Show Centre

New players are always welcome. Come along, have fun and be part of the Eagles family! 💙

For more information, please email our Secretary:

📧 [email protected]

30/09/2026

Irish Wheelchair Association
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Just weeks ago, Taoiseach Micheál Martin promised that a "groundbreaking" Cost of Disability payment would be introduced in Budget 2027. A week out, and Government sources are openly saying that the payment will "not meet the cost of disability" and that it will only represent a "small improvement" on the €500 and €400 'once-off' disability payments provided in recent budgets.
👉 The Government's own data has found that people with disabilities face additional costs ranging from €10,766 to €15,550 per year. People with disabilities have spent years campaigning for a Cost of Disability payment that would ease the financial burden they face, and we're long past the time for 'small improvements'.
👉 Reports also suggest that the payment will be made once or twice a year rather than weekly or monthly. People with disabilities have been clear from the outset that a Cost of Disability payment must be regular, predictable, and capable of helping people manage ongoing bills and everyday expenses. Structuring the payment in this way makes it look more like a continuation of once-off disability grants rather than a real Cost of Disability payment.
👉 We are once again calling on the Government to introduce a weekly Cost of Disability payment of €55 for people with disabilities in Budget 2027. This wouldn't even fully cover the extra costs people with disabilities face but would be a strong foundation upon which to build.

29/09/2026

The Cost of Disability doesn't arrive once a year. So a payment to meet it can't either.

Reporting ahead of Budget 2027 suggests that a Cost of Disability measure may come as one or two lump sum payments, rather than a recurring weekly payment. A lump sum, however welcome, doesn't reflect the reality it's meant to address.

The extra costs of disability are relentless and weekly. It's the heating that stays on longer, the equipment that has to run, the transport, the higher food bills. They land every week of the year, which is why the response has to be built the same way.

In our Pre-Budget Submission, we are calling for a recurring, universal Cost of Disability payment of €55 a week as an interim step, with a graduated scheme co-designed with disabled people over time.

A one-off recognises the problem. A recurring payment begins to meet it.

Read our pre-Budget submission: https://rebrand.ly/9j23yyk

28/09/2026

28/09/2026

‘I broke my elbow and both wrists due to roadworks on a footpath,’ one respondent to Vision Ireland survey said