Our Mission
Our mission is to promote and strengthen the efforts of individuals, clubs, and organisations across Ireland to include people with childhood-onset disabilities.
We aim to achieve this by delivering and supporting empowering events and initiatives, and encouraging the long-term sustainability of these opportunities beyond EACD 2026.
Background
As part of EACD 2024, alongside the scientific congress which presented cutting-edge research on childhood-onset disability, the Bruges team developed a programme of activities that aimed to create a positive impact on people with disabilities in the local region.
The EACD 2026 team in Galway are continuing this legacy by providing opportunities for people with childhood-onset disabilities in Ireland to explore innovative sports and creative activities over the four days of the congress and beyond.
Along with scientific programme that will demonstrate innovative new research, the team have developed a social impact programme, The Every1Counts Hub. This hub includes an Experience Village on the University of Galway campus, for people with disabilities and their families to explore, and a National Call to Action to clubs, schools, businesses, and communities in Ireland to make one positive change for people with disabilities because #Every1Counts.
The Coordinators of this Social Impact Programme are Dr Hazel Killeen, President of EACD 2026, and Assistant Professor at University of Galway, and Margaret McGrath, EACD Local Organising Committee Member and Children's Disability Network Manager, Enable Ireland, Dublin. In partnership with Fáilte Ireland, the team will measure the social impact of the Every1Counts Hub during the four-day congress and the legacy it leaves into the future at a national level.
