Sligo Disabled Person's Organisation - DPO

26/12/2025

We were very happy to have a stand promoting ourselves at this intercultural celebration for International Migrant Day on 18 December. There are disabled people in Sligo of every culture, creed, sexual orientation and gender. Some of us are multiply marginalized. All are welcome in the Sligo DPO

26/12/2025

Nollaig shona daoibh as DPO Shligeach Éireann.

Merry Christmas, everyone! We hope this festive period brings you some peace, relaxation and joy.🎄

Nadolig Llawen, pawb! Rydym yn gobeithio bydd cyfnod yr ŵyl yn dod â chyfle i ymlacio, heddwch a llawenydd i chi.🎄

26/12/2025

Donegal DPO will be hitting the ground running in the new year.

Happy Christmas from Donegal DPO

The image below is a festive greeting on a red background with pine branches, baubles and festive lights. The text reads: "Happy Mid-Winter. We hope you all enjoy a refreshing festive break. We will be back to work with our first committee meeting at 2:30pm on January 8th. New members are always welcome
Email: DPO4Donegal@gmail.com". It is signed with the DPO logo and there are two stylised Christmas Trees one in each bottom corner.

22/12/2025

We had a great session last Thursday doing some diaability equality training with our new reps on the Sligo County Council Disability Consultative Commitee. We look forward to part two in the new year.

17/12/2025

Here is our Pippa 🔔

Pippa Black ILMI Community Development Worker

Pippa’s highlight was seeing the real impact of ILMI’s work. A DPO member said a peer group helped combat isolation, a support worker made the connection between capitalism and disability during training, and DPO members celebrated hearing the social model on the radio. These moments show connections are being made, solidarity is growing, and knowledge is spreading. Pippa loves watching disabled people share experiences, support each other, and take pride in our voices being heard. It is a reminder that change happens when people come together.



IMAGE: happy holiday postcard with holly and a photo of Pippa

17/12/2025

Here's our Peter🌲

Peter Kearns ILMI National DPO Coordinator

Staff Highlight of 2025: Peter spent 2025 supporting ILMI’s Local DPO Network, creating a space for disabled people to connect, share ideas, and influence policy. The network brings together DPOs from across Ireland to share what works in achieving the UNCRPD goals and the Human Rights National Disability Strategy. For Peter, it is about creating a fully disabled-led space where collective experience drives change. Sessions focus on peer learning, support, and collaboration. In 2026, there will be both online and in-person gatherings with themes set by the DPOs themselves. He sees disabled people leading change at every table and shaping policy from the ground up.



IMAGE: happy holiday postcard with holly and a photo of Peter

17/12/2025

That's our Aisling

Aisling Smith Community Development Worker

Aisling enjoyed the Real Talk series and of course the Local DPO Network meetings. She loved showing disabled people that their lived experience is powerful and that concepts like the social model are accessible. Seeing local DPO members take representative roles in councils and committees reinforced the importance of diverse voices in decision-making. Aisling is thrilled to support this growth and sees it as proof that representation matters. For her, every success is about collective action and building momentum.



IMAGE: happy holiday postcard with holly and a photo of Aisling

17/12/2025

While the issue of accessible car parking is back in the public eye, we would like to refer you to our video series "Navigating Ordinary Things in Sligo". Video 6 deals with both personal space and parking space. Video 3 deals with invisible impairments -- disabled people who may need but will likely not qualify for accessible parking spaces under the currrent scheme.

Video 3: https://youtu.be/aWStdjb0uJI?si=AEclhMe92Vp_c4dP
Video 6: https://youtu.be/o8WJ2Ui-Hds?si=J3nGm62CdMkQyBd3

This is the sixth and final of six videos in our "Navigating Ordinary Things" series. Here the DPO discusses our autonomy as disabled people and the importa...

16/12/2025

Congratulations to Dr James Casey, who was instrumental in establishing Sligo DPO in 2022 and who has continued to support our work ever since.

Celebrating Dr James Casey on His Appointment as Director of EAPN Ireland

IMAGE: photo of Dr James Casey

ILMI is delighted to extend our heartfelt congratulations to our former colleague, current ILMI Board Member and dear friend, Dr James Casey, on his appointment as Director of the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) Ireland. This is a huge and well-deserved achievement.

James has long been a powerful disabled activist with a rare combination of experience, vision, and integrity. He brings a deep understanding of how systems should work for people, not against them. His policy expertise, sharp analysis, and commitment to human rights have shaped so much of ILMI’s work over the years.

And anyone who has worked with James knows he brings not just brilliance, but humour, warmth, and a genuine sense of solidarity.
EAPN Ireland could not have chosen a stronger leader to guide its mission of putting the eradication of poverty at the centre of Irish and European policy. James’s leadership, insight, and lived experience will be an invaluable force for change at a crucial time for anti-poverty work.

We are incredibly proud of him, and we know he will bring his usual mix of passion, clarity, and strategic thinking to this new role.
Well done, James from all of us at ILMI. You’ll be amazing.

16/12/2025

One of the reasons we deliver Disability Equality Training to our members as well as to the broader community is that internalised oppression is real. The medical model blames disabled people for our oppression and some of us have internalised that blame. Disability Equality Training, refocuses the blame to the disabling system and builds solidarity.

Featuring Colm Whooley and Tom MorganEverything you wanted to know - Video ProjectILMI has created a new video series based on the glossary of terms in our c...

16/12/2025

We stand with Donegal DPO in the call for improved rail in the Northwest. We hope to see the full Western Rail Corridor connecting Galway and Limerick to Sligo, Donegal, Letterkenny and Derry.

A new rail strategy for the island of Ireland aims to cut journey times to below two hours between major cities. The infrastructure will be developed over the next five years. Today’s publication builds on recommendations from the All-Island Strategic Rail Review, aiming to cut travel times down b...

16/12/2025

The issue of policing accessible car parks is on the radar again. Recently, clamping was brought in. The difficulty with clamping is that it locks the car into place for even longer. Towing would be more effective.

Coming up on North West Today 9-11am;

- Disabled woman in her 60s appeals to councillors to sort out abuse of disabled parking spaces in Sligo Town

- Tubbercurry man John Murphy in race to become new President of the GAA

- Donegal Town businessman proposes solution to town's parking problems