Sports Inclusion Disability Programme (SIDP)

Sports Inclusion Disability Programme aims to increase the participation and engagement of people with disabilities in sport, fitness and physical activity within Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County. This is achieved through working in partnership with statutory agencies, sports clubs, community groups, facility providers, schools, disability service providers and people with disabilities. We do this by:

• Providing training programmes to volunteers, coaches, care staff etc. to improve access to sport for people with disabilities.
• Delivery of a wide range of inclusive events and sessions annually
• Provision of information and links on activities for people with disabilities

Gwen O’Looney is currently the Acting Sports Inclusion Disability Officer for Dun Laoghaire Rathdown. If you are a person with a disability and would like to get active, please contact Gwen on 01 271 9502 or email golooney@dlrcoco.ie

• Disability Summer Camps – delivered 5 weeks of inclusive camps on the water in Dun Laoghaire. Each week catering for a different disability type with a focus on children who would otherwise not have an opportunity (70 participants).
• Inclusive Bike Fleet – a free hire service of a fleet of bikes (trishaws, adult & kids trikes, tandem, handcycle, wheelchair bike) suitable for older adults and people with disabilities in Dun Laoghaire along the Coastal Mobility Route. Collaboration with DLRCC The Bike Hub and Cycling Without Age (470 bookings in 2022).
• Multi-Sports IWA Club – weekly activity club for children with a physical disability re-started. Partnership with IWA Sport and South Dublin LSP (22 participants).
• Poolpod – installation of a new hoist in dlr Leisure Loughlinstown to facilitate all abilities to access the pool which was launched in March (approx. 300 users).
• Happy Hooves – delivered a therapeutic horse-riding programme in Ballyowan Meadows (24 children).
• SwimAbility Programme – quite swim hours for children with additional needs in each of the 3 dlr Leisure pools in collaboration with DLR Co Co (623 visits).
• MayFest – supported Vision Sports Ireland in this national event.
• NRH Spinal Championships – supported this national event in Dun Laoghaire.
• Xcessible Award – working towards meeting the Bronze Award for inclusion of people with disabilities in sport through Active Disability Ireland.
• Hockey Inclusion Camps – collaboration with Hockey Ireland to deliver 2 weeks of disability camps in early August in 2 locations (36 participants).
• Multi-Sports Autism Camp – linked with Active Kids Academy to support delivery of a camp for children on the Autism Spectrum in Sandyford (32 kids)
• Choices For Health – programme for adults suffering mental ill-health with visits to dlr Leisure Monkstown (8 participants).
• Dublin SportsAbility Day – working with the other Dublin LSPs to organize a joint sports inclusion awareness/taster day in Abbotstown.