A look at our finalists in the Disability category
The introduction of the The Best initiative to promote Disability in Sport and Physical activity category at the Irish Sport Industry Awards marks an important milestone in recognising the organisations driving inclusive sport across Ireland.
A look at our finalists shows the depth of innovation, collaboration, and commitment across the sector. The strength of entries is a clear testament to the work being done to promote participation for all.
Finalists
Special Olympics Ireland – Transforming Lives Through Sport
Special Olympics Ireland delivers a lifelong, community-driven model of inclusive sport and wellbeing for people with intellectual disabilities across Ireland. Supporting more than 6,000 athletes through 236 clubs, the organisation provides structured pathways from grassroots participation to international competition. Its programmes include inclusive coaching, Unified Sports, school-based initiatives, and athlete leadership opportunities. A strong emphasis is placed on empowering athletes as coaches, officials, ambassadors, and advocates, ensuring lived experience is central to programme design and delivery.
Kildare Local Sports Partnership – Kildare Inclusivity Festival
The Kildare Inclusivity Festival is a large-scale, community-led initiative designed to promote inclusive participation in sport and physical activity for people of all abilities. Held at the Curragh Racecourse, the inaugural event welcomed over 6,000 attendees into a fully accessible environment featuring adapted sports, activity zones, demonstrations, and sensory-friendly spaces. Highlights included the Ability Games, which celebrated teamwork and participation among disability service providers. Delivered in partnership with local authorities and community organisations, the festival has quickly established itself as a scalable model for inclusive community sport.
Swim Ireland – Swim Access Project
The Swim Access Project is a disability-led initiative aimed at improving accessibility across swimming facilities nationwide. Developed in collaboration with people with disabilities, who acted as paid contributors and auditors, the project created Ireland’s first digital accessibility audit tool for swimming pools. Grounded in Universal Design principles, the tool assesses the entire swimmer journey—from arrival and changing facilities to pool access and emergency procedures. The project combines lived experience with practical data to support long-term improvements in accessibility standards and infrastructure.
Golf Ireland – Golf4All
Golf4All is Golf Ireland’s national inclusion programme designed to make golf accessible at every level of the game. Through Awareness Days, club supports, coaching initiatives, and structured pathways, the programme introduces people with disabilities to the sport and supports long-term participation. In 2025 alone, more than 1,400 participants were engaged through nationwide events. The initiative also includes accessibility audits, inclusion training for clubs, and bursaries for international competition, ensuring both grassroots and performance pathways are supported.
Liquid Therapy – Making Waves Project
The Making Waves Project, delivered by Liquid Therapy in partnership with the Child Disability Network Team Donegal North, is an innovative surf therapy programme supporting children with complex disabilities. Using adaptive equipment, sensory supports, and tailored participation approaches, the programme enables meaningful engagement with surfing and coastal environments. A multidisciplinary team works closely with families to integrate therapeutic goals into activity-based sessions. The project also advocates for improved beach accessibility and inclusive infrastructure, while helping to shift perceptions of disability in sport.
Collectively, these finalists demonstrate the strength and diversity of inclusive sport in Ireland today. From national governing bodies to community partnerships and therapeutic surf programmes, each initiative shows how sport can be transformed when accessibility, collaboration, and lived experience are placed at the centre.