Celebrating Minds: Learning About Intellectual Disability
Flourish is delighted to share details of Celebrating Minds: Learning About Intellectual Disability, a free community event that places lived experience at the centre of learning and dialogue. The event aims to deepen understanding, strengthen inclusion, and foster genuine connection between individuals with intellectual disability, families, professionals, and community members.
You can register for the event here on Eventbrite
The Purpose of Celebrating Minds
Too often, public discussion surrounding intellectual disability focuses narrowly on challenges and medical definitions rather than the full humanity and value of people with intellectual disability. Celebrating Minds seeks to change that narrative by creating a space where people can learn with one another through stories, shared expertise, and lived experience.
This event emphasises the importance of co-produced knowledge. Lived experience is not viewed as a supplement to professional expertise but as an equally valuable and essential perspective in shaping understanding and practice.
Celebrating Minds - Speakers
We are deeply grateful to the speakers who have generously given their time, insight, and expertise to participate in this important event. Each speaker brings unique experience, knowledge, and perspective to the discussion, contributing to a rich and balanced understanding of intellectual disability.
Their participation reflects a shared commitment to supporting individuals with intellectual disability, their families, and the wider community. Through their contributions, they are helping to strengthen awareness, challenge misconceptions, and promote inclusive practice.
We are thankful to each of the speakers, for their dedication to fostering understanding, compassion, and meaningful dialogue. Their involvement ensures that Celebrating Minds will be both informative and inspiring for all who attend.
Guest Speakers
Lydia Fisher - Self Advocate
Derval McDonagh – CEO, Inclusion Ireland
Dr Jill Pollard – Chartered Clinical Psychologist and founder of Be Kind Psychology
Julie Holmes SLT – Senior Speech and Language Therapist and founder of BeMe Therapy
Teresa Foley OT – Senior Occupational Therapist and founder of The Feeding Therapist
Lucinda Murrihy – Parent Advocate and Inclusion Ireland Head of Strategy and Innovation
Amanda McGuinness – Parent Advocate and Director of Autism Advocacy at Flourish Autism Consultancy and Training
Join Us in Celebrating Minds
Understanding intellectual disability requires more than awareness; it requires genuine listening, connection, and shared learning. Celebrating Minds offers an important opportunity to hear from those with lived experience, and those with professional expertise, to deepen your understanding, and contribute to a more inclusive and respectful community for all.
We warmly encourage anyone with an interest in inclusion, equality, and human rights to attend. To secure your place, please register through Eventbrite