Members of the Disability Advisory Committee

The members of the Disability Advisory Committee are:

Gary Allen

Originally from Roscommon, Gary has been living in Galway with his wife, Linda, for almost 20 yrs. Having graduated from DCU in 1991 with a degree in Computer Science, he is a confirmed geek and avid reader. He is a founder member of Galway Sailability and a Past Commodore of Galway Bay Sailing Club. Since his mid-teens he has had a passion for personal development and human potential and holds two Advanced Diploma’s in Executive and Life Coaching. He is also a member of the International Coaching Federation.
He passionately believes that everyone has the potential to make a valuable contribution to society. As someone born with Spina Bifida he knows how important it is that disabled people see themselves as valued members of society and hopes that the work of the DAC will help promote and develop those ideals.

Fiona Anderson

Fiona holds a Certificate in Community Development from UCG, a BA in Sociological, Political and Legal Science, a LLM-in International Comparative Disability Law and Public Policy from NUI Galway, and currently completing the final year of the LLB Programme at NUI Galway. Fiona has a broad medical syndrome combined with psychosocial and mental health disabilities.
Her thesis for the LLM was entitled “Irish Mental Health Inpatient Services: In Crisis, A Shambles and Disintegrating”. Fiona tracked the most important non-compliance issues of fifty-eight approved centres devising tables and compiling statistics revealing non-compliance issues were repetitive and replicated from facility to facility on a countrywide basis.
Fiona is a long-standing advocate for the human rights approach to medical and mental healthcare and her primary interests revolve around medical and mental health law and practices and the implementation of UNCRPD is of particular interest in advancing the human rights of persons with disabilities in practice too.

Jacqui Browne

Jacqui has over 35 years’ experience of working at local, national, European and International levels as a disability equality activist and consultant. She is secretary of the Board of the Independent Living Movement of Ireland (ILMI). Jacqui is Chairperson of DESSA – the Disability Equality Specialist Support Agency which is a Community Development Human Rights focused organisation. Jacqui is also a member of the HSE Board Committee on Patient Safety and Quality; the Disability Stakeholders Group under the National Disability Inclusion Strategy; the Irish Thalidomide Association and the Irish Platform for Patient Organisations, Science and Industry (IPPOSI); the Irish Steering Committee of the International Foundation for Integrated Care; The European Patients’ Academy on Therapeutic Innovation; and the Patient Forum of HPRA – The Health Products Regulatory Authority.

Adrian Carroll

Adrian is a law graduate with Autism Spectrum Condition who has recently completed a LLM (International and Comparative Disability Law and Policy) (NUIG) with a thesis on how CRPD and international policy on Assistive Technology can help bridge the gap between higher education and employment for people with cognitive disabilities. Living in Killarney, Adrian holds a LLM (General) (UL), BCL (UL) and a Higher Diploma in Software Engineering and has professional experience with Niall Brosnan & Co Solicitors and SAP.

 

 

James Cawley

James provides guidance and support for organisations that are looking to move the needle on their diversity and inclusion journey of continuous improvement.
He is a proud disabled person from rural Co. Longford who lives independently using a Personal Assistance Service.
James was formerly the Policy Officer for a National Disabled Persons Organisation which is led by and for Disabled people. He graduated with a BA in Business and Geography, a Professional Masters of Education and most recently completed a Level-9 certificate in “Leading Transformative Education” at Maynooth University. He was a secondary school teacher and has done research on disability issues on a National and European level.
James co-facilitated the disability studies certificate course at Maynooth University. He is a member of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) Disability Advisory Committee as of 2022 and featured in their TV, Cinema and Radio campaign “All Human – All Equal”. James was appointed to many Government policy forums in the past including the Disability Stakeholder Group (DSG 6) and Taxi Advisory Committee. He was an active board member and Chairperson of the EAPN – European Anti-Poverty Network.

John Conama

Originally from Roscommon and married to Audrey, John is the director of the Centre for Deaf Studies at Trinity College. He is the board director of the Irish Deaf Society; He has been involved in many committees and working groups within the Civil Service and other Government bodies to monitor the progress of Deaf and disabled people in society. His recent publications have focused on Deaf people in society, mainly on language rights, equality and the sense of belonging within the community. He graduated with a doctorate from University College Dublin, and his thesis focused on a comparative policy analysis of signed languages in two countries – Finland and Ireland. John Bosco was awarded as one of the European Label Language Ambassadors for 2015.

Michelle (Shelly) Gaynor

Shelly is a peer mentor with the Independent Living Movement Ireland, with a passion for technology in particular Assistive Technology and the barriers it can break down for disabled people. She likes the fact that technology puts everyone on an even playing field, which is why human rights for disabled people are so important to her. She directs her own Personal assistants service through her own company shellyonwheels and giving disabled people complete control over their own lives is very important to her.

 

 

Eliona Gjecaj

Eliona is a PHD Candidate in Disability Studies, researching the experience of gender-based violence and access to justice for disabled women in Iceland. She holds a First-Class Honours LLM Degree in International and Comparative Disability Law and Policy, and a First-Class Honours BA International Degree (Sociology & Political Sciences and Spanish), from NUI Galway. Since January 2019, she is a serving member on the first ever Statutory Disability Advisory Committee in Ireland, appointed by The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission.
She has been recognized as 1 out of 10 Outstanding Young People of Ireland 2018 by Junior Chamber International, for her disability activism, achievements, and volunteering with disability NGOs. She was chairperson of Galway Visually Impaired Activity Club from 2016-2020, and auditor of the Inclusion & Motivation for Promoting Access to Community Transformation & Engagement Society, which she founded and co-set up in 2017, and led from 2017-2019.

Brian Hayes

Brian works part time in Kilkenny County Council. He is chair of the National Platform of Self Advocates, an independent advocacy organisation run by people with intellectual disabilities. He recently led the organisation to become a limited company and is now a director. Brian is a graduate of the Leadership and Advocacy programme in the Waterford Institute of Technology and has been the chair of Séasamh and the Inclusion Ireland Advocacy Sub Committee of the Board. Brian has been appointed to many consultation groups including the Taskforce on Personalised Budgets and the Make Work Pay Consultation Group. He regularly meets with politicians and networks with other groups at a national level to represent the voice of people with intellectual disabilities.

Peadar O’Dea

Peadar is a disabled activist (visually impaired since birth) with an MA in Disability Studies from the University Of Leeds and has created a Disabled People’s Organisation (DPO) in Leeds, and also in his home country of the Republic Of Ireland. He has experience working with the UNCRPD committee and the European Network On Independent Living (ENIL) and has delivered training on the UN 2030 Agenda (SDG’s) in Strasbourg, and has written a paper for ENIL about the SDG’s connection to the UNCRPD. He is currently serving as the Policy Officer for Disability Power Ireland (DPI) a newly established DPO and additionally is a part-time tutor at Maynooth University on the disability studies level 7 programme. In his free time, he likes to write and read fiction and has published a short story through the UK group Disability Arts Online (DAO) and study literary and social history.

Aoife Price

Aoife is a disabled researcher, academic, and activist from Waterford. She is currently working towards submitting her PhD at the Centre for Disability Law and Policy at the University of Galway. Her PhD focuses on alliances between social movements by examining disabled women’s participation in the disability and women’s movement. As a member of Disabled Women Ireland, she is passionate about the intersection of disability and gender. Over the past decade, Aoife has been an active advocate for people with psychosocial disabilities at national and international levels. She is a member of the Governments Disability Stakeholders Group, which works to monitor the implementation of government policy in the area of disability. Aoife has previously worked with the European Disability Forum, the Union of Students in Ireland, and the Centre for Effective Services in Ireland. She is a graduate with an MSc in Applied Social Research from Trinity College Dublin and a BA in Politics and International Relations from the University of Limerick.

Vivian Rath

Vivian is an academic, a human and disability rights advocate and change maker. He is currently an Adjunct Teaching Fellow in Trinity College Dublin (TCD) School of Education and the Research Officer with the Association for Higher Education Access and Disability (AHEAD). His Ph.D, titled the “Social Engagement Experiences of Disabled Students in Higher Education in Ireland”, focused on the areas of disabled student social engagement, transitions, voice and belonging. He has presented his published work and ideas for change across the EU. He obtained a Masters in Management from Smurfit Business School where he focused on the employment of graduates with disabilities. He believes in research for impact and has used his research to influence national policy development and bring about social change at a local and national level. He has worked to empower other disabled people to advocate for their rights and the rights of others and is the current Chair and founder of the TCD Forum for Disabled Staff & Postgraduate Students and the National Disabled Postgraduate Committee. He is a former member of the National Disability Inclusion Strategy Group and the National Disability Stakeholders Group.
A TCD Equality Champion and a Disabled Leader awardee he has focused on ensuring the voice of disabled people is represented at the decision making table. Highlighting the systemic and ableist barriers that prevent disabled people equal access to employment, education, and political participation and engaging in society as they would wish.

Michael Seifu

Michael is a committed disability activist and adheres to the social and human rights models of disability. In addition to advanced educational qualifications including a PhD in Politics from Dublin City University as well as an MSc in Economic Policy Analysis and a BA in Economics, he also possesses post graduate certificates in financial risk analysis and data analytics.
As an avid defender of the rights of disabled people, he has participated in several initiatives and organisations including the South Dublin County Council Disability Advisory Panel, the Independent Living Movement of Ireland, and the South Dublin Disability Platform. It is his wish that disability policy and practice in Ireland factors in the issues of intersectionality as much as possible.

Dr. Rosaleen McDonagh, Presiding Member

Dr. Rosaleen McDonagh is a Traveller woman, a successful playwright, and frequent columnist with the Irish Times. She holds a BA and two MPhils from Trinity College Dublin and a PhD in Disability Studies from Northumbria University. She is the Chairperson of the IHREC Disability Advisory Committee and is a board member of Women’s Aid and Pavee Point, Traveller and Roma Centre.

 

 

 

Adam Harris, Vice-Presiding Member

Adam Harris is the Founder and CEO of AsIAm, Ireland’s National Autism Charity. Adam founded the organisation based on his own experiences growing up on the autism spectrum. Today, AsIAm provides support to the autism people and their families, advocates on behalf of the community and works to support public and private sector organisations and communities in becoming inclusive and accessible.

Learn more about Ireland and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.