Xcessible Awards Ceremony
Active Disability Ireland are delighted to announce that we will be hosting our first ever Xcessible Awards Ceremony on the 30th of April in the Johnstown Estate Hotel, Enfield. This invite-only event will celebrate the fantastic achievements of NGB’s and LSP’s who have achieved an award on our Xcessible Programme to date. Designed to support organisations in creating an inclusive culture and increasing opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in physical activity, the Xcessible Programme continues to develop inclusion within the sporting sector.
Master of Ceremonies:
Rob Hartnett
Rob Hartnett is the Founder and CEO of Sport for Business.
Panel Discussion Members:
This panel discussion will feature individuals who are experts in the sector of disability inclusion. They have all featured as panel members for the Xcessible panel presentations the NGBs & LSPs are required to prepare to achieve the Xcessible Awards. It will highlight the important of this programme across the sport & physical activity sector.
Donna Bullivant-Evans
Donna Bullivant-Evans, Disability Sport Wales’ insport Senior Officer. insport is a Welsh programme which supports and influences inclusive cultural change for disabled people across organisations. Donna has worked in a variety of roles in leisure and sport over the past 25 years, always with a focus on disability inclusion and specific populations. Currently working with a range of organisations including National Governing Bodies of Sport, 3rd Sector Organisations, Local Authorities and Regional Sport Partnerships.
Oisin Jordan
Oisin is a highly experienced professional in the field of disability sport, with over 24 years of dedicated service. Educated at IT Tralee (now MTU), Oisin has developed a deep commitment to supporting individuals with disabilities through sports and physical activity.
Beginning their career in 2001 as a Development Officer with Special Olympics Ireland, he then moved to the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), where he spent 14 years as the Football For All Programme Manager, working to make football more inclusive for people with disabilities.
For the past six years, Oisin has served as the Regional Director for Special Olympics Ireland, overseeing regional operations and furthering the organisation’s mission to empower individuals with intellectual disabilities through sports.
In addition to his extensive work with Special Olympics and FAI, Oisin has been a key collaborator with Active Disability Ireland (ADI) since its inception. His work in coach education course design and development has been integral to improving the quality of coaching in the disability sport sector. Furthermore, Oisin has served as a Tutor for ADI for eight years, imparting knowledge and expertise to new generations of coaches.
Oisin is also a long-time panel judge for the Xcessible Awards, having contributed to the awards since its inception. Their wide-ranging experience and dedication to improving accessibility and inclusion in sports makes Oisin a valuable voice in the disability sports community.
Sarah Hewitt
Sarah is the Sport & Leisure Services Manager at St. Michael’s House, which supports over 2,300 people with disabilities. She leads a dedicated team working alongside community partners to create inclusive opportunities in sport, leisure, education, health, and digital services.
A strong advocate for inclusion, Sarah serves on the advisory board for Dublin City Sport and Wellbeing Partnership and tutors for Active Disability Ireland. She is committed to making the sport, leisure, and health sectors more accessible and inclusive.
Sarah believes meaningful change occurs when people with disabilities have a voice in decision-making, ensuring their lived experiences shape policies and programmes. Driven by the power of community and collective action, she is committed to building a society where everyone, regardless of ability, can participate, belong, and thrive.
Stephanie Mac Sweeney
Stephanie is the Strategic Operations Manager at Active Disability Ireland and has been part of the team for 3 years. Her previous role as Sport Inclusion Coordinator would have directly supported a number of the NGBS and LSPs on their Xcessible journey. Her role now supports the oversight of this programme and she has recently joined the panel presentations as a panel member, sharing guidance, insights, knowledge and best practices. Stephanie works closely with the Active Disability Ireland team to help them support organisations, clubs, services and individuals in adopting an inclusive culture to ensure that people with disabilities have opportunities and choice when looking to become physically active or involved in sport.
Awards Video: