On Tuesday June 24th, we had the amazing opportunity to have two site visits, one to the Galway Autism Partnership (GAP), and another with the incredibly talented Fionn and Jonathan of Fionnathan Productions. We took public transit (the double decker bus, which is the best form of public transportation in my opinion) to the GAP building, but went and grabbed a coffee first because we had arrived early. We went to this cute little cafe and I got a cappuccino. The Galway Autism Partnership building was beautiful, and we learned that they had just had wheelchair access installed to the front of the house! We were given a presentation by Wendy who told us about GAP’s mission, their programs and camps, information on the day to day activities, and more. In 2025, GAP has installed wheelchair access, expanded their services into neighboring communities, added a second psychotherapist, and added a program supporting carers. We were given a tour of the GAP building which included the awesome sensory room. The room had cool lighting, a tube with bubbles in it, and even a little fort with a climbable roof on top.

After our visit to the Galway Autism Partnership, we had lunch and then traveled to the Maldron Hotel where we met Fionnathan Productions! Fionn and Jonathan were so kind and gracious in coming to talk to us, and it was amazing to hear of all the experiences they have had since starting their company. Fionn has worked on all sorts of projects, including multiple trips to the United Nations. We were so lucky to be able to hear of their experiences and how much Fionn has had a positive impact on the world around him. Fionn told us about the Happiness Project, where he was able to interview many celebrities and important figures around the world, and ask them what in their lives made them happy.

I think this was one of my favorite days of the trip in terms of site visits. It was so amazing to hear the lived experience that Fionn has has as a disabled man in Ireland, and how he has become an advocate for the disabled community. We were very honored to hear from all of our site visit presenters and to be able to experience how disability rights and advocacy are viewed in Ireland.