The origins of Sharing the Journey can be traced to March 2010 when its founding members, Theresa Eccles, Teresa McDonnell and Janet Rose, attended a conference on the future of Deaf Education in Ireland at Croke Park.
All three women are mothers of d/Deaf sons. At the conference, they discussed the need for parent to parent support and for a National Parents Support and Advocacy Association for parents of d/Deaf and hard of hearing children (D/ HH). They agreed to commit their time and experience to establishing this association.
In May 2010, with the support of the Catholic Institute for Deaf People, they organised and presented ‘Looking Forward’, a round table discussion forum for parents of D/HH children from all over Ireland. At the forum, it was decided that the first step in establishing a National Organisation was the establishment of local groups. Theresa, Teresa and Janet invited other interested persons to focus on establishing a Dublin /Eastern Area group.
In February 2011, following extensive research and communication with Irish and international organisations, Sharing the Journey was formed as an unincorporated association governed by a written constitution.
Today, Sharing the Journey comprises a governing board of ten parents and a membership base of over 100 families. Our organisation is parent lead and volunteer based and we are in the process of registering as a charity. To date, we have received funding from Dublin City Council and the Katherine Howard Foundation, for which we are most grateful.
