As most of you reading this know, Fionnathan Productions is an innovative, son-and-father led, community driven project exploring how far we can go toward creating for and with Fionn a ‘great life’ (as he defines it). And now, another year of remarkable accomplishments for this young man (and a few big failures, as usual) is complete. This year saw our 10th anniversary. A great year, a dismal year, in so many moments (mostly great, by our calculation). Fionn turned 29. He will be half Jonathan’s age in 2027. (Do the math, if you must.) We divided this report into the following categories. Education & Research, Advocacy & People, The Arts & Travel, Abundance & What’s Ahead. We hope you enjoy reading it, and feel free to give us feedback about any of it.
As is typical for us, we committed many acts of advocacy. Although this work rarely brings in much income, we feel it’s something we have the skills, passion and experience to contribute to, so we continue to invest mightily in it.
Of three visits to United Nations campuses, the first was to Vienna where Fionn presented on the Zero Project Youth Panel. This was our second visit to this invite-only conference, and we will return next spring.
The other two were our first visits to the General Assembly in NY. For World Down Syndrome Day, Fionn delivered a keynote speech at, covered by both RTE TV and Galway Bay FM.
As we met previously that day with Ireland’s Ambassador to the UN, he invited us to return in June, to be part of the Conference of State Parties (COSP) made up of countries who’ve signed the CRPD. The Irish contingent included Hildegard Naughton, Minister of State for Disability, and others from civil service and community groups.
We dressed up in tuxedos for the Irish Men of the Year Awards in Cork, sponsored by Rémy Martin / HiStyle, and Fionn won as Diversity & Inclusion Advocate. We thought we were attending just for that, but they surprised Jonathan by awarding him the Arts & Culture Advocate award. We are Men of the Year!
Fionn wrapped up his work with Down Syndrome Ireland (as their first-ever Trustee with Down syndrome) late in the year, and started a three year cycle on the Disability Advisory Committee of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission.
We continue our work with the National Down Syndrome Policy Group of the UK. England’s Department of Health has completed their penultimate draft of the local authority guidance document. Fionn was one of two people with Down syndrome to consult throughout the development of this guidance. This is the last hurdle for implementation of the Down Syndrome Act 2022.
As Citizen Network’s International Ambassadors, we attended and contributed to their event at the UK House of Lords called The Quiet Revolution, working to make direct connections between people typically marginalised with Ministers and Peers. Concerns with the Assisted Dying Bill, about to be debated in the House, was a central theme. This was our ninth visit to the Parliament in Westminster in 5 years.
Fionn was appointed to the Board of the European Network on Independent Living’s Youth Network. He interned with ENIL for 6 months in Brussels in 2024-5.
We continue to supply individual family or service organisation consultations, having done three of each type in the past year. Feel free to contact us to explore what we can offer you.
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