Join the Alliance
Join the Alliance
Be part of building a different future for nonspeaking people in Ireland. Meaningful change requires spellers, families, practitioners, organisations and allies working together — and there is a place for everyone in this work.
Get involved
Why join?
The Alliance exists to create change that no single family, practitioner or organisation can achieve alone. Joining the Alliance means becoming part of a growing national community working to improve communication access, challenge assumptions and expand opportunities for nonspeaking and unreliably speaking people.
People may become involved in different ways — by sharing lived experience, contributing to advocacy, strengthening community, supporting campaigns, collaborating professionally or helping build the organisation itself.
“Change is stronger when the people most affected are part of creating it.”
Participation pathways
Choose how you’d like to get involved
There is no single way to take part. Each pathway below leads to a more detailed section.
Spellers
Nonspeaking and unreliably speaking people who communicate through spelling are central to the Alliance.
Read moreFamilies & supporters
People with experience of navigating education, healthcare, disability services and community life.
Read morePractitioners
People who support spelling as communication and want to strengthen the community of practice in Ireland.
Read moreAllies & organisations
People and organisations working across disability rights, education, health, policy, research and inclusion.
Read more
Pathway 01 · Spellers
For spellers
Your voice should help shape what comes next.
Nonspeaking and unreliably speaking people who communicate through spelling are central to the Alliance. This is your organisation, and your perspectives, priorities and experience should help lead it.
There are many ways to take part. Participation never requires anyone to become a public spokesperson or to share personal information publicly — different people will want to contribute in different ways.
Ways spellers may become involved
- Contributing ideas and priorities
- Taking part in consultations and advocacy
- Helping shape campaigns and public awareness work
- Contributing to policy submissions
- Sharing perspectives on issues affecting nonspeaking people
- Participating in the Speller Advisory Council where appropriate
- Contributing to events, projects and community initiatives
Pathway 02 · Families & supporters
For families & supporters
Families and supporters often have important experience of navigating education, healthcare, disability services, communication access and community life. That experience matters — and it helps make the Alliance stronger.
The Alliance values family perspectives alongside, rather than instead of, speller perspectives. Families strengthen this work by holding it close to lived reality, while leaving room for spellers to lead.
Possible involvement
- Contributing lived experience to consultations
- Supporting awareness and advocacy campaigns
- Connecting with other families
- Attending events
- Sharing information about barriers and priorities
- Supporting Alliance projects
- Helping strengthen local and national community
Pathway 03 · Practitioners
For practitioners
Practitioners can contribute to a stronger, more connected spelling community in Ireland. Good practice matters because spellers and families depend on it — and collaboration across practitioners is part of how that practice grows.
Possible involvement
- Practitioner collaboration and peer connection
- Sharing knowledge and experience
- Contributing to discussions around strong practice and safeguarding
- Participating in professional learning opportunities
- Supporting wider advocacy and awareness work
- Contributing to efforts to improve communication access across Ireland
Practitioners who take part may, over time, be able to learn about future participation in the SAI practitioner directory. Taking part does not automatically result in directory inclusion, and the Alliance does not accredit, certify or professionally regulate practitioners.
Connect as a practitioner
Pathway 04 · Allies & organisations
For allies & organisations
Systemic change requires collaboration beyond the immediate spelling community. We invite participation from people and organisations working across areas such as disability rights, education, healthcare, communication, advocacy, research, community development, public policy, inclusion and accessibility.
Allies may support the Alliance through collaboration, sharing expertise, supporting campaigns, creating opportunities, partnership or helping bring communication access into wider conversations.
What does joining mean?
The Alliance is building different ways for people to participate according to their interests, experience and capacity. Some people may want to contribute regularly. Others may take part in a particular consultation, event, campaign or project. There should be no expectation that joining requires a major time commitment.
As SAI grows, more formal membership and participation opportunities may be developed. For now, the important starting point is connection — letting us know who you are and how you would like to be involved.
No membership fees, voting rights, benefits, subscription tiers or formal application criteria are in place at this stage. This section will be updated as the membership model develops.
Speller leadership matters
Nothing about spellers without spellers
The Spelling Alliance of Ireland is committed to ensuring that spellers have meaningful influence over the organisation’s priorities, advocacy and direction. Participation here is not structured as professionals and families speaking on behalf of nonspeaking people.
Our Speller Advisory Council provides a dedicated structure for spellers to help shape the work of the Alliance.
There’s a place for you in this work
Whether you are a speller, family member, practitioner, organisation or ally, we would love to hear how you would like to become involved.