Help Us Fund Accessibility Aids for Our Students

West Cork Sudbury School is organizing this fundraiser.

Donation protected

We, the parents of West Cork Sudbury School (WCSS), are raising €3,000 to provide assistive technology for students who face barriers to learning.

What Is Assistive Technology?

Assistive Technology (AT) supports students with learning differences or physical challenges, such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, hearing or vision impairments, or motor coordination issues. AT can include laptops, tablets, speech-to-text software, and other tools that unlock learning.

Why Fundraise for AT?

WCSS is an independent, democratic school where students direct their own education. Many of our students enroll at WCSS because mainstream schools cannot accommodate their needs. As our students learn by following their interests, at their own pace - and not following the Department of Education’s curriculum - our students cannot access educational state disability supports, even when the need is clear. Many families choose WCSS precisely because mainstream schooling fails their children, leaving them without financial or educational support.

A Parent’s Story

“Due to low muscle tone, my son cannot write without pain. After years of occupational therapy, we learned touch-typing and voice-to-text tools could help, but because WCSS isn’t state-funded, we can’t access grants for a laptop. That’s why we’re fundraising: so kids like him get the same opportunities as students in every other school.”

Breaking the Cycle

Most of us know someone who struggled in mainstream education, often neurodivergent learners (dyslexic, ADHD, dyspraxic, autistic, etc.). Many of these children fall through the gaps: too often their needs are deemed "too high" for mainstream classes but "not high enough" for special education. WCSS is their only alternative, yet there’s no government funding for those kids.

How You Can Help?

✅ Donate to fund AT for students in need at WCSS.

✅ Share this campaign to spread awareness.

✅ Support a future where every child can learn freely: Obi Thornhill Fund

As Paul Crone (Director, National Association of Principals) noted at the 2022 Symposium :

“Many intelligent students are failing to excel in school due to our rigid education system’s focus on 'dogmatic rote learning' [...] This requires a new vision for education in Ireland, one based on the individual, their aptitudes, and what they can bring to society.”

That’s WCSS.

WCSS is a democratic, self-directed learning community for ages 5 to 18, founded in rural West Cork 2019.

As a registered charity, we use income-based dues to remain accessible, but many families still can’t afford the cost. The children who need us most are often the ones least able to pay.

These bright, curious kids deserve tools to thrive, just like their peers.

Let’s close the gap together.

How Democratic Education Works

Students direct their own learning, developing confidence, critical thinking, and problem-solving.

Weekly school meetings and participatory conflict resolution approaches teach leadership, accountability, and collaboration.

Flexible studies include languages, coding, maths, drawing and more, like a Japanese class reaching Leaving Cert level in one year.

What Families Say

"I’m not exaggerating when I say it changed our lives. They feel they can come with their ideas and that those ideas can be explored in a practical way that makes them learn way more."

"To see our kids growing under the caring guidance of WCSS’s staff has been amazing. This school has very much given our kids a voice and an understanding that their voice is valid and can influence change."