Institutes not doing enough for disabled students

JUST five out of 14 institutes of technology (IoTs) are fully accessible to students with disabilities, a survey has found.

The report outlining the findings on participation and services for disabled students in the IoTs has prompted the head of Special Olympics Ireland to call for a change of mindsets in colleges.

Although the number of students with disabilities has quadrupled to around 1,400 in the last five years, concerns remain among college heads themselves that not enough is being done to facilitate more students to enrol.

This was acknowledged yesterday by the Council of Directors of the Institutes of Technology, which helped produce the report with AHEAD, the Association for Higher Education Access and Disability.

The survey also found that just two institutes have a dedicated disability officer and only one operates a positive discrimination entry scheme, to help increase representation of the disabled community in college numbers.

Research published by AHEAD last year showed that 2.7% of students in the IoTs have disabilities, up from 1.6% in 1999.

However, the latest study shows that only four institutes have plans to include students with disabilities, and there is a very low take-up of disability awareness training among staff.

Mary Davies, chief executive of Special Olympics Ireland, said the findings were unacceptable as she launched the report yesterday.

“Accommodating students with disabilities is not always a matter of money, but of attitude,” she said.

AHEAD chairman Professor Brendan Goldsmith, a former president of Dublin Institute of Technology, pointed out that the participation rate of students who are blind and deaf has remained the same, despite the overall increase for disabled students.

The use of technology to benefit all students, such as placing lecture notes on a website, was highlighted as a way of helping to knock barriers to participation.

“Leadership by decision makers to values of inclusion and potential for learning and respect of students is needed throughout the IoT sector,” said AHEAD executive director Ann Heelan.

“Supporting the disabled student is not rocket science, but it is often just common sense,” she said.