Starting at third level is difficult enough at the best of times, but if you're a student with a disability, things can be very tough indeed. No firm figures are available, but the Association for Higher Education Access and Disability (AHEAD), estimates that there are up to 1,500 students with disabilities at third-level colleges in Ireland. All the signs are that this figure is set to grow as more and more youngsters with disabilities come through mainstream schools and aim for higher and further education. It is anticipated that a survey to be conducted later this year will give a clearer indication of the number of students with disabilities at third level. According to the CAO, some 263 third-level applicants revealed that they have disabilities this year. Last year the figure was 258.
Ask people working in the area of disability about college attitudes towards students with disabilities and you'll get reasonably positive responses. "There's no institution that has a negative attitude towards disabilities," comments Caroline McGrath, acting director of AHEAD. "Significant advances have been made in recent years, but the level of support can vary from institution to institution." A HEA report (1994) on access to and participation of students with disabilities in higher education has provided the colleges with a blueprint, she says. "No student," says the report, "who would otherwise gain access to a programme or course in higher education should be prevented from doing so by reason of a disability . . . . Provision for full participation by students with disabilities should be woven into the mainstream procedures which exist for all students." All the universities except TCD, and some of the ITs, now have disability officers. These officers have recently set up DAWN, the Disability Advisers Working Network, with members in Dublin, Galway-Mayo, Tralee and Waterford ITs and all the universities except Trinity. In order to join, you have to be a designated professional paid to work in the area of disability. TCD has recently appointed its own disability liaison officer - Dr Alan Tuffery. The fact that his post is part-time, combined with his lectureship in physiology, disqualifies him for membership of DAWN.
Tuffery's appointment has come in for a bit of bashing in the University Record (the students' union newspaper), which describes the college's access policy as "a disgrace". In its opinion column, the Record notes that "DCU has both a full-time access officer for educationally marginalised groups and a full time disability liaison officer for an overall student body of 6,000. By shameful comparison, Trinity is rejoicing at the recent appointment of a part time disability liaison officer who will spend one half day per week servicing the needs of students with disabilities in a college of 12,000 students." Tuffery comments: "I imagine that in a relatively short time, the college will appoint a full time professional. At the present time it suits TCD to have an academic with administrative experience working to create a climate where a professional can come in. It's a networking job. "My feeling is that our record is good. Students with serious disabilities have done well in Trinity." At present, TCD has 75 students with disabilities registered. Half of these are dyslexic, he says.
Despite the suggestion that the colleges are largely welcoming of students with disabilities and go out of their way to help and support them, there are criticisms that the institutions are reactive rather than proactive. "There's no thinking about the future," says one disability officer. "The colleges aren't asking `how can we encourage more people with disabilities to come in?' " A major problem for the institutions, however, is that students come to college with a wide range of disabilities and needs. They may be visually impaired or blind, hearing impaired or deaf or have problems with mobility. Very many students - up to half of the students with disability in a number of colleges - suffer from dyslexia. Students may require wheelchair access, computer aids and supports, note-takers, readers, personal assistants or sign language interpreters, depending on their disability.
Some students admit to their disabilities, others do not. DCU offers direct access to students with disability, but other colleges require them to go through the CAO.
Caroline McGrath advises students to disclose their disabilities on the CAO application form and make early applications directly to the colleges. "The earlier your disability is brought to the attention of the institution, the more effective the support services will be," she says.
"Don't be afraid to disclose your disability," says Siobhan Fearon, USI's welfare officer. "The colleges won't discriminate against you." A problem for the older universities is that of physical access. Ancient buildings are less than wheelchair-friendly, and some of them are downright hostile.
"People with mobility problems have particular difficulties," notes TCD's Tuffery. "Unfortunately some of our buildings are totally inaccessible. But thanks to the HEA, money is coming on stream to make amendments. "There is a programme to open up the whole of Front Square and two lifts are planned for buildings on either side of Front Gate. This will open up the admissions and the exams offices," he says.
"All kinds of efforts are made to ensure that students can gain access to old buildings," comments Agnes O'Farrell, NUI Galway's disability liaison officer. "But you need continual funding." Disability liaison officers will tell you that in order to improve the lot of students with disabilities, staff training and development are essential. But academics have particular concerns. "You have to balance doing something to help students with disabilities with academic standards," comments TCD's Tuffery. "Academics may think that they're being asked to compromise if students are examined in a radically different way. You could lose comparability. If there's too much deviation from the norm, that gives rise to disquiet."
Deaf students suffer the greatest difficulties at third level, according to disability officers. A major problem for them is the fact that sign-language interpreters are in short supply.
"The whole area needs to be looked at," says Linda Maguire, disability officer at DIT. Unbelievably, there are only 12 registered sign-language interpreters in the State. And they are expensive - daily rates run around £150.
An EU-funded sign-language-interpretation course at UCC is currently training 10 new sign-language interpreters, but clearly there is a need for more than this. Students with 20 or so contact hours per week are unlikely to have the services of a sign language interpreter full-time. DCU and the DIT have joined forces to develop a deaf education centre. "We want to develop services for people using sign language and hearing enhancers," says DCU's disability officer, Declan Treanor.
"The centre will supply supports and raise disability awareness among staff. It will assess students and make sure that they get the information in the way that best suits them."
Accessing Third Level Education in Ireland : A Handbook for Students with Disabilities and Learning Difficulties is available from AHEAD (tel: (01) 475 2386; email: AHEAD@iol.ie)
