Disabled and neurodivergent students – including autistic students and those who may have ADHD, dyslexia or other disabilities – can experience practical, social and emotional challenges adjusting to life in third level.
For both groups – and there is often a crossover – it can feel like they are already at a disadvantage when they arrive. And, while the situation is getting better every year, there remains a way to go.
“One in three people have a long-term illness or disability, and we need to talk about it,” says Kayleigh McNamara, outgoing disability officer with the Irish Second-Level Students’ Union (ISSU).
As a result of her own disability, McNamara had health issues that impacted her ability to go to school. She sat a reduced Leaving Certificate and, after studying on a Post-Leaving Cert course, is now embarking on a third-level degree.
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Students with disabilities enter third level from a secondary school system where they become used to fighting for supports or learning aids, and this can leave them expecting similar challenges at third level. But in reality college life is quite different – specialised disability support services will generally have your back and do their best to ensure that every student receives the academic, social and practical supports they need.
McNamara started in one Further Education and Training (FET) college, but when it failed to accommodate her disability she transferred to another. In her new FET college she had a Learning Education Needs Summary report carried out to ensure she was not left behind.
“They knew that I needed time out for a mobility break, that my work would be on a laptop and, if needed, could have extra time,” McNamara says.
“For this, you will be asked to provide documentation from a specialist – not a GP – explaining what your needs are. They do not have to disclose all the details of their disability, just something like: ‘I am Dr X, Kayleigh is my patient and I would advise that she use a laptop.’ It is up to each student how much they would like to disclose.”
At third level, disability support services (DSS) usually provide earlier orientation for disabled or neurodivergent students, especially those who may struggle with larger crowds.
These earlier orientations can also help students with physical disabilities or mobility issues with practicalities: where the ramps are, where the bathrooms are, what assistive technologies are available and so on.
Bairbre Fleming is director of UCD Access and Lifelong Learning (UCD ALL). “The ongoing supports most frequently used by our students focus heavily on promoting independence,” Fleming says. “The most commonly used ongoing supports are assistive technology to assist with reading, writing and note taking, and in exams the most common supports are use of a smaller exam venue and extra time – set nationally at 10 minutes extra per hour.”
Fleming adds that, while every incoming student eligible for the national Dare (Disability Access Route to Education) scheme is contacted before mainstream orientation and invited to their specialised ALL Welcome programme to complete their needs assessment, Dare status is immaterial once you are registered in UCD.
“Any student who did not enter through Dare, or who received a diagnosis later in life, is fully entitled to the exact same high-level supports.”
Not every student registers with college DSS, however. Why? “Sometimes, having a disability, it’s hard to get the balance between showing people that you are just as capable as an able-bodied person while, at the same time, just needing a little extra support or a particular learning tool,” says McNamara.
“There is still a stigma there. We need to see a change in mindsets: give us the tools to show we are capable, rather than approach us with the mindset that, because we need these tools, we are not capable. The DSS offices are there to help on an ongoing basis, not just if they’re really, really needed.”
Fleming agrees. “For anyone worried about registering for support I would say that the process is very supportive and with clear guidance around disclosure so only those who need information to provide support are provided with it,” she says. “Students can be assured that the focus of the university is to provide a level playing field for every student.”
Despite progress, issues such as the age and accessibility of a building, or a lack of funding, can cause problems.
As a result, disabled students report different experiences in different colleges, but almost all institutes are continuously trying to improve – particularly by working directly with disabled students and hearing their experiences.
Teaching staff should be aware of how to support students with disabilities – but not all are. Training for lecturers varies by institution. Some offer structured staff development, but others don’t require the same level of understanding around universal design (UD) – a method of teaching that uses different techniques to meet the needs of all learners.
UD is not just about a lecturer talking and handing out notes. Instead, it’s a lecturer presenting the same topic in different ways, including a short recording, a video, slides with key points, written tasks, group work. In this way, everybody can access all the material they need at the outset. It’s inclusive, which is the point, but UD has an important outcome: because we all learn in different ways, it’s more engaging and interesting for every student, able-bodied or not, neurotypical or neurodivergent.
In Ireland, UCD runs what could be fairly called the flagship UD programme, but UCC, Mary Immaculate College, Trinity College, IADT and DCU are doing strong work here as well.
Broadly, however, there’s a national push from the Higher Education Authority, the National Disability Authority and the Department of Further and Higher Education to roll out UD across Irish education.
Third-level colleges are required to provide “reasonable accommodations” to ensure that disabled students can submit their assignments, sit exams and simply take part in college life.
But McNamara says this doesn’t always happen to the extent it should, and that funding and the age or accessibility of buildings can cause variations between different institutions.
Even among third-level institutions with strong reputations, there can be gaps. During a 2026 inspection, for example, the Medical Council found that some areas of UCD’s School of Medicine were inadequate for disabled students – particularly those with physical disabilities. In the same report, however, the council noted genuine commitment from staff towards inclusion and positive feedback from many students of support services and accommodations. The university is working with UCD ALL to bring about improvements.
“People can be scared to address disability,” McNamara says. “I see it as part of my identity, and I would not be who I am without it. By being open about it, we can have a discussion about where my needs are, allowing me to get the best from my education.”
Growing awareness of neurodivergence, alongside increased diagnosis and disclosure, has helped prompt the creation of college societies and peer groups for neurodivergent students, including at ATU, Maynooth University and DCU.
Indeed, DCU says it is the world’s first designated autism-friendly university, though other universities in Ireland and abroad have since introduced autism-friendly supports and initiatives.
The broad pattern is one of improvement, even though there can still be problems for individual students to access the support they need, as evidenced by an extensive research report written by academics at the University of Galway.
“Take time to get yourself sorted,” says McNamara. “Have conversations about getting the right supports in place so you can have the best college experience, and remember that, for any student – especially those moving away from home – the transition to third level can be a challenge.”
How universal design can help all students
In a previous career, I worked as a lecturer and adult education tutor in UCD.
This is where I first came across the idea of universal design in education, pioneered by the highly innovative UCD ALL team.
It’s a transformative way to teach because it reaches every student and builds learning about student needs, rather than expecting them to adapt to a lecturer’s individual style. It makes learning and teaching more enjoyable.
I spoke to UCD ALL director Bairbre Fleming and deputy director Lisa Padden.
“We are changing the institution to fit the students rather than expecting students to change in order to fit in here,” they said.
“We have embedded universal design in our strategy and across the institution through partnership programmes. With dedicated funding provided through PATH 4 we have created partnerships with faculty, professional staff and students to ensure that UD is being promoted and embedded across all areas of the university including teaching, learning and assessment, student supports, services and social engagement, the built campus and the digital infrastructure.
Creating a truly inclusive university requires continuous, active innovation and commitment across the university
“Historically if an assessment wasn’t accessible, the university had to create an alternative format for a specific student. Choice of assessment designs equity into the curriculum.
“Guided by the teaching and learning pillar of our inclusion framework, this approach relies on a ‘plus-one’ mindset. It means providing options for all students to demonstrate their learning outcomes – such as giving an entire class the choice between writing an essay or delivering a presentation. It maintains academic standards while ensuring that no student is disadvantaged by the assessment format.
“Because UD handles standard classroom and exam access so effectively, our specialised teams are now more involved in managing more complex student needs. We are seeing an emerging demand for intense, intersectional supports for students navigating a range of challenges and demands.
“Buy-in comes from showing lecturers that UD is part of good teaching, not just an extra task that only benefits some students. It improves clarity, reduces repeated queries, supports international students, mature students, neurodivergent students, students with caring responsibilities, and many others.
“Creating a truly inclusive university requires continuous, active innovation and commitment across the university. As an example of innovation, UCD has recently become the first university in Ireland to roll out NaviLens – a universal design initiative that deploys multisensory QR codes across complex campus environments. This allows visually impaired students or those with communication challenges to navigate buildings like the James Joyce Library completely independently via an auto-translated audio app.
“Our students are key partners in designing an inclusive campus. What we now know, through our work on University for All, is that when we universally design our campuses, we don’t just help a single student – we elevate the entire educational experience for everyone.”
