AHEAD & AMLÉ Students with Disabilities Advisory Group
What is the Advisory Group?
The Students with Disabilities Advisory Group (SwDAG) is a group of disabled students and learners from Further and Higher Education institutions in Ireland. The group is co-chaired by two organisations – AHEAD and Aontas na Mac Léinn in Éirinn (AMLÉ), the national student union.
What does the Advisory Group do?
The SwDAG meets 4-5 times throughout the academic year to discuss their experiences and issues or areas of concern for students with disabilities. These meetings are mostly online via Zoom.
The group shares insights into the experience of students and learners with disabilities. They also give feedback and advice on the strategy, working agenda, and outputs of AHEAD and AMLÉ. These findings are fed into the research, policy, and advocacy agenda of the organisations. The advisory group also plays a key role in designing Power of Disability, an annual conference for students with disabilities.
The SwDAG amplifies the disabled student voice within AHEAD and AMLÉ.
Are there any benefits or opportunities for members?
Being a member of the SwDAG provides you with a space to share your lived experiences with the staff in AHEAD and AMLÉ, who embed these insights in their advocacy for students with disabilities. Members also have opportunities to contribute to large advocacy events, such as AHEAD’s yearly conference. SwDAG members are compensated for their times and contributions in line with AHEAD’s Student and Graduate Reimbursement Policy.
