Expert of social learning theory Dr Etienne Wenger-Trayner defines communities of practice as “groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact in an ongoing capacity.” Central to this idea is the belief that learning emerges through participation, dialogue, and shared experience, often producing outcomes that could not have been planned.

Wenger-Trayner suggests that “uncertainty is a gift” to such communities, acting as a catalyst for greater connection, learning, and innovation. Every Community of Practice is defined by three interconnected elements:

1. a domain, which provides a shared purpose and identity (in this case, Universal Design in tertiary education);
2. a community, made up of members who engage with one another through relationships, trust, mutual support, and meaningful dialogue;
3. a practice, the collective knowledge, experiences, stories, tools, resources, and approaches that members develop together over time.

Communities of Practice are most effective when they are connected to real-world challenges, participation is voluntary and meaningful, and members feel socially safe, respected, and supported rather than controlled. That is why AHEAD views its role as the ‘facilitator’ of this community of practice, rather than its ‘manager’.

In April 2026, AHEAD with support from the ALTITUDE Activation Group – a small group of committed professionals from the original project team who provide guidance and advice to AHEAD – hosted a Town Hall session to aid the development of the ALTITUDE Community.

148 participants registered for this session, and the discussion, SLIDO engagement exercises and feedback received at the event directly shaped our approach to the development of the Community.

Purpose

The ALTITUDE Community of Practice brings together students and staff across tertiary education who are committed to embedding Universal Design in their practice and more widely in their institutions. It provides a supportive space to build capacity, exchange resources and practical solutions, share experiences and promote systemic change.

Scope

The community membership will span the full breadth of tertiary education, including:

• Further Education and Training (FET) at all levels
• Higher Education (HE)
• Non-commercial organisations which support those sectors
• Students, academics, teaching and professional staff
• Staff in both leadership and support roles
• Students and staff from organisations that have already adopted ALTITUDE, and those interested in applying UD and/or adopting ALTITUDE in the future

Examples of questions which may be initially explored within the community based on Town Hall feedback include both broad topics like:

• How do we secure leadership (including middle management) buy-in for a universal design approach?
• Where should we prioritise resources for UD application when there’s so much to do?
• What are the most effective institutional structures to oversee the governance of universal design and implementation of ALTITUDE?
• How do we engage learners more effectively in the universal design agenda?
• Why should we measure the impact of UD efforts and how can we do it effectively?

Embedding UD in policy and practice will also be shared and explored under the four pillars of the charter:

• Learning, Teaching & Assessment;
• Supports, Services & Social Engagement;
• the Physical Environment;
• and the Digital Environment

Core Values

The ALTITUDE Community is guided by a set of shared values that underpin how members are expected to interact and collaborate:

1. Inclusion: Ensuring that all voices are welcomed and valued and that a accessibility is considered in modes of participation
2. Respect: Valuing diverse perspectives and expertise, and fostering a psychologically safe space for members to share differing views
3. Collaboration: Working together across roles, institutions, and sectors to enhance our understanding of UD and share our resources
4. Curiosity: Openness to learn about UD applications and research in areas outside our individual roles, and sharing experiences, challenges and uncertainties honestly
5. Practicality: Focusing on pragmatic, real-world application and evidence-based solutions that can improve the learner experience

This community is open to staff and students who are:

• Committed to embedding Universal Design in their own work and contributing to wider institutional change in this area
• Working or studying in a Further Education and Training or Higher Education setting on the Island of Ireland or in a non-profit organisation which supports these sectors
• Not representing a commercial enterprise or promoting a commercial service/product
• Aligned with and prepared to uphold the expressed values of the Community (see above)

Members of the ALTITUDE Community of Practice will connect and collaborate through a variety of engagement methods, including the following:

Community Sessions

2-3 (mostly online) sessions annually, focused on sharing practice, exploring challenges, and highlighting innovative approaches around a particular UD theme/topic. Community members will have the opportunity to collectively decide on future topics to address, and to contribute their practice to these sessions view presentations and/or leading discussions. These sessions will balance ‘speaker’ led content from the community, and opportunities for discussion and ideation.

Community members can submit an expression of interest to share any of the following at an upcoming Community Session:

• Example/Case Study of ALTITUDE implementation e.g. institutional governance arrangements, strategic actions
• Example/Case Study of a Universal Design project or initiative embedding UD in practice in one of the four pillars of ALTITUDE
• Exploratory idea [e.g. how to get leaders bought in to UD agenda]
• Educational/Research based session [e.g. what is X, what research say about UD in Y]

LinkedIn Group

The LinkedIn group is a private online community that supports ongoing asynchronous discussion, networking, and the sharing of new UD research, resources, ideas, and updates related to UD practice and the ALTITUDE Charter. It provides a space for members to connect with peers, share examples of successful initiatives, and learn from one another’s experiences.

Group members can also use this forum to seek advice, ask questions, and engage in conversations about advancing UD-focused practices, policies, and cultures within their institutions, as well as sharing calls for participation in related research.

By fostering collaboration and peer learning, the group helps build a supportive network of professionals committed to creating more inclusive and accessible learning environments. Join the ALTITUDE Linked In Group Here.

Biennial ALTITUDE Summit

A national hybrid gathering to showcase progress, share learning, and strengthen connections across the sector. The next summit will take place in March 2028. You can see the programme and video content for the inaugural ALTITUDE Summit held in 2026 here.

Informal Meetups at Other UD Events

There will be opportunities for smaller sub-groups of the community to connect at other Universal Design and education-related events across the country.

Resource Sharing

Resources related to ALTITUDE will be stored in a dedicated ALTITUDE Community area of the HEA’s National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning Resource Hub (Coming Soon).  This community-curated hub will contain practical tools, guidelines, case studies, and examples of Universal Design in action across institutions.  Resource sharing will be encouraged by Community Members and available publicly.  The intellectual property of all resources uploaded by Community members must be owned by them and must be open educational resources provided under a creative commons license.

The 3 key steps to take in order to join this Community and get notified of ALTITUDE Community activities is:

1. Sign up to join the ALTITUDE Community Mailing List – this ensures you are notified by email of key ALTITUDE activities
2. Join the ALTITUDE Linked In Group if you are a LinkedIn user – this is a place for asynchronous dialogue about UD in tertiary education, exchange of related resources or research, and notification of national or international events related to UD, accessibility or UDL.
3. If you wish, post about your participation on Linked In or other social platforms and encourage others to join using this message as a template:

I’ve joined the ALTITUDE Community to share practice and dialogue with other Irish based FET and Higher Education colleagues interested in embedding universal design in tertiary education.  

Interested?

You can join the Linked In Group here: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/32820087/

Or the mailing list here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=uGz8vUI7OkCU3U7z2zMPG1a4S8AdnApBjv58C15VqzBUREM1N0tXWEo1OFM0VTQ1MUxYOFdINkdIMy4u

Participation in the ALTITUDE Community of Practice offers a range of benefits for individuals and institutions:

• Access to a supportive network of peers and experts
• Opportunities to share and showcase your work
• Exposure to new ideas, tools, and approaches
• Enhanced confidence in applying Universal Design principles
• Contribution to sector-wide change and impact

Importantly, participation also helps to reduce isolation by connecting individuals who may be working on Universal Design within different contexts but with shared goals.

The ALTITUDE Community of Practice is intended to evolve over time in response to the needs and priorities of its members and the wider sector. As the implementation of the ALTITUDE Charter progresses, the community will play an increasingly important role in:

• Supporting sustained practice change
• Identifying emerging challenges and opportunities
• Building leadership and capacity across institutions
• Contributing to national dialogue and policy development

By working collectively, the community can help ensure that Universal Design becomes a lived reality across tertiary education.