Meeting the Moment: Reimagining Disability Support in an Era of Growing Participation

The number of disabled students enrolling in further and higher education has grown significantly in Ireland and internationally over recent decades. In Ireland, for example, approximately one in five new entrants to higher education now identifies as disabled, according to Higher Education Authority data. This reflects the success of widening participation initiatives, stronger national and international rights/policy frameworks, improved awareness and diagnosis, direct student advocacy campaigns, and an increasing confidence among students in sharing their disability status.

Alongside the increase of disabled students, greater attention is also being paid to tertiary education institutions as inclusive employers, with growing recognition of the experiences and support needs of disabled staff.

This increased representation of both students and staff is a remarkable success story. However, it also presents one of the most significant challenges facing disability support in tertiary education today. Specialist disability support services are working harder than ever within systems that were designed for a very different scale of demand. Institutions are striving to uphold the rights of students and staff, to deliver personalised support, and to avoid staff burnout.

Across the sector, many are asking the same question: What do effective, individualised systems of disability support look like when one in five students identifies as disabled?

The building of sustainable models that respond to the changing needs of increasingly diverse learning and working communities is a challenge that requires collaboration across our institution to meet the moment.

Effective disability support systems depend not on a single point, but on the connections between many. Disability Support Services remain at the heart of inclusive practice, but increasingly they must work in partnership with academic staff, senior leaders, professional services, digital learning teams, estates, HR, students and many others to develop support systems that are both personalised and sustainable while remaining effective

The Meeting the Moment Conference from AHEAD invites students, practitioners, researchers, leaders and policymakers from across tertiary education to explore how disability support models can rise to the challenge of effective inclusion in an era of mass participation. Together, we will examine new models of practice, share emerging evidence, challenge established assumptions and consider how more connected and distributed systems of support can strengthen inclusion while meeting a growing demand across tertiary education.

Doing 'business as usual' is no longer an option. We invite you to contribute your ideas, research and experience to help shape the next generation of disability support practices.

We welcome proposals that align with one of the following themes:

Theme 1- Innovative Models of Disability Support

Share projects, initiatives or institutional approaches that are rethinking how disability support is designed and delivered. Contributions may focus on new service models, cross-institutional collaboration, technology-enhanced service delivery, partnership approaches or other innovations that respond to increasing demand while maintaining high-quality, personalised support.

Theme 2- Elevating Lived Experience

Showcase projects, partnerships and structures that place disabled students and staff at the centre of meaningful institutional change through co-creation, participatory practice and lived experience leadership.  This theme celebrates initiatives that amplify the voice of disabled students and staff, recognising lived experience as a vital source of expertise and fostering a culture where disabled perspective are valued, imbedded, and influential.

Theme 3- Big Ideas to Meet the Moment

A space for bold thinking, emerging concepts and constructive debate. We welcome thought-provoking proposals that challenge existing assumptions, explore future directions or stimulate discussion about the systems change needed to support disability inclusion over the coming decade.  We encourage innovative, ambitious, and even unconventional ideas that have the potential to inspire new ways of thinking.

Theme 4- Research in the Field

Present new research, evaluation or evidence relating to disability support, disability inclusion or any of the conference themes, helping to strengthen the evidence base for policy and practice.

Interactive Workshop (45 minutes)

Highly participative session designed to invigorate the audience through discussion, activities, problem-solving, or skills development.  Workshops must be interactive and involve audience engagement.  

Short Presentation (15 minutes)

An opportunity to share research, case studies, institutional initiatives, or examples of effective practice in more detail.

Lightning Talk (6 minutes)

Concise presentation highlighting just the takeaways of an innovative idea, project, resource, or key learning. Lightning talks are meant to be sharp, poignant, and an opportunity for the audience to to learn the basics about your project which they may then research furhter.

Exhibition- posters, technologies, etc.

A visual showcase of research, projects, initiatives, or student experiences, with opportunities for discussion. These posters and technologies will be on display and require audience innitiative.

Unique Session Format - In-person or online

Do you have another unique session format that you would like to propose to us? We are excited to hear your creative ideas. Please explain the format, aim and why you think this format will be succesful.