Lecturer in UDL and Manager of the UDL HE Centre of Excellence, ATU. Programme Chair Teaching, Learning & Assessment

A national UDL leader, Lecturer Maureen Haran manages the UDL Centre of Excellence at Atlantic Technological University. Maureen works with educational development teams to design and implement inclusive education practices at regional and national levels. She is the programme chair and Lecturer on the Post Graduate Certificate/ MA in UDL.

Dr Lindsay Malone is the Chief Executive of Kilkenny and Carlow Education and Training Board (KCETB). She brings over twenty years of leadership experience across further and higher education, previously serving as Director of Further Education and Training with WWETB and Deputy Head of the Faculty of Lifelong Learning at SETU Carlow. A passionate advocate for lifelong learning, social justice, and widening participation, she has lectured across BA and MA programmes. A Tramore native, she holds degrees in Applied Social Studies, Teaching and Learning, Child, Youth and Family Studies, and a PhD in Education and Social Justice.

Dr Deirdre Mc Hugh is the Universal Design Manager and Access Officer at the University of Galway and is based in the Office of the Vice-President for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. Her recent work on Universal Design (UD) of the built environment, her background in educational development, and over a decade of experience as a university teacher, give her key insights into how accessibility barriers can impact learning. 

Collaboration is central to Deirdre’s work, and she has worked with colleagues and students across units and functions in her home institution on a range of projects to improve accessibility and embed UD, and on national projects, including the development of the ALTITUDE Charter for UD in Tertiary Education. Her work is informed by the lived experience of students, colleagues and members of the public who experience barriers to accessibility and inclusion. She has presented her work at international conferences, including UD2024 and the European Access Network (EAN) Conference 2024. She was the conference lead on the EAN 2025 Conference, hosted by University of Galway in June 2025, in partnership with the Centre for Excellence in Universal Design, part of the National Disability Authority, and they will continue this partnership to co-host the 8th International Biennial Conference in Universal Design, UD2026 in November 2026.

Helena Farrell is the Universal Design Lead with Cork Education and Training Board (CETB), where she provides strategic leadership to embed Universal Design & the implementation of the Altitude Charter across further education, training, and organisational practice. With a prior background in healthcare, Helena brings to Universal Design a strong commitment to social justice and a human centred approach, with emphasis on co-creation, learner voice, and sustainable systems change. She holds post grad qualifications in special & inclusive education, educational leadership and is currently completing a Masters of Education, where her dissertation looks at the learner experience of UDL interventions in further education.

Niamh leads the strategic planning and delivery of academic support and educational development at ATU, advancing excellence in teaching and learning across the institution. She oversees the UDL Centre of Excellence, the Advance HE–ATU ENGAGE Programme, and the Academic Support Centres. Niamh holds degrees in Nursing, Management and Education, including a Doctorate in Education, and is a Principal Fellow of Advance HE.