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.