INHEF Special Feature

The INCLUDE-ID Network: An Overview

The INCLUDE-ID (The Inclusive Network for Collaborative Learning, Understanding and Development in Education for people with Intellectual Disabilities) Network is a cross-institutional collaborative initiative for HEIs that deliver third-level programmes and undertake research related to students with intellectual disabilities. The network is currently comprised of seven HEIs in Ireland, including Trinity College Dublin, Atlantic Technological University (ATU), Maynooth University, Technological University Dublin (TUD), The University of Galway, Dundalk Institute of Technology (DKIT), and Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design, and Technology (IADT). Through a collaborative approach, the INCLUDE-ID Network aims to enhance course provision and practitioner knowledge, inform policy and promote equitable access to further and higher education for people with intellectual disabilities. The INCLUDE-ID Network works towards these objectives through a range of activities, including research, the development of learning resources, workshops and cross-institutional knowledge sharing. 

PATH 4 Phase 2 

Launched by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS) and the Higher Education Authority (HEA) in 2023, PATH 4 Phase 2 is a three-year pilot project which funded the development of eleven third-level programmes for people with intellectual disabilities across Ireland. Given the relatively limited opportunities students with intellectual disabilities had to access third-level education up until this point (Aston, 2019), PATH 4 Phase 2 was a major milestone for inclusive education in Ireland, expanding both the number of third level institutions offering programmes and the range of courses available to students with intellectual disabilities. 

Collaboration in Action 

The introduction of PATH 4 Phase 2 raised important questions for higher education institutions regarding how third level programmes for students with intellectual disabilities would be designed, delivered, and sustained beyond the pilot phase. Historically, many of these educational initiatives have been framed as nice to have or as social add-ons, reflecting a charitable model of disability rather than a human rights-based approach (Oliver, 1990; Shakespeare, 2013). The persistence of structural, attitudinal, and resourcing barriers in higher education underscores why relying on discretionary provision alone is insufficient to achieve meaningful inclusion (Gull et al., 2025).  Pilot and project-based educational provision have not always been fully recognised as an expression of students’ full entitlement to higher education as a core human right, highlighting the need for such programmes to be mainstreamed and embedded as integral components of higher education systems. Consequently, it is apparent that genuine inclusion cannot be realised without deliberate changes to university structures and processes, moving beyond fragmented provision towards systemic, collaborative, and rights-based models of educational practice. 

Evidence from existing inclusive postsecondary education (IPSE) internationally suggests that collaboration and peer learning among HEIs can play an important role when developing third level programmes for students with ID (Freedman et al., 2022). With eleven diverse programmes being developed across Ireland, many of which were at varying stages of development, it was recognised that HEIs could benefit from a coordinated, collaborative structure to support each other as they navigate course delivery and research. In response, the INCLUDE-ID Network was established as an initiative for shared learning and systematic evidence-gathering, aiming to enhance HEIs’ collective understanding of how to effectively design, deliver, and sustain programmes for students with ID in the Irish context.  

It is important to note that, while member HEIs actively collaborate within the network, all research, workshops, resources, and opportunities for collaborative support are made publicly available for other universities to learn from, nationally and internationally. 

Core INCLUDE-ID Activities 

Research 

As PATH 4 Phase 2 presents a unique opportunity to gather evidence during the implementation of a pilot scheme not previously introduced in Ireland, undertaking research is a key component of the INCLUDE-ID network’s efforts to inform future policy, practice, and the long-term sustainability of HEI programmes for people with intellectual disabilities. As such, the INCLUDE-ID Network established the‘INCLUDE-ID Research Committee comprised of members from participating HEIs who are responsible for undertaking research activities in the network. Additionally, research activities will guide the development and content of learning materials and future workshops facilitated by the network. 

The INCLUDE-ID Research Committee is also in the process of forming an advisory panel of graduates with intellectual disabilities to review research outputs and materials, ensuring that lived experience is meaningfully integrated into findings and resources informed by the research.  

Workshops and Knowledge Sharing 

The INCLUDE-ID Network also facilitates online, and in-person workshops, events, and knowledge-sharing sessions designed to support HEIs in collectively navigating PATH 4 Phase 2. One such event was the Building Pathways and Supporting Employment workshop, attended by PATH 4 Phase 2 HEIs and facilitated by the Trinity Centre for People with Intellectual Disabilities (TCPID) employment pathways multidisciplinary team, graduates and employment partners. Drawing on almost a decade of experience in this area, the workshop focused on strategies for developing employer partnerships and strengthening support for students in employment. Additional sessions have included a Theory of Change workshop to guide the long-term sustainability of programmes, as well as HEI site visits and meetings to provide resources and promote peer learning.  The INCLUDE-ID Network is also scheduled to host a symposium in 2026 to celebrate the Path 4 Phase 2 initiative, its students, staff and supporters, disseminate insights gained over the three-year period, and explore directions for future development. 

The Value of Networked Collaboration 

Participating higher education institutions consistently identified the INCLUDE-ID Network as a critical enabler of effective implementation and sustainability of PATH 4 Phase 2 programmes. Rather than working in isolation, institutions described the network as providing structured opportunities for collaboration, shared problem-solving, and collective learning at different stages of programme development. This collaborative infrastructure was viewed as essential in supporting quality; consistency; and shared commitment to inclusive higher education.  

Institutions highlighted the importance of peer learning and benchmarking, particularly in navigating a new and evolving policy and practice landscape. 

It helps us to brainstorm and learn from colleagues in other institutions, allows us to benchmark our progress against national standards and provides united research initiatives including multiple institutions.

Collaboration across institutions was also seen as a mechanism for strengthening collective advocacy and reinforcing a shared value-based approach to inclusion, which extends the impact beyond individual programmes.  

Collaboration with others - all working towards improving inclusivity of higher-level education for people with intellectual disabilities helps us all to learn from each other, but also to champion inclusive education and to educate others within higher education, the government and the wider community about the values and benefits of inclusive education for everyone.

Finally, institutions noted that the network’s coordination of training and research activities supported strategic planning and long-term development within their own contexts, particularly given the different stages of programme implementation across HEIs.  

There has been quite a bit of collaboration through INCLUDE-ID. We are at different stages and through this I believe we are gaining different ideas on how best to implement programmes. The coordination in training and research has been hugely beneficial as well, and for helping to guide our institution’s plan for research and continued programme development.

Together, these reflections illustrate how the INCLUDE-ID Network functions as more than a forum for exchange, instead providing a formalised collaborative infrastructure that supports the delivery, development, and sustainability of PATH 4 Phase 2 provision across the Irish higher education sector.  

Looking Ahead 

While the INCLUDE-ID Network first developed through the introduction of PATH 4 Phase 2, system-level collaboration and evidence gathering has emerged as an important component for programme delivery and understanding in this relatively novel area for the Irish education system. As such, the continuation of the network would be essential to support consistent and high-quality course provision and collaboration in this field. Looking ahead, the network aims to further enhance national expertise and sustain programmes beyond the pilot phase through ongoing collaborative research, the development of learning resources and continued peer learning. 

What College Means: Reflections on Year 1 Video 

To capture early experiences of PATH 4 Phase 2 provision, the INCLUDE-ID Network produced a video in 2025, which features students, staff and supporters reflecting on the first academic year of PATH 4 Phase 2. The video showcases students, staff and supporters around Ireland discussing their perspectives on what these programmes mean to them, what their future aspirations are, and what the wider impact of including people with intellectual disabilities in higher education looks like nationally.