Support and Reasonable Accommodations in Third Level Education

There are many different supports available to third level students with disabilities. Support is generally offered through a Disability Support Service (DSS). This service can have different names in different institutions, like Access Office or Disability Office. It could also be part of another service, like student support or careers. In some small institutions, there may be one staff member responsible for disability supports.  

If you accessed college through DARE, you will be automatically registered with DSS. If you did not, or if you are a FET learner or apprentice you can contact your institution to see how you can register. You will likely need to provide some proof of your disability. 

When you register with DSS, you will have a needs assessment. This usually involves filling out a form and then having a meeting with a member of staff. Here you'll talk about reasonable accommodations, which are measures put in place to help you succeed. This might include assistive technology, learning support, changes to your exam venue, or receiving content in a format that is accessible to you. You might request a specific accommodation, or you might tell the assessor about a challenge you face and talk to them about potential supports. Working out what accommodations will work is a collaborative process with the institution, which often involves trial and error and compromise. 

Reasonable Accommodations

There are many different types of accommodations and supports that disabled students use. Reasonable accommodations vary based on the student's needs, the activities involved in the course, and the resources and practices in the institution.  

Here’s some examples of accommodations students could use in college: 

• Leo is an art student with ADHD. He gets support from the disability support service with breaking down projects and organising himself to meet deadlines. He sometimes uses audio recording during class to support his note taking. 
• Hassan studies business and he has a vision impairment. Before starting his course, he arranged a mobility orientation in the college. He uses a screen reader and is provided with a computer with this software for his exams. His lecturers ensure the resources they share are accessible to him.  
• Max is a wheelchair user and they study law. Their lectures, tutorials, and exams are scheduled in accessible rooms, with an adjustable desk available for them to use.  
• Tom is a Deaf student studying engineering. An Irish Sign Language interpreter is present in all of his lectures. His lecturers make sure they give regular comfort breaks during their classes. 
• Yara is a student with a chronic illness who studies chemistry. Her lectures are audio recorded so that she can listen to them when she's not able to come in to campus. Her lecturers know that she may need to sit down during labs and accommodate this. She gets rest breaks during her exams.  
• Alana is dyslexic and studies nursing. She uses assistive technology to help with spelling and to allow her to listen to documents instead of reading them. She attends a learning support group to help with her academic writing. She receives extra time and a spelling and grammar waiver in her exams.  

Transitioning from school to third level education

Getting support in third level education is different to in school as you are responsible for reaching out to get the help you need. Additionally, there may be different supports available, such as more assistive technology.  

Your support needs in education might change in the transition from second to third level education as you encounter different types of learning like labs, long lectures, and placements. It's okay to not know everything you need right now! Throughout your journey in third level education you can always go back to the disability support service if an accommodation isn't working for you or if you need more support. It's good to be proactive in reaching out when you notice an issue!