Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 March 2022
433. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the supports in place to assist persons with disabilities to transition from second-level education to third-level education or employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13132/22]
View answer434. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the planning his Department engages in to provide supports and places for students with disabilities transition from secondary education to third-level education and follow-on courses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13133/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 433 and 434 together.
Equity of Access to Further and Higher Education continues to be a national priority for the Government and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. Inclusion is a key goal in my Department's Statement of Strategy.
It is important to state the National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education 2015-2021 (NAP) set targets to increase participation in higher education by people with disabilities. Specific targets have been set to increase participation in higher education by students with physical or sensory disabilities. The original (8%) and revised target (12%) under the National Access Plan of new entrants to higher education with disabilities has now been exceeded, with 12.2% of new entrants to higher education in 2019/20 declaring a disability.
However, we acknowledge more needs to be done. Work on the development of the next National Access Plan (NAP) 2022 - 2026 is well advance. One-to-one stakeholder meetings around the specific target groups to be supported for the period of the next NAP have almost concluded. Colleagues in my Department are working closely with the HEA on the development of the new Plan with the intention of publishing the plan in early 2022. An additional €5million has been set aside for this plan.
The Fund for Students with Disabilities (FSD) supports participation by students with a disability in further and higher education. €9.6m is allocated to the Fund annually for both Further and Higher Education. In 2019/2020, circa 16,000 students were supported through the fund.
In January 2021, I approved a number of strategic projects under the Fund for Students with Disabilities (FSD) aimed at supporting students with disabilities to access and engage with higher education. The initiatives, which involve 24 higher education institutions (HEI) and €5.8m in expenditure, are broad and are aimed at improving access to higher education for people with a disability, to improving college campuses and to assist staff with training and development. Among the projects are a number of projects for students with autism including the establishment of autism friendly rooms across nine different campuses, the development of assistive technology including for students with disabilities, an app to help students with visual or hearing impairment navigate their way around campus and specialist assistance for students who are deaf.
There are a range of supports available in the FET sector for learners with a disability, as well as provision of specific programmes for learners with a disability who may require more intensive supports through Specialist Training Provision. Guidelines for practitioners in relation to implementing a Universal Design for Learning, or UDL, approach in the FET sector were published by SOLAS last year, and this approach aims to reduce obstacles to learning by taking into account the needs of learners of diverse backgrounds and abilities.
The FET sector is committed to increasing levels of inclusion through the provision of high quality, more accessible and flexible education and training programmes and supports suited to the identified needs of individuals, including for learners with a disability.
My Department will continue to keep existing provision and initiatives under review. We want to develop a better understanding of what works best within the different models, and to look at how we can assist people to access and progress through higher and further education and training. Thus ensuring that we grow prosperity across communities and build social cohesion, while also recognising the different needs of learners and enabling each and every one of them to develop to their full potential.
