Vol. 574 No. 2
134 Mr. Boyle asked the Minister for Education and Science his plans to improve the participation rate of people with disabilities in third level education, in view of the fact that only 2% of students are registered as disabled compared to 10% of the national population. [26615/03]
The fund for students with disabilities, which is ESF-aided, was introduced in 1994. It is administered by my Department and provides funding to students with disabilities attending courses in third level institutions and, since 1998, in post-leaving certificate centres. The purpose of the fund is to provide students with serious physical and-or sensory disabilities with grant assistance towards the cost of special equipment, special materials and technological aids, targeted transport services, personal assistants and sign language interpreters.
Under the social inclusion measures in the national development plan, there is provision for a third level access fund totalling almost €121 million over the period 2000 to 2006 aimed at tackling under-representation by a number of target groups including students with a disability. The report of the action group on access to third level education, which was established to advise on the development of a co-ordinated strategy to increase participation by the target groups, was published in 2001.
Provision for the fund for students with disabilities has increased from €101,579 in 1994 to €3,737,700 in 2002 which is at a level more than double that recommended in the action group's report. The number of beneficiaries has also increased significantly, from 314 in 1999 to 1,058 in 2002. New applications to the fund in respect of the 2003-04 academic year are being processed.
In addition to the fund, between 1996 and 2002, as part of its targeted initiative funding programme, the Higher Education Authority has allocated more than €5.5 million towards activities focused on supporting increased access for students with a disability. Among the activities funded have been the employment of specialist staff, the training of academic and non-academic staff, the establishment of units for provision of assistive technology training and support for students and staff, careers support for students with a disability, pre-entry outreach and taster programmes and post-entry orientation and support. The Higher Education Authority also continues to provide capital funding to assist colleges in making existing buildings and facilities universally accessible.
With regard to participation by students with a disability in third level education, it is estimated by AHEAD, the Association for Higher Education Access and Disability, that there are some 1,800 students with a disability in third level institutions this year as against some 450 in 1994, a significant increase.
A key recommendation of the action group on access to third level education was that a national office for equity of access to higher education should be established in the Higher Education Authority to facilitate the aim of increasing third level access by the target groups in partnership with the Department of Education and Science, the third level institutions and other stakeholders and agencies.
