Students with disabilities - A guide for international students
Can I participate in an exchange programme?
The Erasmus exchange programme, in which higher education institutions in the EU/EEA and Turkey participate, supports the mobility of European students and there are particular efforts to include students with disabilities. A good source of additional information for disabled students considering an exchange programme is the website Study Abroad Without Limits.
What supports are available in Ireland for international students with disabilities?
As with many other countries of the European Union, Ireland enjoys a relatively high degree of integration of students with disabilities in its education system.
The universities and some of the other higher educational institutions have Access Officers. While the main universities and institutes of technology provide some level of additional facilities for students with a specified disability, Irish daily life could not yet be considered to be fully accessible and open to all people with disabilities. The National Disability Authority (NDA) works to address this.
What is the lead organisation for disabled students in higher education?
AHEAD (Association for Higher Education Access and Disability) is an independent non-profit organisation working to promote full access to and participation in further and higher education for students with disabilities and to enhance their employment prospects on graduation.
Publications: The Equal Status Act 2000 - A Brief Guide for Students with Disabilities.
Resource Guide: Third Level Disability Services / Associations Related to Disability
AHEAD, East Hall, UCD, Carysfort Avenue, Blackrock, Co Dublin. Tel: +353 1 7164396. Email: ahead@ahead.ie
Last updated: July 2011