HEI Access Services
Access services in the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)
Colleges and universities recognise that not all members of our society have had the same opportunities to benefit from higher education. Students with disabilities, mature learners and students from certain cultural and socio-economic backgrounds, continue to experience a variety of barriers to reaching their full educational potential.
The main focus of the Access Office of any college or universtity is to provide equality opportunity and support to all students so that they reach their full educational potential.
The Irish Government asked colleges and universities to:
- establish links with schools in disadvantaged areas
- facilitate visits to College campuses
- provide information and advice on third level opportunities and
- support activities such as homework clubs and tuition programmes for potential third level entrants.
During the late 1990's each of the seven universities and Dublin Institute of Technology
set up access programmes
in partnership with disadvantaged schools and communities. These programmes offer a continuum of support from school to third level graduation.
Access Offices are strongly committed to significantly increasing the participation rates of all under-represented groups and to the creation of a socially inclusive learning environment for all.
You can contact the access service for each college and university that takes part in the HEAR scheme using the following links:
Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) Developing flexible provision of courses in response to an increasingly diverse range of students has been identified as key strategic issue for the university sector. If you are a student with a disability and you may not be able to meet the points for the course of your choice due to the impact of your disability, then the supplementary admission route – the Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) is for you.
Students with a wide range of disabilities are eligible, including students who:
- Have a physical and mobility disabilities
- Are blind or vision impaired
- Are deaf or hard of hearing
- Have significant ongoing health issues
- Experience significant learning difficulties such as dyslexia
- Have disabilities such as ADD, ADHD or Asperger’s Syndrome
Each college has set entry requirements to each programme; the disability officers for each institution can be contacted for further information using the following links:
DCU – http://www.dcu.ie/info/staff.php3?query=disability
NUIM - http://access.nuim.ie/disability/contact
NUIG – http://www.nuigalway.ie/administration_services/equality/access_and_disability.html
TCD – http://www.tcd.ie/disability/contact/index.php
UCC – http://www.ucc.ie/en/dss/Home/
UCD – http://www.ucd.ie/access/dss_contactdss_staffcontacts.htm
UL – http://www.dsaudiobooks.ul.ie/contactus.php
Mature Students The universities encompass diverse student bodies and actively encourage applications from mature candidates. Mature students are those aged 23 years or above, on 1st January in the year of entry.
Mature students have a wealth of knowledge and experience with which they make a valuable contribution. Many of the Institutions embrace the ethos of lifelong learning and are committed to the objective of widening participation. In order to increase participation of adult learners they continually work towards wider entry routes for mature students.
A range of support is provided within each individual university from advice on computers/technology in learning and study skills, through to health service support, child care and financial aid. For more detailed information visit the admissions pages here:
DCU – http://www.dcu.ie/future_students.shtml
NUIM – http://admissions.nuim.ie/
NUIG – http://www.nuigalway.ie/admissions/
TCD – http://www.tcd.ie/Admissions/
UCC – http://www.ucc.ie/en/ProspectiveStudents/Admissions/
UCD – https://myucd.ucd.ie/prospectivestudents/prospects.ezc
UL - http://www2.ul.ie/web/WWW/Services/Student_Affairs/Student_Administration/Admissions