3 3.1 National Access Plan and Targets for increased participation: 2015-2019 3.1.1 National Access Plan Vision – The Review of the Fund for Students with Disabilities is an action that has arisen from the National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education 2015-2019 (i.e. The National Access Plan). The National Access Plan has the vision of ensuring that the student body entering, participating in and completing higher education at all levels reflects the diversity and social mix of One of the five Ireland’s population. goals under the Plan to achieve this is the impact of current initiatives to support equity of ‘to assess access in and Objective 2.3 under this goal is review the Fund for Students with Disabilities HEIs’ ‘To (FSD)’. Under the National Access Plan the HEA (and DES) are to increasing participation in higher ‘committed education by groups who have been under-represented’ and one of the groups identified in the Plan as being under-represented is Students with disabilities. While the HEA and the DES are committed to continuing to support students with any category of disability and to ensuring that all students with disabilities can access and participate in higher education on an equal basis, the Plan identifies and focusses on three under-represented groups in the disability community and sets specific targets for entry by those in the each of these groups as well as an overall target for people with disabilities The particular groups targeted are: Entrants from socio-economic groups that have low participation in higher education. • First time, mature student entrants. • Students with disabilities. • Part-time/flexible learners. • Further education award holders. • Irish Travellers. • These target groups cover a range of not just students with disabilities. ‘under-represented groups’, 3.2 Internal Review of FSD (2012) An internal review of the FSD carried out in 2012 identified a number of areas for development: Lack of opportunity for systematic feedback from students; • Lack of comprehensive information on outcomes for students supported by the Fund; • Disparity in the reach and extent of disability support services; • Demand for a for people with disabilities wishing or needing to participate in • ‘level playing field’ education on a part-time basis; Delays in approval of applications for support from students in further education and training; • Need for equal access to psycho-educational assessments for students with specific learning • difficulties; and
3 3.1 National Access Plan and Targets for increased participation: 2015-2019 3.1.1 National Access Plan – Vision The Review of the Fund for Students with Disabilities is an action that has arisen from the National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education 2015-2019 (i.e. The National Access Plan). The National Access Plan has the vision of ensuring that the student body entering, participating in and completing higher education at all levels reflects the diversity and social mix of Ireland’s population. One of the five goals under the Plan to achieve this is ‘to assess the impact of current initiatives to support equity of access in HEIs’ and Objective 2.3 under this goal is ‘To review the Fund for Students with Disabilities (FSD)’. Under the National Access Plan the HEA (and DES) are ‘committed to increasing participation in higher education by groups who have been under-represented’ and one of the groups identified in the Plan as being under-represented is Students with disabilities. While the HEA and the DES are committed to continuing to support students with any category of disability and to ensuring that all students with disabilities can access and participate in higher education on an equal basis, the Plan identifies and focusses on three under-represented groups in the disability community and sets specific targets for entry by those in the each of these groups as well as an overall target for people with disabilities The particular groups targeted are: • Entrants from socio-economic groups that have low participation in higher education. • First time, mature student entrants. • Students with disabilities. • Part-time/flexible learners. • Further education award holders. • Irish Travellers. These target groups cover a range of ‘under-represented groups’, not just students with disabilities. 3.2 Internal Review of FSD (2012) An internal review of the FSD carried out in 2012 identified a number of areas for development: • Lack of opportunity for systematic feedback from students; • Lack of comprehensive information on outcomes for students supported by the Fund; • Disparity in the reach and extent of disability support services; • Demand for a ‘level playing field’ for people with disabilities wishing or needing to participate in education on a part-time basis; • Delays in approval of applications for support from students in further education and training; • Need for equal access to psycho-educational assessments for students with specific learning difficulties; and
HEA-Review-FSD-October2017-1.docx