Video: Third Level Education Options for People with an Intellectual Disability
A presentation by Des Aston from the Trinity Centre for People with Intellectual Disability on third level options. Speakers from five of the programs from the Inclusive National Higher Education Forum also present.
The 2021 -22 Post-school Education Directory, listing resources, supports, and services available in Ireland, is provided below. Click on each organisation logo to be taken to the website of the organisation, for more information on each of the supports listed.
Future Planning 2021/22 - Post-school Education Directory
Ability
What does the organisation do?
Support over 2,600 young people with disabilities aged between 15-29 years old in further education.
What support may they give me?
Focus on projects aimed at assisting young people in their transition from school to further education, training and employment.
Where are they located?
In 27 locations Nationwide.
How are they funded?
Funded through a grant awarded to Trinity Centre for People with Intellectual Disabilities [TCPID] by Social Innovation Fund Ireland [SIFI], The Education Fund [2017-2020]. https://www.pobal.ie/programmes/ability-programme/
Ahead
What does the organisation do?
Creates inclusive environments in education and employment for people with disabilities.
What support may they give me?
Provides information to students and graduates with disabilities, teachers, guidance counsellors and parents on disability issues in education.
Where are they located?
Nationwide
How are they funded?
An independent non-profit organisation https://www.ahead.ie/aboutus
What can I do for you? Disability Support in Higher and Further Education
https://youtu.be/hd9pLYjzumY
Better Options 2020: Student Panel
https://youtu.be/FYJKU6TqU8g
DARE you unlock new pathways to college? Access options to college in Ireland.
https://youtu.be/O_R_aLhrhs4
Technology is your Friend – Assistive Technology can be a long-term friend.
https://youtu.be/ZfJ336hXKGw
Making the most of college – Key tips on College life.
https://youtu.be/K-vR-Dwcb5U
Not sure what or where to go with your studies? Guidance on where to go.
https://youtu.be/f0Ojt7vyKUo
Careers Portal
What does the organisation do?
Selected Colleges Nationwide Student supports, going to college, and third level supports.
What support may they give me?
Online Resources
Where are they located?
Selected Colleges Nationwide
How are they funded?
Private Contractor https://careersportal.ie/index.php
College Connect
What does the organisation do?
A Higher Education Authority (HEA) funded three-year PATH 3 (Programme for Access to Higher Education) project. We aim to admit 400 students from specific target groups, who are under-represented in college
What support may they give me?
Four Irish higher education colleges are working together on the College Connect initiative.
Where are they located?
These colleges are in the Midlands, the East, and North Dublin – and are known collectively as MEND
How are they funded?
Funded by the Department of Education https://collegeconnect.ie/
United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Education, Article 24
States Parties recognize the right of persons with disabilities to education. With a view to realizing this right without discrimination and on the basis of equal opportunity, States Parties shall ensure an inclusive education system at all levels and lifelong learning https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities/article-24-education.html
Disability Access Route to Education
What does the organisation do?
A third level alternative admissions scheme for school leavers whose disabilities have had a negative impact on their second level education.
What support may they give me?
This site will give you all the information you need to make an application.
Where are they located?
Select Colleges Nationwide
How are they funded?
Funded Department of Education https://accesscollege.ie/dare/
Down Syndrome Ireland
What does the organisation do?
Down Syndrome Ireland Adult Education Programme.
What support may they give me?
Focused on students’ literacy skills.
Where are they located?
Various Locations
How are they funded?</br /> Charity
Education and Training Boards (ETBs)
What does the organisation do?
Provide further education colleges and a range of adult and further education centres.
What support may they give me?
Deliver education and training programmes.
Where are they located?
Nationwide with 16 ETBs.
How are they funded?
Funded by https://www.etbi.ie/about-etbi
Further Education and Training (FET)
What does the organisation do?
Offers a wide variety of lifelong education options to anyone over 16 years of age.
What support may they give me?
Apprenticeships, traineeships, post leaving certificate (PLC) courses, community and adult education, as well as core literacy and numeracy services. FET courses are provided at Levels 1 to 6 on the National Framework of Qualification (NFQ).
Where are they located?
Nationwide
How are they funded?
Funded by Department of Education https://www.education.ie/en/the-education-system/further-education-training/
Further Education Support Service
What does the organisation do?
A full-time, year-round consultancy service operating through the Education and Training Boards (ETBs).
What support may they give me?
Support for ETB providers to create student supports.
Where are they located?
Five centres Nationwide
How are they funded?
Funded by the Department of Education and Skills. https://www.fess.ie/about-us/about-the-support-service
Higher Education Authority (HEA)
What does the organisation do?
Provides funding for students with disabilities to assist in attending further and higher education institutions
What support may they give me?
The authority that oversees that students with disabilities have the necessary assistance and equipment to enable them access, fully participate in and successfully complete their chosen course of study.
Where are they located?
Nationwide
How are they funded?
Funded by Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. https://hea.ie/funding-governance-performance/funding/student-finance/fund-for-students-with-disabilities/
INHEF
What does the organisation do?
A national interest group comprised of representatives of higher education providers who offer programmes of inclusive education to learners with intellectual disabilities in Ireland.
What support may they give me?
A forum to provide meaningful education programmes and outcomes for people with intellectual disabilities in Ireland.
Where are they located?
Select Third Level Institutions
How are they funded?
Funded through a grant awarded to Trinity Centre for People with Intellectual Disabilities [TCPID] by Social Innovation Fund Ireland [SIFI], The Education Fund [2017-2020]. http://inhef.ie/about/
Inspired
What does the organisation do?
Began in 2014 by a group of parents of adults with ID who were seeking an alternative to traditional post-secondary institutional settings
What support may they give me?
Inspired provides education, employment opportunities and community participation opportunities for adults with learning disabilities (LD).
Where are they located?
Initially, the organisation was funded entirely from the fundraising initiatives of the parents; now it is part-funded by the European Social Fund and the Health Service Executive.
How are they funded?</br /> Located in County Kerry
Latch On (Down Syndrome Ireland)
Literacy & Technology Hands-On is a two-year literacy programme for adults with Down syndrome, which provides opportunities for adults to commence and continue their literacy development. Latch-On was developed at the University of Queensland, Australia and is now taught in centres across Ireland, for two days a week over two years.
NALA
What does the organisation do?
An independent charity helping with literacy
What support may they give me?
Access to literacy and numeracy learning opportunities
Where are they located?
Nationwide
How are they funded?
Co-funded by the Irish Government and the European Social Fund (ESF) as part of the ESF Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning 2014-2020 https://www.nala.ie/
National Centre for Guidance in Education (NCGE)
What does the organisation do?
An agency of the Department of Education with responsibility to support and develop guidance practice in all areas of education and to inform the policy of the in the field of guidance.
What support may they give me?
Guidance policy and how it involves the student with disability.
Where are they located?
Nationwide
How are they funded?
Funded by Department of Education https://www.ncge.ie/about-us
National Learning Network (NLN)
What does the organisation do?
Provide a range of flexible training courses.
What support may they give me?
Individualised supports for individuals in further education.
Where are they located?
Nationwide 41 centres.
How are they funded?
Funded by https://www.rehab.ie/national-learning-network/
National Council of Special Education (NCSE)
What does the organisation do?
Educational Supports for People with Disability
What support may they give me?
Post Graduate Options Guide
Where are they located?
Nationwide (Special Education Needs Organiser
How are they funded?
Funded by the Department of Education https://ncse.ie/information-booklets-pamphlets-2
One Step Up
What does the organisation do?
One Step Up signposts thousands of people in Ireland every year towards accessing their education and training options by freely providing information
What support may they give me?
A resource of Aontas to discover Nationwide supports
Where are they located?
Multiple locations Nationwide
How are they funded?
Funded by https://www.onestepup.ie/information-booklet/funding/
Post Leaving Cert (PLC) Courses Ireland
What does the organisation do?
PLC Courses and Further Education in Ireland
What support may they give me?
Online resource to locate courses.
Where are they located?
Nationwide
How are they funded?
Funded by https://www.plccourses.ie/
Quality and Qualifications Ireland
What does the organisation do?
QQI (Quality and Qualifications Ireland) is an independent State agency
What support may they give me?
Promoting quality and accountability in education and training services in Ireland.
Where are they located?
Nationwide
How are they funded?
Funded by the Department of Education https://www.qqi.ie/
Qualifax, The National Learners' Database
What does the organisation do?
Ireland’s National Learners’ Database and is the “one stop shop” for learners and the public.
What support may they give me?
Online resource for students, jobseekers, parents, guidance professionals and graduates to make informed choices for education, training and career pathways.
Where are they located?
Nationwide
How are they funded?
Funded by Department of Education https://www.qualifax.ie/
Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP)
What does the organisation do?
Provides funding to tackle poverty and social exclusion through local engagement and partnerships between marginalised individuals, community organisations and public sector agencies.
What support may they give me?
Services through a community development approach to improve people’s lives.
Where are they located?
Nationwide
How are they funded?
Funded by The Department of Rural and Community Development https://www.gov.ie/en/policy-information/6609f4-social-inclusion-and-community-activation-programme-sicap/
Skillnet Ireland
What does the organisation do?
Skillnet Ireland is national agency responsible for the promotion and facilitation of workforce learning in Ireland.
What support may they give me?
Funding for learning networks that provide subsidised training to companies and employees, and free training to job-seekers, through a number of key programmes
Where are they located?
Nationwide
How are they funded?
Funded from the National Training Fund (NTF) through the Department of Education and Skills (DES) https://www.skillnetireland.ie/
SOLAS
What does the organisation do?
Funds the Education and Training Boards (ETBs) and other bodies engaged in the provision of further education and training programmes.
What support may they give me?
Administers the Irish apprenticeship system and has oversight of further education and training programmes.
Where are they located?
Nationwide
How are they funded?
Co-funded by the Irish Government, the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) https://www.solas.ie/
Specific Skills Training (SST) Donegal
What does the organisation do?
Courses designed to provide learners with a range of employability related skills and formal vocational qualifications.
What support may they give me?
To facilitate those entering the labour market for the first time and for people wishing to update or acquire new skills.
Where are they located?
Donegal
How are they funded?
Funded by Government of Ireland https://www.donegaletb.ie/feature/programmes/specific-skills-training-sst/#:~:text=Specific%20Skills%20Training%20(SST)%20courses,update%20or%20acquire%20new%20skills
Springboard
What does the organisation do?
Provides free higher education places for unemployed people.
What support may they give me?
Option for a person to keep their Social welfare payment for as long are they are entitled to it while they are participating on a Springboard course.
Where are they located?
Nationwide
How are they funded?
Funded www.springboardcourses.ie
Spun Out
What does the organisation do?
Where young people aged between 16 and 25 are empowered with the information they need to live active, happy, and healthy lives.
What support may they give me?
College supports for people with disability on the website.
Where are they located?
Online Resource
How are they funded?
Funded by HSE & Pobal https://spunout.ie/search/results?q=Disability
The Right Course
What does the organisation do?
Your one-stop-shop for finding out the opportunities available to you or your employee.
What support may they give me?
A range of options/courses for anyone who is considering their next step in life, at any time in their lives.
Where are they located?
Online Resource Nationwide
How are they funded?</br /> Government Funded
Training Options / Disability Activation Project (DACT)
What does the organisation do?
For people with a disability, 16 to 65 years of age, in receipt of disability/illness welfare
What support may they give me?
Throught the Irish Congress of Trade Unions Training options explored.
Where are they located?
Nationwide
How are they funded?
Funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Department of Social Protection (DSP) and is targeted at the Border, Midlands and Western region (BMW). https://www.ictu.ie/projects/training-options-disability-activation-project-dact/
Trinity Centre for People with Intellectual Disabilities and the School of Education (TCID)
What does the organisation do?
Third Level Options
What support may they give me?
Booklet on “Post-school Transitions for Students with Intellectual Disabilities in the Republic of Ireland”
Where are they located?
Trinity College, Dublin
How are they funded?
Funded by The Higher Education Authority, Government of Ireland & Private Foundations http://www.tara.tcd.ie/bitstream/handle/2262/94978/Aston_Banks_Shevlin_2021.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y&fbclid=IwAR1opX1pzJHaij2KQlne77E9sUWI7v3X0JVayp3TRJFxa2we1-nWCyIfTiw
Tús
What does the organisation do?
A community work placement scheme providing short-term working opportunities for unemployed people.
What support may they give me?
Work opportunities through community and voluntary organisations in both urban and rural areas.
Where are they located?
Nationwide
How are they funded?
The Tús initiative is managed by The LDCs and Údarás na Gaeltachta for DEASP. https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employment/unemployment_and_redundancy/employment_support_schemes/tus.html#
Universal Design for Learning
What does the organisation do?
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a set of principles for curriculum development that give all individuals equal opportunities to learn, including Students with Disabilities.
What support may they give me?
Aims to improve the educational experience of all students by introducing more flexible methods of teaching, assessment and service provision to cater for different styles of learners.
Where are they located?
Various institutions Nationwide
How are they funded?
Funded by https://www.ahead.ie/udl-framework
Vocational training opportunities scheme (VTOS)
What does the organisation do?
Aimed in particular at unemployed people who are early school-leavers.
What support may they give me?
Gives participants opportunities to improve their general level of education, gain certification, develop their skills and prepare for employment, self-employment and Further Education and training.
Where are they located?
Nationwide Local ETBs
How are they funded?
Funded by The Department of Education https://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Services/Further-Education-and-Training/Vocational-and-Training-Opportunities-Scheme-VTOS-/
Youth Guarantee
What does the organisation do?
Offers a young person aged 18 to 24 a job, work experience, apprenticeship, training or combined work and training within a defined period of time after leaving school or becoming unemployed.
What support may they give me?
Offered to young people within 4 months of becoming unemployed.
Where are they located?
Nationwide
How are they funded?
Funded by multiple Government Departments https://www.youth.ie/articles/equality-inclusion-and-intercultural-resources/
Youthreach
What does the organisation do?
Provides two years integrated education, training and work experience
What support may they give me?
For unemployed early school leavers without any qualifications or vocational training who are between 15 and 20 years of age
Where are they located?
Nationwide there are almost 6,000 places available provided by ETBs in over 100 Youthreach centres.
How are they funded?
Funded by https://www.education.ie/en/Learners/Information/Youthreach/
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