Trinity College Dublin, Disability Service, 2011

Trinity College Dublin, Disability Service, 2011

Pathways to Trinity – The Disabled Student Journey

The Disability Service Strategic Outreach, Transition, Retention and Progression Plan 2011 – 2014

http://www.tcd.ie/disability/strategic-plan/

Reviewed and updated October 2013, all web links correct on 14th October

Table of Contents

Introduction 4

Aims and Objectives 7

Data Analysis 8

Policy Background 13

The Disability Service model of support 16

Research, dialogue and new initiatives 18

Appendix 1: Disability Service Strategic Operational Plan 19

Phase 1: Pre-entry, admission and the first year experience 19

Overview 19

Activities 19

Linked OECD recommendations: 22

Phase 2: Building and maintaining a college career 24

Overview 24

Activities 24

Linked OECD recommendations: 26

Phase 3: Progressing through College to employment 28

Overview 28

Activities 28

Linked OECD recommendations: 30

Appendix 2: Policy direction influencing the DS strategic direction. 32

National policy 32

Institution-wide approaches to access 35

Enhancing access through lifelong learning 35

Investment in widening participation in higher education 36

Widening participation in higher education for people with disabilities 36

International policy 37

References 38

Introduction

Disabled students experience significant changes in their learning environment, teaching approaches and peer and social networks when they progress to higher education (HE). These changes continue throughout their College career and into the world of work. The experience is fraught with additional challenges which include issues related to concise, transparent and easily accessible information about course choice and access routes, and supports provided in College and into employment.

Supplementary admission routes such as the Disability Access Route to Education (DARE), which discriminate positively towards disabled students, are raising awareness amongst students and their families. There has been a steady increase in those gaining places via this route in Trinity College Dublin (TCD) (35 in 2009, 45 in 2010, 72 in 2011) in addition to disabled students entering first year on merit (108 in 2009, 88 in 2010, 75 in 2011). There is a lack of data on the completion of Leaving Certificate and progression to HE for specific target groups, and the reasons for low uptake in these groups have not been documented.

Table 1 (Data Analysis Section) presents combined data from the National Disability Survey 2006 (CSO, 2006) and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE, 2009a and 2009b). Whilst this data indicates the potential number of students with physical and sensory disabilities applying to HE, the actual number of applications is seven times less than non-disabled school leavers. The NCSE reports indicate specifically that students with sensory impairments experience significant educational disadvantage at primary and secondary level as a result of their disability. This explains why so few are applying through the CAO for places in Higher Education.

It is recognised that while all students find the transition from school to college a complex process, disabled students have particular pressures. Transition assessment and planning is legislated across all states in the USA via the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004, 2006) and is increasingly the focus of longitudinal studies in the UK such as Aston et al. (2005). However, no equivalent initiatives are provided currently at a national level in Ireland. For disabled students the transition to HE is a complex process and there is a systemic ‘disconnect’ between the levels of education, and no clear transition planning takes place. Cohen and Spenciner (1996) point out that in many cases the transition programme is considered to be a ‘once off, one-time’ event, rather than an on-going process. This is reflective of the current framework within Irish schools, where Transition Year is seen as a defined, stand-alone period occurring before the beginning of the senior cycle, with little or no measurable progression of development across the senior cycle to the point of transition into HE.

The NCCA / ESRI study on transition from primary to post primary education (Smyth et al., 2004) proffered a number of key factors in smooth transition which could equally be applied to the second / third level transition process.

Pre-entry contact between service providers in the HEI, incoming students and where necessary parents to address any anxieties and concerns.

•  Information from the secondary school to the HEI service providers concerning academic achievement, learning style, adaptive strategies such as assistive technology.

•  Positive role models in the form of student mentors, buddy systems and student ‘stories’.

•  An environment and ethos in school that actively encourages students to apply to HE.

•  Careful monitoring of student progress during the first year of transition to ensure that supports are provided in an effective and timely manner.

Preliminary research conducted by TCD Disability Service (DS) indicates that the number of students in the Higher Education Authority (HEA) target groups (HEA, 2008) has not increased significantly (Table 2), and that the transition process for disabled students spans their entire academic life. Aligning this research with College and national policies, the DS has developed a transition plan – the Student Journey. This involves three distinct phases of academic life:

·  Pre-entry.

·  Progression through college.

·  Progression into employment.

Each stage is outlined in this document and includes a research element, service activity and provision of relevant supports and feedback from stakeholders, most importantly, the student. A transition planning tool will be developed for each stage of the journey, and a unique website has been developed to support this new initiative: Pathways to Trinity http://www.tcd.ie/disability/prospective/

Aims and Objectives

1.  Develop effective transition initiatives in order to promote TCD as a first choice option for students with disabilities.

2.  Increase the numbers of students with sensory, physical and multiple disabilities in higher education as stated in the College Access & Strategic Plan 2009-2013 and the National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education 2008 -2013.

3.  Engage students and their families, expert bodies, community agencies and practitioners in pre and post-entry activities in preparation for the transition to College and the promotion and development of clear routes of progression from College to employment for students with a disability.

4.  Identify factors that function as either promoters or barriers for students with disabilities applying to higher education, including mature applicants and students applying with FETAC qualifications.

5.  Ensure support systems in College are fit for purpose by conducting evidence based research to determine needs and supports for specific user groups, and to monitor performance and delivery of those supports.

6.  Identify transferable skills across the College experience which will promote and encourage independence, self-determination, self-advocacy and employability.

Data Analysis

TCD is recognised as having the highest number of disabled students in HE in Ireland (AHEAD, 2009, 2010), and Figure 1 illustrates the dramatic increase in student numbers between 2007 and 2011. HEA and TCD strategic targets for 2013 are to double the numbers of students with sensory, physical and multiple disabilities with corresponding levels of support. However participation by these target groups has diminished from 18.7% in 2006, to 15.8% in 2010. While the actual numbers of students is increasing, proportionately they continue to be under-represented compared to other disability cohorts (Figure 1).

Figure 1 TCD student registrations 2007/08 to 2010/11.

While most groups have doubled in numbers over a four year period, the rate of increase for Deaf / Hard of Hearing and physical disabilities has only increased marginally. Over the next two to three years DS will actively engage with community organisations and action groups such as the Irish Deaf Society, National Council for the Blind Ireland, Irish Wheelchair Association and Enable Ireland. In addition, the DS will identify strategic partners in the Visiting Teachers Service to focus on communicating with students to raise awareness of supports in TCD and to increase the educational expectations of school leavers. The DS3 project is a good example of what can be achieved to support prospective and current students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. Similar initiatives are being developed for students with physical disabilities and those who are Blind or Visually Impaired.

Table 1 illustrates the numbers and age groups of people with sensory and physical disabilities nationally, those applying through the CAO, and those disclosing a disability through the DARE process. In 2010 the total number of people in Ireland with a sensory or physical disability was 292,200, and of these 1,189 were aged 18 (of school leaving age). A further 5,483 (19 to 22 years) would most likely have left school but were not yet old enough to apply to HE as mature students, whilst 72,115 (23 to 54 years) represent potential mature applicants. The ratio of 1 to 57 is the number of school leavers to those aged 23 to 54. The average incidence per 1,000 of the population for either a sensory or physical disability ranges between 2.58 and 2.98. The incidence can be used as a baseline to predict the occurrence of these categories in CAO applications. In 2010 there were 70,000 applications which would predict applicants from those with physical or sensory disabilities as being between 542 and 625; the actual number was 168. Of these 119 met the criteria for DARE eligibility; 49 did not.

Table 1 National statistics for target groups 2010

Students registered with the DS in these groups have been consistently low since the service began. Despite small increases in these groups since 2007, the rapid increases in other disability groups over the same period means that, proportionately, the number of students with sensory and physical disabilities has been declining. The averaged total of these three groups from 2003 to 2010 is 92. The target for 2013 is to double the collective baseline from 74 in 2007 to 148 (Table 2). Similarly, the cohort for Autistic Spectrum Disorders and Attention Deficit Disorder are significantly under-represented, given incidence within the general population.

Category of Disability / 03/04 / 04/05 / 05/06 / 06/07 / 07/08 / 08/09 / 09/10 / 10/11
Blind / VI / 19 / 13 / 12 / 13 / 12 / 18 / 20 / 23
Deaf / HoH / 41 / 38 / 35 / 31 / 23 / 25 / 32 / 27
Physical / 38 / 42 / 40 / 35 / 39 / 51 / 56 / 53
ASD / 3 / 0 / 1 / 7 / 3 / 9 / 14 / 25
ADHD / 0 / 7 / 0 / 1 / 7 / 14 / 21 / 28
MH / 30 / 35 / 59 / 56 / 60 / 85 / 112 / 119
Total / 98 / 93 / 87 / 79 / 74 / 94 / 108 / 103

Table 2 TCD statistics for target groups 2003 - 2010

There is a significant mismatch between the number of second level students with disabilities leaving school, and those entering further and HE. More significantly, no data exists to explain or describe what happens to these students when they leave formal education. The World Health Organization / World Bank Report on Disability (2011, p. 277) specifically recommends the following action points with respect to education:

·  Involve the broader community in activities related to the education of children

with disabilities. This is likely to be more successful than policy decisions handed down from above.

·  Develop links between educational services and community-based rehabilitation and other rehabilitation services, where they exist. In this way, scarce resources can be used more efficiently, and education, health care, and social services can be properly integrated.

·  Encourage adults with disabilities and disabled people’s organizations to become more involved in promoting access to education for children with disabilities.

As part of its Operational Plan 2011, DS will be initiating a programme of community-linked events to meet these recommendations.

Retention of students with disabilities in TCD

The ‘Pathways to Education’ report (2010) tracked the progress of students with disabilities in nine HEIs in 2005. Findings indicated that students with disabilities - similar to their non-disabled peers – were most likely to leave in the first year, and, compared to their non-disabled peers, they are more likely to graduate and more likely to take longer doing so. The retention rate of students with a disability entering TCD in 2005 is 93% (Pathways to Education, 2010). This corresponds closely with cumulative figures since 2005. Tables 3 to 6 indicate the overall retention rates for 1,303 students registered with the DS during the period January 2007 to June 2011, detailing the progression of supplementary entry, mature entry and merit entry students. Across these three sub-groups the withdrawal rate varies only between 6.28% for supplementary entry and 7.29% for mature entry. However, it is important to point out that over 60% of these 1,303 are current students who disclosed post entry. The high proportion of current students is the result of a significant increase in students who registered in 2009 and 2010.

All DS / Number / % /
Current / 819 / 62.84
Graduates / 399 / 30.62
Withdrawn / 85 / 6.54
Total / 1,303

Table 3 Student Retention Patterns 2007 to 2011

Mature / Number / % /
Current / 126 / 65.96
Graduates / 53 / 27.74
Withdrawn / 12 / 6.28
Total / 191

Table 4 Mature Entry 2007 to 2011

Supplementary / Number / % /
Current / 173 / 63.13
Graduates / 81 / 29.56
Withdrawn / 20 / 7.29
Total / 274

Table 5 DARE entry 2007 to 2011

Merit / Number / % /
Current / 520 / 62.05
Graduates / 265 / 31.65
Withdrawn / 53 / 6.32
Total / 838

Table 6 Merit entry 2007 to 2011

Policy Background

The Office of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD, 2011) completed its final review of international policy and practice for students with disabilities engaging in higher education and / or post-secondary activities, or employment. Details of this and national policy, primarily the HEA National Access Plan 2008-2013, are available in the Appendices. The main College policy documents which set out objectives in relation to widening participation of disabled students are:

Trinity College Access Plan 2009-13

http://www.tcd.ie/vpcao/academic-development/assets/pdf/accessplan2009-2013.pdf