Pathways to Trinity

The Disabled Student Journey -

a new transition strategy & service model is emerging

Disability Service, Trinity College Dublin

27th June 2012

1

Introduction

The Disability Service in Trinity College Dublin launched its Outreach, Transition, Retention

and Progression Plan 2011 – 2014 in September 2011. This strategic plan aims to develop

clear and effective support systems at all stages of the disabled students’ Higher Education

journey. This strategy aims to supports disabled students across their college career, from

pre-entry, through College and into employment. It takes a strategic approach to enhancing

the student experience by engaging prospective students, current students, and staff, with

the intention of improving practice and implementing change across the whole institution.

It is an example of evidence-based practice using on-going data collection and evaluation to

improve the student journey, which is delivered in three stages:

Stage 1: Pre-entry, admission and the first year experience.

Stage 2: Building and maintaining a college career.

Stage 3: Progressing through College to employment.

Each stage of the student journey is aligned to the Strategic Objectives of Trinity College

Dublin (TCD, 2009-2013) and to national targets for disabled students set by the Higher

Education Authority (HEA, 2008-2013) in Ireland. In 2010, the Disability Service (DS) was

asked by the HEA to participate in an OECD study ‘Pathways for Disabled Students to

Tertiary education and Employment’. The resulting report ‘Inclusion of Students with

Disabilities in Tertiary Education and Employment’ (OECD, 2011) provided significant new

knowledge and insight into effective policies and practice to support people with disabilities,

as they move from school into post-secondary education or employment. At each stage,

activities are linked to recommendations from the OECD report. This document, together

with changes in the economic climate, prompted the development of a three stage

approach to the Student Journey, resulting in a clear strategy for assisting disabled students

and graduates to determine their needs in the employment arena.

2

A central focus of this strategy is to assist the student in developing self-awareness, self-

determination and self-advocacy skills as an enabling strategy throughout their College

career. This new model of service delivery can also support in the acquisition of

transferable skills that can be developed across all three stages and aims to encourage the

student to work independently from the beginning of their College career, whilst providing

guidance in the achievement of such independence. This model works most effectively as it

puts the student at the centre of the decision making process as they travel through each

stage with constant feedback mechanisms central to the development of this model. The

focus is not on rehabilitating the disabled individual but in making the College environment

accessible and creating inclusion for the disabled person as a consumer rather than as a

charity case. It is recognised that the real experts, when it comes to designing services, are

those with the closest possible experiences of the issues - disabled people themselves.

As a result of national and HE strategies, the number of disabled students participating in

third level education has grown significantly. The last decade has seen student numbers rise

from 450 in 2000, to over 6,000 in 2010. According to the unpublished AHEAD survey of

participation rates of disabled students (2009, 2010, 2011) TCD has the highest numbers of

disabled students in third level education. Consequently, the number of disabled graduates

entering the labour market is at unprecedented levels. There are few studies relating to the

transition, progression through college and the status of graduates with disabilities in the

Irish labour market, and there is no national data through the HEA First Destination Survey

(HEA 2010) that provides an indication of the employment levels of disabled graduates.

Disabled students are graduating successfully with their peers, albeit with some

discrepancies between grades. Further research is required to ascertain the reasons for the

marked differences in achievement identified in Stage II of this paper. Previous ‘reactive’

strategies adopted by the Disability Service did not focus on the transitional nature of the

student, but primarily worked on retention and adding retro-fit supports to ensure that

students stayed within the system. Inclusive design and future destinations of disabled

students were not part of the agenda.

3

New service model emerging in Disability Services

The DS philosophy in TCD has evolved over the last ten years and now firmly belongs within

a 'social model' of disability - with the premise that disabled people have a right to actively

participate in, and contribute to College, as equals. The social model recognises that

disabled people are prevented from achieving their full potential by the attitude of society,

as well as environmental obstacles such as restrictions in their access to public transport,

entertainment and public places, and in education and employment. Even the language we

use is disabling, the social model recognizes people are disabled by society so disabled

people rather people with disabilities as the preferred language

Service delivery is now clearly aligned to the three strategic stages and follows a multi-

disciplinary approach. The team is made up of professional team of Disability Officers, an

educational psychologist, Occupational Therapists and an Assistive Technologist who aim to

offer a full service based on individual needs as identified by the student/staff member in a

needs assessment process. In order to implement this new transition model of service

delivery the service is building capacity and supporting good practice. Investment in staff is

key to the development of this new model, and College has implemented a professional

development programme (PMDS) for all staff. DS staff have clearly defined strategic and

service objectives http://www.tcd.ie/disability/projects/index.php and have identified

continued professional development activities as key to the provision of quality supports to

disabled students. Examples of CPD include research at Masters and PhD level (stage 1 and

stage 2 activities) and an academic journal club in which all staff actively participate.

The three stages of the Student Journey model will be reviewed each year via the Disability

Service Annual report, available from the DS web pages at:

http://www.tcd.ie/disability/projects/index.php Key performance indicators will measure

success towards increasing the numbers of students progressing through each stage. KPIs

are benchmarked against University College Cork and work is on-going in identifying other

strategic partners nationally and internationally. Additionally strong academic alliances are

being developed with Schools and departments in Trinity and elsewhere. These include

4

Occupational Therapy, Psychology, Education, Engineering, Computer Science and

physiotherapy etc.

Engaging students across the student journey requires an individualised approach.

Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model (1989) argues that the development of the individual

is impacted by the systems within which that individual functions: the microsystem, the

mesosystem, the exosystem, the macrosystem and the chronosystem (Figure 1). Each

system interacts with the other with varying degrees of impact at different times in the

student journey. This is an appropriate model within which to develop service strategy as it

provides a framework that examines the interaction between systems that affect the

educational experience of disabled students.

Figure 1 Bronfenbrenner: ecological theory of child development

Source: Santrock, 2007

Society and the education system in particular, tend to view disabled people as

homogenous members of specific disability groups. For example, all Deaf students are alike;

therefore a strategy / practice / policy for Deaf students can be universally applied.

However this top-down, generic ‘fix’ fails to take into account the bioecology of the Deaf

individual. By contrast, using an ecological framework to research the impact of

5

environmental systems for a Deaf student, permits a wider exploration of competing factors

affecting educational progression. This also allows disability services to move away from the

historic medical ‘reactive’ model of service delivery to a this new way of working which is

proactive and takes many factors and indicators in to account allowing evidence based

research to be the basis of delivery that also meet the new economic climate in which we

work today.

The dominant model of provision at play in the DS is the occupational P-E-O model as

outlined below:

Law et, al. (1996) proposed a Person-Environment-Occupation (PEO) model which allows

one to understand the dynamic nature of occupational performance. A Venn diagram is

used to depict the PEO model as three interrelated elements of person, environment and

occupation. These three elements are seen as dynamic and ever changing and influencing

each other across the lifespan. This model examines the complexity and interaction of

factors related to tasks or outcomes to be achieved by an individual as:

1. Person: The person is deemed to be a unique being who assumes a variety of ever

changing and concurrent roles. The roles vary across time and context in the meaning and

importance attributed to them. Each person is viewed as a whole made up of body mind

and spirit, which includes physical, cognitive and affective attributes.

2. Environment: Environment is viewed as the context in which behaviour takes place and

provides cues to individuals as to what is expected and what they are to do. Elements in the

environment can be viewed as supports or barriers. Environment includes social, intuitional

or organisational, physical contexts and cultural contexts.

3. Occupation: Occupation encapsulates all the tasks and activities that individuals and

want to do on a day to day basis, such as self-care activities, leisure and work / productivity.

(Stewart et, al. 2003)

Thus the process of transition from School to Further / Higher Education and progression

through the student journey, can be supported by using a PEO model that sits within the

6

microsystem of the disabled individual. Given the highly competitive, points-based system

of application to third level education in the Republic of Ireland, juxtaposed with the unique

difficulties that may be encountered by a disabled student, such an approach facilitates the

acquisition of skills such as self-awareness, self-determination and self-advocacy, which are

transferable across the entire student lifecycle.

This paper describes each of the three stages of the student journey and the work that DS

has undertaken to facilitate the student journey model in its first year, 2011-12. The first

part of this paper ‘Stage 1 - Pre-entry activities and the First Year Experience’ discusses

strategies that: provide transparency around college application and supports, and

encourage and provide opportunities for the development of skills required in third level, in

a way that enhances the first year experience of disabled students. Section two focuses on

‘Stage 2 - Principles for transition through higher education ‘, and in particular looks at the

various outcome measures and risk factors that can be used to monitor the effectiveness of

the supports for students with disabilities. Finally, Stage 3, Transition to employment – a

new model is emerging that will allow disabled students and graduates, employers and

Universities to be assured in the employment of confident, self-aware graduates with

disabilities who are empowered to work as effectively as their non-disabled peers.

7

Stage 1 - Pre-entry activities and the First Year Experience

Objectives for Stage 1 of the student journey are identified as:

1. Increase the number of students with sensory, physical and multiple disabilities in

Higher Education as stated in the National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education

2008 - 2013.

2. Engage students and their families, expert bodies, community agencies and

practitioners in in pre-and-post entry activities in preparation for the transition to College.

3. Identify factors that function as either promoters or barriers for students with

disabilities applying to Higher Education.

Stage 1 uses the PEO model, described earlier, as a framework for pre-entry activities and

the first year experience, which is delivered via three strands: the Pathways to Trinity web

strategy, the Pathways Outreach Project, and the Pathways Transition Tool. This model is

included in the Compendium of Effective Practice (HEA, 2012), which presents a wide range

of contributions all focused on improving the student experience. The compendium offers

evidence of good practice that will enable change to take place in institutions with respect

to:

Pre-entry and induction

Learning and teaching

Friendship and peer support

Participation and belonging

Using data to enhance the student experience

Strategic change

8

Admissions schemes

There are significant educational targets that must be achieved in order to qualify for post-

secondary opportunities, which may also constitute an additional hurdle for disabled

students who have experienced disadvantage during their school career. Such disadvantage

is recognized by the Disability Access Route to Education (DARE). DARE is a third level

admissions scheme for secondary school students who have the ability to benefit from and

succeed in HE, but who may not be able to meet the points for a third level course due to

the impact of their disability. In 2010, the scheme was formally absorbed into the CAO

application process as the DARE scheme www.accesscollege.ie. Fourteen third‐level

institutions currently participate in the scheme, which identifies Leaving Certificate students

who are eligible to compete for an offer of a college place on reduced points. The rationale

for this scheme is an acknowledgement that disability can have a negative effect on school

and examination performance, and that this will determine opportunities to access HE.

Despite the DARE initiative, students with sensory and physical disabilities, and students on

the autistic spectrum, continue to be significantly under-represented in HE. In addition, the

total number of students applying through DARE is not increasing year on year. Whilst it is

possible for HEIs and Disability Services in particular to make reasonable assumptions or

guesses as to barriers to, or reasons for, progression and non-progression, evidence-based

practice is crucial to maintaining and improving access routes.

Pre-entry information and activities for disabled applicants

Students and their transition partners require access to relevant information in an

accessible format presented in an uncomplicated, jargon free context. Felsinger and Byford

(2010) identify pre-entry activities as a reasonable adjustment for disabled students and

argue that ‘students can have a smoother transition to higher education, subsequently

influencing their retention and progression’. This study also recommended that strategic

actions for HEIs should include public dissemination of information on reasonable

9

accommodations, entitlements and supports. New undergraduate entrants to Trinity

College Dublin are surveyed at the point of registration in College, with 77% indicating that

they used the College’s main website as a means of extracting or sourcing information.

Converging these two ideas suggests that a dedicated transition website providing

comprehensive information to disabled students would be an effective initiative. Making

decisions on what that information might include requires consultation with stakeholders in

post-secondary transition.

The Irish Universities Quality Board (IUQB) Public Information project (2011) surveyed

second level students (n = 266) and Career Guidance Counsellors (n = 264) throughout

Ireland, to ascertain what types of information should be available on university and other

websites, in a format that is clear and accessible. Students indicated a need for information

on course content and entry routes, clearer and simpler use of language, explanation of

higher education jargon or key words, and provision of a site specific search engine.

Guidance Counsellors indicated a need for course specific information, a glossary of key

terms, realistic accounts of programmes, entry routes, and student supports. The IUQB

recommended inclusion of feedback on the experiences of students in college with regard

to specific courses and campus life.

Therefore a clear communication strategy with prospective students and other stakeholders

such as parents and practitioners, is a fundamental requirement of the transition process.

The Pathways to Trinity website

The website is a dedicated pre-entry and transition site for second level students, parents,

professionals, and other stakeholders that assists with transition planning. The purpose of

the site is to:

1. Act as a repository for information relevant to all aspects of the application and

admissions process for disabled students. This includes demystification of the jargon usually

10

associated with these processes, and provision of course and college life advice from current

students and academic staff, which is relevant to applying to any HEI in Ireland.

2. Provide access to study skills and assistive technology resources which can assist

with Leaving Certificate study and facilitate a level of academic competency and confidence

which contributes to successful transition into the first year of college.

3. Identify issues related to transition in order to inform future practices within senior

cycle and third level education. This data is collated from web-based surveys, interviews

and a discussion forum.

Pathways functions as a ‘one stop shop’ where students can identify information on

admissions, courses, student stories, supports, finance and real time assistance with study

and examinations, without having to traverse multiple websites from multiple providers.

Feedback and suggestions in relation to content are collated via interviews, web surveys, a

discussion forum and email correspondence on an on-going basis, and in this respect the

website is organic. The site includes pre-entry information on admissions, access routes,

course choices, advice from students and lecturers, and college supports relevant to

students with a disability. It also provides access to online resources. A ‘First Year

Registration’ section permits incoming students to pre-identify supports and

accommodation requirements prior to arrival in college, functioning as a first point of

contact, enabling a smoother and less stressful transition. Pathways host longitudinal

surveys for completion by students, parents and practitioners, which provides quantitative

and qualitative data on the transition experience. Additionally, feedback on the website has

been collected via semi-structured interviews with students, parents and practitioners.

Analysis of visitors since launch of the website in April 2011 is facilitated by embedding

Google Analytics in each of the web pages, an enterprise class analytic tool. Data to 1st June

2012 indicates encouraging trends: 8,931 visitors from 174 countries have accessed the

website of which 63.6% were new visits Of the 6,871 site visits from 58 locations in Ireland,

as expected, the majority were from within the Dublin region, with otherwise a reasonable

national spread - with the exception of the north-western region of the country, with only

11

229 visits across the 15 month period. The top ten landing pages indicated that

stakeholders identified college application, study skills, the DARE admissions scheme, course

choice and college supports as prime information factors. The use of ‘pathways’ as a

keyword suggested that visitors had pre-identified this as a relevant term. The most

popular page views were identified as ‘successful transition’, ‘advice in choosing a course’,

‘help with Leaving Certificate study’, ‘provision of supports in college’, and a page describing

the ‘transition planning tool’.

DS also engages directly with students, parents and practitioners via the Pathways Blogspot

https://blogs.tcd.ie/pathways-to-trinity/ Feedback provided through the blog is used to

appraise website and programme content.

Pathways Outreach Project

The initial remit of the Pathways Transition Workshops was to engage disabled students

during their final two years of school by providing college-based workshops across the

academic year. The programme provided students with the opportunity to explore topics

such as assistive technology, academic skills, sleep hygiene and stress management,

planning a college career, and college application process. Parents and practitioners were

encouraged to engage in workshops which provide advice on the college application

process, supporting students through state examinations, managing student stress and

setting up a study environment. Sessions were designed and delivered by Disability Service

staff and Occupational Therapists from the Unilink service, together with sessional input

from current students with disabilities in the university.

The Workshops began in October 2011 with 11 students and 13 parents in attendance.

Quantitative and qualitative data was gathered from a feedback survey which examined

parent and student perceptions of the usefulness of workshops, overall experience,

Feedback from participants was gathered in April 2012 in order to re-evaluate / adjust

programme format and content, prior to a formal launch in October 2012. Students and

parents expressed improved confidence and engagement with the transition process. These

12

observations will be used to adjust the 2012 programme, for example more consideration of

school calendar limitations between January and March.

Pathways Transition Tool

Disabled students should be assisted with planning and recording the steps in the transition

process, adapting their goals and needs as they progress through their school career, and

reviewing such goals collaboratively with a transition ‘partner’, be that a parent, teacher,

Guidance Counsellor or other practitioner. The Pathways Transition Tool is a web-based

assessment and planning resource structured into five modules: Preparing Myself for the

Future, Independent Living, Academic Skills, College Application and Course Choices, and

Identifying and Using Reasonable Accommodations.

Access to the Pathways Transition Tool is password protected but is provided to enquirers

who submit an online request form, the purpose of which is to collate geo-demographic

data from prospective users of the tool (student, parent, practitioner, institution, school

year, disability). To date, requests have been submitted from practitioners such as learning

support teachers and Guidance Counsellors, in particular from designated disadvantaged

schools. This indicates that targeted supports that are freely available to second level staff

are an important transition resource.

The Transition Tool is currently available as separate Word documents. This has been

piloted with workshop participants and feedback indicates that revisions are required to

content prior to the next programme. This includes removal of repetitive questions,

addition of concrete tasks and a smoother interface that would incorporate more of a sense

of a ‘road map’ to progress. To facilitate this enhancement the DS is developing a web-

based version of the planning tool.

13

The First Year Experience

TCD entrants who accepted a place via the DARE scheme and who were approaching the

conclusion of their first year in college (n = 74) were surveyed to capture quantitative data

about ease of transition from school to college, registration and orientation process, quality

of human support provided pre and post-transition, access to disability supports, and

experience of the DARE process. Students were also invited to interview on the themes of

knowledge of College structure and organization, pre-registration / pre-entry initiatives,

registration and orientation, connecting with other students, provision of advice and

support, campus ethos and environment, level of academic ‘readiness’ and skills, assistance

with the transition process, diversity and inclusiveness of college population, and the overall

First Year Experience. Response rates were as follows: survey n = 30 (40.5%), interviews n =

40 (54%).

More than 70% of students surveyed were confident about accessing supports and

understanding how to go about this and linking in with a key individual. Of concern are the

20% of students who reportedly had no idea who they could contact for assistance or where

to locate helpful information, including an identifiable individual responsible for providing

support. 60% of students stated that it was the positive message of ‘can do’ that made a

distinct difference to success and engagement, and this is very closely tied to the aspiration

to transition to third level and the various processes linked to that aspiration, including

DARE application. The overwhelming perception of College being an open, inclusive and

welcoming place is very encouraging. The majority of students stated appropriate course

choices as a reason for ease of transition, and this was also a major feature of their advice to

future DARE students.

14

Conclusion Stage I year one

In June 2012, the DS reviewed the first year of Stage 1 pre-entry and admission activities,

and the first year experience. Student and parent surveys from the Pathways website, in-

depth interviews with stakeholders, and responses from the DARE First Year Experience

survey, and the Take My Advice survey to all TCD students, indicate continuing concern

around course information and making the right course choice. This is an area of pre-entry

which requires thoughtful development as it is closely tied to retention and progression.

Similarly, students also identified a lack of appropriate academic skills and a sense of

academic preparedness, as major factors in successful transition. The Pathways website

provides resources that can assist students with academic skills, together with assistive

technology and subject specific website links. These resources need to be further

developed in a multi-media format, which are more accessible and more engaging for

second level students. Both the Pathways workshops and the transition planning tool

address such skills in a way that will promote confidence and the kind of ‘can do’ attitude

identified by students, and need to broadcast to a wider audience.

Such confidence and positivity can be developed by encouraging students to become self-

aware, self-determining and act as self-advocates from the moment they begin their college

career. This is essentially the function of outreach, recruitment and pre-entry activities, and

can also be fostered through appropriate skills development through services such as

Unilink. In addition, promoters and barriers to participation need to be carefully monitored,

and this can be done most effectively by reviewing the first year experience on an annual

basis.

Consequently the following objectives have been set for 2012 – 2013:

• Continue research into the First Year Experience and extend this to all incoming first

year students registering with the Disability Service.

• Provide online study skills resource - Skills4studycampus - and introduce the module

‘Getting ready for academic study’ prior to college registration.

15

• Academic Skills Development to be provided through the Unilink service on a referral

basis only to high needs students. Engagement with ASD will require completion of an

Individual Development Plan pro forma with an Occupational Therapist.

• Re-design the Pathways Transition website with separate sections for parents /

practitioners and students. Increase social media opportunities and engagement via the

blogspot.

• Develop an interactive web version of the Transition Planning Tool, currently

available as an electronic document.

• Continue the Pathways Leaving Certificate workshops to students with sensory,

physical and multiple disabilities who are under-represented in HE. Continue to develop

links with schools in the local community to progress this initiative.

16

Stage 2 - Principles for transition through higher education

Objectives for Stage II of the student journey are identified as:

• Identify & promote transferable skills across the college experience which will

promote and encourage independence, self-determination and self-advocacy.

• Ensure support systems in College are fit for purpose by conducting evidence based

research to determine needs and supports, and to monitor performance and

delivery of those supports.

• Identify factors that function as either promoters or barriers to student retention;

enable and enhance the student experience through academic and social interaction

The focus of the second stage of the student journey is on building and maintaining a

College career. This means continuing to provide reasonable accommodations that are

appropriate to the student, their disability type and their course requirements. Examples of

reasonable accommodations are widely available; Ahead (2008), NAIRTL (2008), Disability

Service (2010) and at www.tcd.ie/disability . But in addition, it also means that the Disability

Service seeks to create; a balance in the provision of support, the facilitation of

independence and the retention and progression of students through College until

graduation. Support is defined as policies and practices of reasonable accommodations at

individual, course and College levels. Independence is defined as greater self-autonomy in

decisions which affect a student. Striking a balance between ‘providing support’ and

‘encouraging independence’ need not be a conflict of interests if the supports offered adjust

to the student’s needs as they proceed through College.

Retention of students in TCD

Retention and progression are recognised as important outcome measures of higher

education internationally (Tinto, 1993), (Yorke, 1999), (HESA, 2011), (Seidman, 2012). To

understand more about how disabled students progress in TCD, it is useful to look first at

17

the retention rates of the general student population in TCD. In the academic year 2010/11,

a total of 530 undergraduate students withdrew from courses in TCD. Almost half of these

were 1st year students 260 (49%). But it is useful to note that 117 (45%) of these 1st year

students were repeating the year.

This is significant because it indicates that students are either attempting to persist on their

course or that they are not officially recorded as withdrawn until several months into the

next academic year. How many students are in each category is not known at present. This

data deficit has implications for the College retention rates and HEA funding and represents

an opportunity for College to retain more students through better intervention strategies.

Of the remaining students who withdrew in 2010/11; 145 (27%) were 2nd years, 59 (11%) 3rd

years and 64 (12%) were in their final year. Another significant point is that the number of

repeating 1st years who withdraw can accumulate over 3 to 4 years. For example, in the

2006/07 cohort the combined total of repeating 1st years who withdrew over 3 subsequent

years (131) actually outnumbered the total of 1st years who withdrew as first time 1st years

(125), see table below. These trends are a useful benchmark when considering how disabled

students progress and persist in TCD.

Year JF SF JS SS Total

2006/07 125 0 0 0 125

2007/08 93 40 0 0 133

2008/09 31 39 11 0 81

2009/10 7 21 9 1 38

Total 256 100 20 1 377

% 67.9% 26.5% 5.30% 0.3% 100%

(Senior Lecturer’s Report: Table H2 – 2006/07 cohort - Standing and Year of Withdrawal)

18

Disabled Students in TCD

The Pathways to Education report (UCC, 2010), tracked the progress of disabled students

who entered 9 higher education institutions in 2005. In general, they found that students

with disabilities who leave higher education are (similarly to their non-disabled peers) most

likely to leave in their first year. However, they also found that disabled students compared

to their non-disabled peers, are more likely to graduate and more likely to take longer doing

so. The retention rate of disabled students in TCD is 93% (Pathways to Education, 2010).

This contrasts with the retention rate of undergraduate students in TCD, which is 85%

annually (Senior Lecturer’s Report, 2012). 1

Persistence and disability type

Students with mental health difficulties or who are Deaf or hard of hearing in TCD have

shown much higher rates of withdrawal compared to students with other disabilities.

Students with Asperger’s Syndrome (AS), a significant ongoing illness (SOI), a Specific

Learning Difficulty (SpLD) or physical disability have withdrawn at a rate proportionate to

their numbers in College. Finally, students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

(ADHD), Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD) or who are blind or visually impaired

are least likely to withdraw. The table below breaks this down by percentages looking at

disability type for 820 current students, 193 students who withdrew and 744 graduates

since 2007.

Disability Current DS WD DS Grads DS WD Risk % WD of B

1 Caution needs to be exercised when comparing the retention rates of disabled and non-disabled students. A skewed comparison is easy to emerge if the total number of students registered with the Disability Service in any one year is used as a basis. This is because a substantial number of 3rd year and 4th year students (who have typically much higher rates of completion than 1st or 2nd years) tend to register with the Disability Service for the first time later in the academic year. A fairer comparison is to count only those students who disclosed at entry (as in the Pathways to Education report) and follow them as a cohort against their peers.

19

(820) (A) (193) (B) (744) (C) (B/A) + C

Mental

Health

131 (15%) 66 (34%) 94 (12%) 2.26 41%

Deaf/HOH 40 (5%) 18 (9.3%) 35 (7%) 1.86 34%

ASD 31 (4%) 8 (4%) 16 (2%) 1 33%

SPLD 327 (38%) 64 (32%) 404 (54%) 0.84 14%

SOI 117 (13%) 18 (9.3%) 99 (13%) 0.71 15%

Physical 71 (8%) 11 (5.5%) 57 (7%) 0.68 16%

DCD 41 (5%) 4 (2%) 0 0.4 N/A

ADHD 41 (5%) 4 (2%) 16 (2%) 0.4 20%

Blind/VI 21 (2%) 1 (0.5%) 23 (3%) 0.25 4%

Home origin

Among Irish disabled students there is no significant difference in the rates of withdrawal

for students from Dublin compared to those who come from outside of Dublin. However,

students from Kildare, Wicklow and Meath show statistically higher rates of persistence

compared to their Dublin peers. International students with disabilities make up 9.5% of the

student in the service compared to 21.5% of the general student population in TCD.

Disabled students from the US have withdrawn from courses in TCD at a much higher rate

than students with disabilities from the UK. The tables below provide details of the areas

most represented. The percentages are of the totals given in the first row.

DS Irish

Counties

All DS 1809 DS Current

871

DS WD

197

DS Grad 741

20

Dublin 937 (52%) 446 (51%) 98 (50% 393 (53%)

Kildare 97 (5%) 53 (6%) 7 (3.5%) 37 (5%)

Wicklow 80 (4%) 36 (4%) 5 (2.5%) 39 (5%)

Meath 55 (3%) 35 (4%) 3 (1.5%) 17 (2%)

DS Int. All DS Int. 186 DS Int. Current

83

DS Int. WD

13

DS Int. Grad 90

UK 96 (5%) 47 (5.4%) 2 (1%) 47 (6%)

US 32 (2%) 12 (1.4%) 5 (2.5%) 15 (2%)

Progression rates

Disabled students progress at a slower rate than their non-disabled peers. Of 80 disabled

students (not including a SpLD) in their final year in 2011/12, just 44 (55%) had progressed

each year since their 1st year. The College average for progression is 91% (Appendix D Senior

Lecturer’s Report 2010/11).

Grade comparison

Disabled students in TCD are on par with non-disabled students on achieving 1 class honors

but are less likely to achieve a 2.1 or 2.2 in exam result and they are more likely to achieve a

2.2 or pass.

Final Grade 1st 2.1 2.2 Pass/3

TCD% 15 53 22 10

DS% 14 40 30 17

21

There are two possible reasons for this; supports are more sought after by students at risk

of failing and the facility to repeat on medical grounds or off books is more likely to be taken

up by disabled students.

Conclusion Stage II year one

The vast majority of disabled students make the transition into and through higher

education successfully. However, a significant minority struggle and withdraw at some point

after registration. The outcome measures highlighted above indicate that students

registered with the Disability Service; overall have a higher rate of retention and course

completion than their peers. Among the disability types, students with a mental health

difficulty have the highest risk of withdrawing. Disabled students are more likely to

withdraw after attempting to repeat 1st year as opposed to withdrawing during their first

attempt at 1st year. They are more likely, as a group, to take longer to complete their degree

and are more likely to attain grades of 1 and 2.1 in proportionately lower numbers than

their peers.

This overview of the areas where the Disability Service is establishing an evidence base for

students during their time in College is only a beginning. Most of the areas covered here,

particularly that of entry route need to be further developed. The main problem is that over

50% of students have registered with the Disability Service post entry and thus far,

insufficient data has been available to differentiate entry route, beyond a basic level, as a

variable in comparison to the other measures covered here. Another data insufficiency is

that of the general student population in TCD. Further data is needed so that meaningful

comparisons can be made in areas such as prior educational attainment, home origin and

socio-economic status.

22

Stage 3 - Transition to employment: a new model is emerging

Objectives for Stage III of the student journey are identified as:

1. To investigate the experiences of disabled students transitioning into employment.

2. To evaluate the transition to employment tool within a university to employment

setting.

3. To critique issues around the employment of disabled graduands.

4. To determine national policy issues that promote employment opportunities for

disabled students

A key element of the Service’s Strategic Outreach, Transition, Retention and Progression

Plan 2011-2014 is progression into employment and key objectives and actions have been

identified for this phase in conjunction with the College’s Careers Advisory Service and other

internal and external stakeholders such as UCC and the EU Leonardo project outlined below.

The transition from education to employment is the most daunting for disabled students.

Apart from the fact that it is a very competitive market (and will remain so for the

foreseeable future), the disabled student has an even greater persuasion job on their hands

than their able bodied colleagues to ensure the employer sees them as the best candidate

for the job. Accordingly, the higher level education institution will have to go beyond the

existing level of careers support for such a student and the transition to employment for

disabled graduates will require specialist support from early in their progress through

College that will ensure these students will have an equal chance with their non-disabled

peers.

The focus of this research strand is an investigation into the experiences of disabled

students as they transition into employment. It examines the personal, occupational and

environmental issues that disabled students deal with as they prepare for participation in

23

the labour market. Ultimately the objective is to pilot and evaluate the final stage of the

TCD transition tool, developed within the DS to assist disabled students through each stage

of transition, pre-entry, within College, and into the world of work. Finally it will identify

issues from the perspective of employers and employees that arise in the employment of

disabled students.

Lack of data

The landscape is bare, there is a lack of information on the graduate status of disabled

students is a significant issue for HEIs. The HEA require all HEIs to participate in an annual

survey of graduates six to nine months after graduation, which is known as the First

Destination Survey and leads to the First Destination Report (FDR). This survey presents a

snapshot of entry into either the labour market or further study by students who graduated

in the previous academic year, having completed a full-time course of study. This annual

report examines the employment, further study, and training patterns of graduates on the

30th of April each year. Information is broken down by level of award received and area of

study, information relating to the pattern of first destinations, composition of the graduate

labour market, employment sector and occupational classification, national or international

region of employment, and starting salary. Interestingly there is no non-traditional

information available including a disability specific question.

A number of HEIs have tried to gather disability specific data in a multitude of ways, typically

by including an additional question. For example the University of Limerick (UL) and TCD ask

‘Were you a student with support requirements’? This requires a simple Yes / No response.

University College Cork (UCC) provide the Careers Services with a list of ID numbers for final

year students registered with a disability, and relevant data is extracted from the FDR. In

2012, UCC will use a tagging system on TCD records to extract those students with

disabilities who responded to the FDR survey. A review of the FDR is being undertaken by

the HEA which will include the destination of disabled graduates. Expected changes to FDR

will take place in 2013-14 survey.

24

An analysis of TCD data for the 2010 graduates provides some interesting information. The

Careers’ Advisory Service coordinated a survey of the first destinations of TCD graduates

from 09/10 (a full summary of results is found within the Graduate Statistics Report). The

number of graduates (diplomas, primary degrees and postgraduates) surveyed that fall

within the terms of the FDR, was 2,938. The total number responding was 1,743, a response

rate of 59%.

Of the 2,938 graduates targeted, 85 (2.9%) were identified as having been registered with

the Disability Service while at TCD. Of these 85 disabled students:

29% did not respond

39% were in employment

25% were in further study

2% were not available for work

5% were seeking employment

Graduates who had been registered with the Disability Service responded in greater

numbers (71%) than the general graduate cohort (59%). Therefore, 3.4% of those who

responded to the First Destination survey were registered with the Disability Service while

at College.

25

Results

55%35%

3%7%

Responses: Graduates who were registered with the Disability Service

EmploymentFurther StudyNot available for workSeeking Employment

42%

49%

4% 5%

Responses: Total Graduate

EmploymentFurther StudyNot available for workSeeking Employment

Generally, students who had been registered with the Disability Service (DS) were more

likely to go into employment than the general graduate population (GGP) - 55% DS, 42%

GGP, and less likely to go into further study - 35% DS, 49% GGP. There is a slight difference

in unemployment rate, 7% DS seeking employment against 5% GGP. Of those who had been

registered with the Disability Service and went on to further study, at least 81% stayed in

Ireland (2 students did not state where they were studying), compared to 78% of GGP

remaining in Ireland.

26

TCD Dublin - other Ireland - ex. Dublin

UK Did not state02468

10

Further study destinations of disabled graduates

Implications for further research

This paper has discussed a single graduate cohort and data from successive years is

necessary before emerging patterns can be confidently identified. However, the fact that

disabled students were more likely to choose employment over further study mirrors

findings in the UCC report ‘Where Are They Now?’ (2005) and the UL report ‘Towards Equal

Outcomes’ (2005). Further investigation is required into why disabled graduates are less

likely to enter further education, and any associated consequences. Research conducted in

Stage 2 indicates that disabled students can face greater challenges while pursuing their

primary degree, and can take longer to progress through their undergraduate career. It may

be that the time and energy necessary to meet these additional challenges leads to burn

out, leaving graduates unlikely to pursue another demanding course. An analysis of the

motivations for disabled graduate choices is worthwhile.

The TCD Career Service (2011) noted that graduates with a higher degree had a higher

starting salary in 2010 (43% of level 9/10 graduates earned €33,000 or more against 34% of

level 8 graduates). This raises the possibility that if disabled graduates are less likely to

pursue higher degrees, they face lower earning potential in the longer term. A deeper

analysis of possible challenges facing disabled TCD graduates is essential.

27

Leonardo Project - Univers’Emploi

As a result of TCD involvement in the OECD project, Trinity College Dublin became a partner

in the EU Leonardo project ‘Univers’Emploi’ in 2010, led by the INS HEA Institute (France)

and partnered with the University of Aarhus (Denmark), the University of Rome “Foro

Italico” (Italy) and University College Cork. This is an innovative employment transfer project

that builds on the employment strategy developed by the University of Aarhus (Denmark).

The aim of this project is that each partner country will create an employment tool to assist

universities to embed employment elements into the needs assessment process. To achieve

these goals, this project will compare practices of other partner countries, and thus build a

scalable and transferable methodology linked to national contexts. The pilot study is based

on a sample of 20 students per country, and mobilizes actors in the university, the world of

work and transitional issues that arise for disabled graduates.

Starting process

A survey of students entering their final year of study in TCD and UCC was conducted to

determine the level of interest in participating in this project, and issues and concerns about

the transition to employment. High-level results include 48% (n44) of those surveyed in TCD

were interested in full-time employment and participation in the pilot, compared with 82%

(n28) of a smaller sample in UCC. Disclosure of disability was the most significant issue for

respondents in both universities (55% TCD, 46% UCC). Lack of disability awareness in the

workplace (43% TCD, 20% UCC), and negotiating reasonable accommodations (27% TCD,

20% UCC) were the next most important issues.

Selection of students to participate in the project was agreed by each participating country,

and graduates with physical, sensory, significant illness (SOI), mental health difficulties and

Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) were the focus of this pilot. These students were identified as

having significant difficulties in preparing and gaining employment. Although each country

agreed to mentor 20 students, TCD and UCC opted to set no upper limit, however the final

number of participants was 26 (15 TCD, 11 UCC).

28

Dissemination of information

The website http://www.tcd.ie/disability/projects/Phase3/Leonardo.php was developed to

disseminate information and to report on outcomes of each stage. Additionally, a guide for

all stakeholders (student, university and employers/mentors) was produced to ensure all

were aware of responsibilities in participating in this project.

TCD Student Demographics

Gender

College Male FemaleTCD 6 9

UCC 8 3

Primary Disability TypeTCD UCC

Aspergers’ Syndrome 3 0

Blind / Vision Impaired 1 3

Dyspraxia 1 0

Physical Disability 3 3

Significant Ongoing Illness 2 0

Deaf / Hard of Hearing 2 1

Mental Health 3 4

Total 15 11

29

Area of study

TCD/ AHSS (Arts) FEMS (Eng. & Sc) HEALTH Sc Other

9 4 2 0

UCC/CASS (Arts) Business and Law SEFS (Eng. & Sc) Medicine and

Health

6 4 0 1

Level 8/9

UG/8 PG/9

TCD 13 2

UCC 6 5

Employment transition process

The main activities were broken into three sections:

Activities involving students, including student training and information events,

individual one-on-one guidance, and online activities.

Activities to engage employers. Both universities primarily focused on establishing

and developing links with existing organisations that work with students and

graduates with disabilities (i.e. GetAhead and Employability)

Activities involving other University Services. The project is managed within both

institutions from the Disability Service. Both institutions worked closely with other

relevant services where this would benefit students in transition.

30

A student-centred approach was taken from the outset, with the student setting the

direction for employment guidance. For some students this meant identifying a mentor, for

others it meant accessing guidance on disclosure and supports within the workplace. As all

students were at a different point in their transition, they had diverse needs and a one-size

fits all approach was unfeasible.

Activities involving the student

Students were invited to attend an introductory meeting to explain the purpose of the pilot

and their responsibilities in participating in the project, as communicated in the guide

http://www.tcd.ie/disability/projects/Phase3/student.php. A report of this meeting was

sent to all students, outlining next steps to be taken in the employment process. This action

plan approach allowed the student to work on tasks such as dealing with disclosure,

attending the Careers Service for specific supports, for example engaging in a mock

interview, CV preparation or exploring employment options. Follow-up meetings were

arranged with all students together with referral to mentors, with an average of three

meetings per student. The main issues identified by students for discussion were disclosure

of disability, negotiation of reasonable accommodations, iinterviewing skills, balancing

transition planning with academic responsibilities, job hunting resources, self-advocacy skills

(e.g. approaching potential employers), postgraduate applications and managing disability in

the workplace.

Once the first set of meetings took place with all participants, students in both universities

were invited to avail of a number of specialist supports, these included attending disability

focused career events such as ‘Bridging the Future’, and an Employment Preparation Day,

both organized in association with WAM/AHEAD.

Activities to engage employers

Unlike our European partners, a decision was taken to focus on employer engagement via

the student. Where students expressed an interest in a specific area or employer, research

was conducted with the student to determine issues they might need to address, and

whether the employer was known to be a strong equality employer. Research involved

31

reviewing website information and contacting the Careers Service. In addition, contacts

were made with Employability, an agency set up to assist disabled people in the

employment journey in Dublin and Cork. Strong links were developed, with the universities

making a group of disabled students available to this agency. WAM and Ahead also proved

an effective support service for students, as they offer advice and support along with

internships.

Activities involving the university

Historically the Disability Services have primarily functioned as supporting students once the

entered and progressed through college. Little thought was given to transition to

employment. With the development of the three-stage approach within the Disability

Service in TCD, and development of synergies with other stakeholders internally and

externally, a re-focus of resources has allowed mainstream services such as Careers and

specialist supports such as the Disability Service and Unlink, to integrate employment

transitioning issues into the student journey from earlier in the progression stage. This will

allow specialists to work with students as they progress, improving their confidence, and

making their CVs more employment-focused.

As part of the pilot an audit of the Careers Service in TCD was completed using the Trinity

Inclusive Curriculum Tool (www.tictool.ie) to determine inclusive practices. A report of good

practice and some outstanding issues was forwarded to the Careers Service, and these will

be addressed over the next six months.

Analysing the Pilot

The experience of those involved in the Transition to Education pilot was collated in April /

May 2012 through a series of semi structured interviews with both staff and students. As

the pilot was part of a larger European project, questions were agreed with all member

universities. Questions covered all aspects of the project including:

Motivation for involvement the pilot,

Expectations and hopes for the pilot,

32

The processes involved in the pilot,

Outcomes of the pilot.

Of the fifteen students originally contacted for the pilot, ten attended interviews. Interviews

were also held with mentors who had worked closely with the students throughout the year

(see appendix 4 for interview responses) .

Key themes emerging from the feedback included:

Level of Careers Support for students with Disabilities

Students reported that they participated in the pilot in order to obtain a greater level of

support in the transition to employment than is currently available in TCD. To date, there

are no additional services for students with disabilities negotiating the transition to

employment though these students often face additional challenges when seeking and

starting employment. Challenges include:

Building work experience and developing skill sets while managing a degree and a

disability,

Communication difficulties in interviews,

Dealing with disclosure,

Requesting additional supports.

Students reported that they appreciated the opportunity to discuss their transition from the

perspective of their disabilities with people who understood the possible impact of their

disabilities in the work place.

The need for additional supports is echoed by TCD staff who drafted a proposal following

the pilot for a careers advisor who would go beyond the existing level of careers support for

students with disabilities, who would act as advocate and advisor and provide tailored,

personal support for the first year after graduation as students settle into the workplace.

33

Feedback on pilot

Students reported positively on the pilot overall. All students reported that they felt they

had ownership of the pilot process, with action plans drafted based on their interests and

needs. All students reported that they felt listened to within the process.

The pilot took a practical stance to employment transition and following each meeting,

students were given a written set of actions to complete based on the discussion (e.g.

websites to visit, mailing lists to join, e-mails of introduction to write). Students reported

that these practical steps helped to keep them on track with regards transition planning. It

ensured that they had small, manageable activities to complete that would progress their

transition planning when it would have been easy to focus all energy on study and to avoid

transition planning until after the final year of study.

Goals

While the pilot students were following a variety of career options, the career goals

reported by students were very similar. Job satisfaction, to do something that was

interesting and significant was more important that salary or status.

Disclosure

Students reported that the issue of disclosure caused significant concern. Students were

often apprehensive about disclosing their disability to an employer and it was an area where

they needed substantial advice and support. Students also needed advice regarding

reasonable accommodations, both what they may need and how to request them.

By the end of the pilot students reported that they had a greater awareness of their rights in

terms of disclosure and reasonable accommodations in the work place. They also had a

greater understanding of how and when to disclose. However, students felts that disclosure

would be an ongoing issue within their career, with the decision of if and when to disclose

34

being context specific. Students with hidden disabilities reported that disclosure would

depend on current health status, the job description involved and the personalities of

employers and co-workers.

Time Management

Due to the level of academic commitments that final year and post-graduate students have,

it was difficult for them to commit to the transition to employment process. Students had to

prioritise the completion of their degree programme. A high level of flexibility was needed

to ensure that the process could fit around students’ academic requirements. One student

withdrew from the process and various students postponed aspects of the mentoring phase

until after the completion of their examinations.

Proactivity

Due to the demands of the final year of a degree programme, many students found fatigue

and stress to be issues during the course of the pilot. Some students reported experiencing

a slump mid-year, where academic demands led to little time or energy for anything else.

Students reported that the proactivity of the pilot team helped keep them on track at this

time, as students were tasked with small, manageable, transition tasks that helped keep

their minds focused on the transition to employment process. Tasks could include

researching a company, drafting a letter of introduction, updating a CV or joining a mailing

list for example. Students were triggered to complete actions by reminders from the pilot

team.

Ethics and Culture

Students were asked if they would like information on the ethics and culture of the work

environment (e.g. meeting deadlines, rules and expectations etc.). Students generally felt

that this information was unnecessary as they already understood these issues through

35

previous work experience and through the skills acquired at third level. There were two

exceptions to this however:

- Students appreciated advice where it was likely that their disability may impact on

expectations and culture (e.g. where disability could lead to absences, missed

deadlines, inability to perform overtime etc.).

- One student with Asperger Syndrome felt that students on the Austisic specrum could

benefit from this type of guidance.

A number of students who experienced fatigue or pain reported concern that their disability

meant they could not perform overtime and that this would not be acceptable in many

organisations.

When should it start

Students and staff involved in the pilot reported that they would like to see planning for the

transition to employment begun earlier. The workload in the final year meant that students

had less time to commit to transition planning. Furthermore, students would have

appreciated the opportunity to seek relevant internships or work over the summer months

from their Freshman years.

Conclusion Stage III year one

During the course of the pilot it was apparent that students with disabilities face specific

difficulties entering the work place that can make this move particularly daunting. Apart

from the fact that it is a very competitive market (and will remain so for the foreseeable

future), the disabled student has an even greater persuasion job on their hands than their

able bodied colleagues to ensure the employer sees them as the best candidate for the job.

Accordingly, students with disabilities can benefit from career related supports that go

beyond the existing level offered in College. The Disability Service therefore decided that the

supports offered to students though this year’s pilot ought to be mainstreamed and

extended, and has developed a proposal in collaboration with the Careers’ Advisory Service

36

to employ a Careers’ Advisor who will focus on career planning, and obtaining work

experience placements and full-time employment for students with disabilities. This

proposal is currently before the HEA.

The role of this adviser would include the following:

Meeting with students at all stages of their College career to provide career guidance and employability skills.

Developing, arranging and monitoring work experience placements and job opportunities.

• Providing support to the student in the first year after graduation as they settle into employment

Students bring fresh, innovative ideas to an organisation.

National data in the First Destination Survey produced annually by the HEA identifies the

need to include specific disability questions. This data will allow Careers Services and HEIs to

observe any discrepancies that require attention. The Leonardo Project will allow TCD to

develop a model of transition to employment that previously did not exist for disabled

students in college. An evaluation of the project in four countries will take place over the

summer of 2012, and this will allow for the embedding of a transition tool at stage 3.

Overall conclusions

As outlined above each stage of the DS strategic plan includes detailed, evidence-based

research to ensure that objectives are being measured and critiqued. It is intended that

annual reporting will include presentations of on-going findings at relevant conferences and

forums. This will allow us to be critiqued and allow the DS to respond to the everchanging

education and economic climate

In general, the measures mentioned in Stage I, 2 and 3 provide evidence that supports have

a positive impact. TCD is emerging as the number one choice for a ever changing disabled

demographic shift from students with SpLD to those with complex needs such as students

37

with mental health difficulties and Asperger’s Syndrome. Addionally, TCD has the highest

number of students with disabilities of any HEI in Ireland (Ahead, 2011) and these students

are more likely to pursue their course and graduate, compared with their non-disabled

peers (TCD, 2012). However, with the use of detailed empirical data, it is possible to identify

gaps and deficits among the outcomes that otherwise may be regarded as insignificant or

acceptable. The value of such outcome measures are that they identify risk factors for

student success, and provide an evidence base on which to initiate and trial further service

development.

In Stage I, recognition is given to the fact that the FSD has allowed a significant number of

disabled students participate effectively in 3rd level education. Providing human, assistive

technology supports and transport are essential for the continued participation of disabled

students in 3rd level. There are disconnections with the different levels of education the

student journeys through and the types of supports offered. At 1st and 2nd level due to cuts

in funding a resource allocation model similar to that in operation in 3rd level is beginning to

form. The problem is the three sectors do not communicate with each other or learn from

good practice going on at any of these levels that could be adopted at the other levels of

education. Who is responsible for over viewing all sectors and trying to get some agreement

on good transferable practices that encourage self-determined independent learners?

There is a need to focus on promoting the use of the pathways transition tool, including

work with pilot schools and individuals who have identified TCD as a destination of choice.

In Stage 2 identifying retention risk factors is essential in determining how to effectively

support students with the greatest needs, and ensure that suitable resources follow this

cohort throughout their college career.

Stage 3 will focus on embedding employment indicators in the needs assessment process.

Disclosure and information on how to communicate disability-related needs and rights-

related issues with confidence, is an essential part in developing the self-determined, self-

aware, self-advocating disabled student/graduate. This strategic plan will publish evidence-

38

based information annually, on issues that require attention in order to fulfil the strategic

plan outlined by DS.

Overall, the first year of the implementation of the Disability Service Strategic Plan –

Pathways to Trinity Outreach, Transition, Retention and Progression Plan 2011 – 2014 has

allowed the TCD Disability Service to speak with confidence on the development of the

model of service delivery that is moving the medical model firmly to the social model with

the student at the center of the plan. Disability Services have been realigned to follow this

shift in strategic development with clear outcomes, deliverables and key indicators

emerging at each stage. This new model will allow the Disability Service to shift, be flexible

and emerge from this economic downturn with disabled graduates, services and ways of

working having been changed significantly. Making all fit for purpose in a new economy and

an example of good practice that can be easily adopted by other service.

39

References

Stage 1

Baum, C. M. & Christiansen, C. H. (2005) ‘Person-environment-occupation-performance: An

occupation-based framework for practice’ in Occupational Therapy: Performance,

Participation and Well-being. 3rd edition. Thorofare NJ: Slack Incorporated.

Bronfenbrenner, U. (1989) ‘Ecological systems theory’. Annals of Child Development. 6,

187-249.

Felsinger, A. & Byford, K. (2010) ‘Managing reasonable adjustments in higher education’.

London: Equality Challenge Unit

Higher Education Authority (2008) ‘National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education

2008 -2013’. Dublin: HEA

Higher Education Academy (2012) Compendium of Effective Practice. Aston University: HEA.

Available from http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/detail/what-works-student-

retention/Compendium_Effective_Practice

Irish Universities Quality Board (2011) ‘Public Information Project: The types of information

that prospective students require on university and other websites’. Dublin: IUQB

Law, M. , Cooper, B. Strong, S., Stewart, D., Rigby, P., Letts, L. (1996) ‘The Person-

Environment-Occupation Model: A Transactive Approach to Occupational Performance’.

Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, v63 n1 p9-23 Apr 1996

Available from http://www.gigusa.org/hisg/resources/eg/32.pdf. [Accessed 29 April 2012]

OECD (2011) ‘Inclusion of Students with Disabilities in Tertiary Education and Employment.’

Education and Training Policy, OECD Publishing.

Stewart, D., Letts, l., Law, M., Acheson Cooper, B., Strong, S., and Rigby, P.J., (2003). The

Person-Environment-Occupation Model. Chapter18 Theories derived from Occupational

Behaviour Perspectives. In Crepeau, E.B., Cohn, E.S., & Schell, B.A.B. (Eds), Willard and

40

Spackman’s Occupational Therapy. (10th Edition.pp.227-231) Philadelphia: Lippincott

Williams & Wilkins.

Related Publications, Resources & Further Information:

Pathways to Trinity Website www.tcd.ie/pathways-to-trinity

Pathways Transition Planning Tool http://pathways-transition-tool.weebly.com

Pathways Transition Discussion Forum http://pathways-to-trinity.weebly.com

Disability Service strategic plan http://www.tcd.ie/disability/projects/index.php

Asperger’s Syndrome Support Service http://www.tcd.ie/disability/AS

Unilink Service http://www.tcd.ie/disability/services/Unilink/index.php

Stage 2

Ahead, (2008) Good Practice Guidelines for the providers of supports and services for

students with disabilities in Higher Education. Dublin. Ahead.

Disability Service, (2010) 10 Years of student experiences: TCD Disability Service 2000-2010.

Dublin. TCD Disability Service.

HEA, (2008) National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education 2008 to 2013. Dublin.

HEA.

Higher Education Statistics Agency (2011) Online (Accessed 13th April 2012)

http://www.hesa.ac.uk/index.php/component/option,com_pubs/task,show_pub_detail/

pubid,1/Itemid,286/

NAIRTL, (2008) DAWN Handbook: Teaching Students with Disabilities: Guidelines for

Academic Staff. Cork. NAIRTL.

41

National Audit Office (2007) Staying the Course: The retention of students in Higher

Education. Online (Accessed 13th April 2012)

http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/0607/student_retention_in_higher_ed.aspx

Pathways to Education, (2010) Students with disabilities tracking report – 2005 intake. An

analysis of their progression, retention and success through higher education institutions.

Online (Accessed 13th April 2011)

www.pathwayscork.ie/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Students-with-Disabilities.pdf

Seidman, A., (ed) (2012).College student retention 2nd Edition: Formula for student success.

New York. ACE/Rowman & Littlefield.

Tinto, V. (1993) Leaving College: Rethinking the causes and cures of student attrition (2nd

edition). London: University of Chicago Press.

Yorke, M. (1999) Leaving Early: Undergraduate Non-Completion in Higher Education,

London, Taylor and Francis.

Stage 3

Ahead Participation Survey 2010, Ahead

TCD CAREERS' ADVISORY SERVICE 2011. First Destinations Statistics. Dublin: Trinity College

Dublin.

UCC DISABILITY SERVICE 2005. Where are They now? A Review of the First Destinations of

UCC Graduates with Disabilities. Cork: University College Cork.

UL CAREERS' SERVICE 2005. Towards Equal Outcomes: A Survey of the Career Experiences of

Graduates with Disabilities and Employer Responses to Diversity, University of Limerick,

1997-2003. Limerick: University of Limerick

42