Minister Lawless welcomes target for students with disabilities in higher education reached two years early

Mid-term review shows 16% participation milestone achieved, marking major progress on National Access Plan

The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless, T.D., has today welcomed the publication of the Mid-term Progress Review of the National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education (2022–2028), which confirms that a key national target on access to higher education for students with disabilities has been achieved ahead of schedule.

The Review finds that students with disabilities now account for 16.3% of new entrants to higher education, meeting the Plan’s 2028 target at the halfway point of implementation. This marks a significant milestone in efforts to build a more inclusive and equitable higher education system.

The National Access Plan (NAP) 2022–2028 aims to increase participation among underrepresented and disadvantaged groups, including students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds, mature learners, and, for the first time, students with intellectual disabilities.

Speaking today, Minister Lawless said:

The Minister noted that continued investment in targeted supports for students with disabilities, alongside strengthened measures for other priority groups, will be a key focus for the next phase of the Plan.

Among the achievements to date, the Review notes the progress of higher education institutions in implementing Universal Design approaches, the expansion of the Programme for Access to Higher Education (PATH), the increase in pathways to higher education,  the strengthening of the Student Grant scheme, and the publication of the second Access Data Plan to enhance the available evidence base.

The Review also finds that the participation rates of some priority groups remains low, particularly mature students from disadvantaged areas. Capacity constraints within higher education institutions are highlighted within the report, alongside the barriers to participation of disadvantaged students in higher education.

In setting out its recommendations, the review identifies the importance of multi-stakeholder and student-centred collaborative approaches to addressing these challenges and achieving the goals within the NAP.

Minister Lawless added:

Commissioned by the Higher Education Authority (HEA), this independent review of progress was undertaken by Professor Stella Jones-Devitt and Dr Antony Aleksiev of Applied Inspiration International Ltd with the support of two student advisors, Sinéad Lynch and Seán McDermott, and was informed by extensive consultation across the higher education system and with wider stakeholders.

Notes to the Editor

Background to the National Access Plan 2022-2028:

The Strategic Action Plan for Equity of Access, Participation and Success in Higher Education 2022-2028 (NAP) was published in August 2022.

The NAP builds on the vision of previous plans and ambitions for a more inclusive and diverse student population in higher education. Its ambition extends beyond the point of entry to a greater focus on participation, student success and outcomes, independent of socioeconomic status, geography, or personal circumstances.

The NAP was developed following widespread consultation with stakeholders within the education system, across Government, in social inclusion and community organisations, and people with direct personal experience of marginalisation. The student is at the core of every aspect of the NAP with each action directed at delivering positive and inclusive outcomes for priority group students at every stage of their higher education journey.

The two overarching ambitions of the NAP are:

that the higher education student body, at all levels and across all programmes, reflects the diversity and social mix of Ireland’s population, and 

that our higher education institutions are inclusive, universally designed environments which support student success and outcomes, equity and diversity. 

The NAP identifies three main priority groups: socioeconomically disadvantaged students, students with disabilities including intellectual disabilities, and Irish Traveller and Roma students.

The NAP sets four targets and identifies nine KPIs to monitor participation by priority groups over its lifetime. It includes a commitment to review progress in its implementation with a view to informing priorities for the second phase of NAP implementation to 2028.

Summary of Mid-term Progress Review Recommendations:

The Review makes the following recommendations to support the achievement of NAP objectives in the second phase of implementation:

• National targets should be maintained, taking account of the context of the baseline data, the challenging environment since the launch of the NAP, and the overarching commitment to the ambition within the NAP.
• Dedicated funding to support Traveller and Roma participation in higher education continues through transitioning PATH 5 to a sustainable funding basis.
• The systematic review of evidence gathered as part of the PATH 4 Phase 2 pilot supports policy development at national level and timely decisions and communication to relation to longer-term funding.
• Further work is undertaken to understand the barriers to participation by mature students from priority groups and to identify potential enablers.
• Consideration is given to the findings of Disability Project initiated by DFHERIS to map supports across the tertiary sector, and it is recommended that the findings of this exercise inform the scoping of a review of disability supports in higher education.
• A review of the structure and operation of the NAP Steering Group is conducted in consultation with members to improve ways of working and to better leverage the group’s diverse expertise.
• It is recommended that HEIs explore ways to further embed whole-of-institution Universal Design approaches, having regard to the four pillars identified in the ALTITUDE Charter.
• Further work is carried out to enhance the representation of student partners, taking account of national level structures to support student engagement in decision-making across Irish higher education, such as the National Student Engagement Programme (NStEP), and that HEIs provide increased opportunities for integrating the voices of priority group students.
• Further work is undertaken at national level to complement the efforts of HEIs and to ensure that high quality and clear information is available through centralised platforms.
• HEIs prioritise the expansion of flexible models of delivery to address the needs of priority group students and to support their participation in higher education; HEIs explore ways to embed greater flexibility in the provision of student support services; and at a national level options to embed greater flexibility in student supports should be explored to ensure optimal alignment and coherence between policy intentions and supporting funding mechanisms.
• HEIs continue to work in partnership with community and regional stakeholders to provide the appropriate supports to students who have experience of homelessness, experience of the criminal justice system, and survivors of domestic violence.
• The recommendations of the second Access Data Plan (2025) are implemented in a timely manner, taking account of the ongoing review of the Student Record System (SRS) by the HEA, and the National Equality Data Strategy 2026-2031.

PATH Funding:

The Programme for Access to Higher Education (PATH) is a strategic multi-stranded funding programme established in 2016 for the delivery of equity of access objectives.  PATH supports the implementation of National Access Plans by providing funding to deliver innovative responses, through specific strands of funding, to support participation and progression in higher education of specific priority groups.

More information on PATH can be found here.

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