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This presentation explores the experiences of postgraduate students with disabilities in higher education, focusing on the Irish context. It discusses the reasons for the underrepresentation of these students and examines the challenges they face. Additionally, it highlights the specific issues related to disability and the support available for postgraduate students at Trinity College Dublin.
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Postgraduate students with disabilities - how are they getting on? Postgraduate Lives—Challenges and Opportunities in Postgraduate Support and Education May 9th 2019 Dr Declan Reilly
Outline • UG and PG Students with disabilities in HE in Ireland • UG and PG Students with disabilities in Trinity • Why are there fewer PG students with disabilities? • UG and PG outcomes by disability type • Challenges facing PG students with disabilities
UG and PG Students with disabilities in HE in Ireland – Ahead 2019 https://www.ahead.ie/userfiles/files/shop/free/Numbers%20of%20Students%20with%20Disabilities%20Studying%20in%20Higher%20Education%20in%20Ireland%202017-18.pdf
UG and PG Students with disabilities in Trinity – DS 16/17 to 18/19
UG and PG Students with disabilities in Trinity – DS 15/16 to 17/18 https://www.tcd.ie/disability/assets/doc/pdf/Annual-report-statistics/17-18/DS_KPIs_Statistics_2017_2018.pdf
Why are there fewer PG students with disabilities? • Additional time and cost of additional time (in years) spent at UG level – students applying at UG level via DARE are 1 year older than the CAO average • Less time and energy available to work part time – pay for PG fees • No access route to PG education (like DARE) • Higher non completion rate of some disability categories; deaf/hard of hearing, mental health and ASD • Less need of specific supports (such as exam accommodations for PG courses that don’t have written examinations) • Having completed at UG level – many students with disabilities learn to better self manage and rely on less supports – less need for supports
PG participation by disability type • Comparison – current UG and PG students by disability type - May 2019
Undergraduate outcomes by disability type • Data for graduates and withdrawn UG students by student number 2005 to 2017
Postgraduate outcomes by disability type • Data for graduates and withdrawn PG students by student number 2005 to 2017
Challenges facing PG students with disabilities • Common PG Challenges: • isolation, stress, conflict with supervisor, finances, lack of work/life balance, time management, lack of personal support, lack of institutional support, concern for the future, motivation • https://inomics.com/insight/10-biggest-struggles-of-phd-students-610514 • The Irish Survey of Student Engagement for Postgraduate Research Students • http://studentsurvey.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/ISSE-PGR-Report-2018final.pdf
Disability specific challenges: • Direct impact of disability on course: attendance and academic work • Indirect impact of disability on course (exacerbation of all of the common PG challenges above) • Disclosure to department/school • Requesting Reasonable Accommodations • Resolving issues related to impact of disability or accommodations • Issues with meeting deadlines & managing workload • Employment – transition to employment
Thank you Dr Declan Reilly Disability ServiceTrinity College Dublinreillyde@tcd.ie