Universal Design and Disability in the University of Galway

Universal Design

At the University of Galway, we understand that the most effective way to make our campus and community accessible to and inclusive of all is to implement the principles of Universal Design (UD) in our working and learning environments and our public spaces. We do this through our Universal Design and Accessibility Policy, Action Plan and Working Group, a sub-committee of the EDI Campus Committee.

As a reaffirmation of commitments made under our University Strategies since 2020, we have recently adopted the ALTITUDE Charter for Universal Design in Tertiary Education and committed to removing barriers to accessibility and inclusion across the four pillars of UD in Education: the physical environment, the digital environment, supports, services and social engagement, and learning, teaching and assessment.

Reasonable Accommodations

As we make incremental steps towards a universally designed environment, we recognise that some of our students and staff require additional support to ensure they can participate in all aspects of university life. Under the Disability Act 2005, all public bodies in Ireland, including universities, must provide reasonable accommodations to enable people with disabilities to access the built and digital environments and products and services.

Disability Support for Students

University of Galway provides a range of supports for students with disabilities who require reasonable accommodations due to the impact of disability, ongoing health condition, or a specific learning difficulty. The University has a dedicated Student Reasonable Accommodation Policy.

Supports include Exam and/or In-Class Supports, Advice and Advocacy, Assistive Technology, Placement Planning, Academic Skills, Information on Campus Sensory Spaces, Occupational Therapy, Irish Sign Language Interpreter and more.

Please note that specialist supports, such as Occupational Therapy, are provided on a referral basis and occur through consultation between the student and their Disability Advisor to determine whether a referral is appropriate.

Disability Support for Staff

University of Galway is committed to providing an accessible and welcoming working environment for all of our staff members.The university seeks to create a workplace which provides the necessary support for our diverse range of employees to reach their full potential. The university has developed a  QA155 Staff Guide to Disability in the Workplace which aims to support all staff who have a disability or acquire a disability while working in the university in order that they can remain in the workplace and access any adjustments or accommodations they may need.

Successful accommodations include adapting office layouts, height adjusting desks, purchase of special office/lab equipment, adapting standard equipment or materials, agreeing alternative ways of accomplishing a given task, providing information in accessible formats, providing a parking space close to place of work, facilitating flexible working arrangements including hybrid, reduced hours, flexible start and finish times, accessible accommodation.

Please Note that Reasonable Accommodations do not include any treatment, facility, or item that you might ordinarily or reasonably provide for yourself, for example, a wheelchair or reading glasses.

Access Officers

Under the Disability Act 2005, all Public Bodies are required to nominate one or more persons as Access Officers, whose responsibility it is to provide assistance and guidance to people with disabilities in accessing the services of the Public Body and to act as a point of contact for people with disabilities who wish to access the service.

Who to Contact?

Access Officer: Dr Deirdre McHugh, Universal Design Manager, email deirdre.mchugh@universityofgalway.ie.

Further Information

T‌o find out more about ongoing work in the area of Universal Design and Disability at University of Galway please contact the Office of the Vice-President for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at OVPEDI@universityofgalway.ie.

Visit the Accessibility webpage to find out about projects that make the University of Galway campus and our digital environment more accessible for students, staff and the general public.

Students looking for support or information can contact their relevant Students' Union Officer.

National Disability Authority Fact Sheets:

Disability Statistics

Employability Statistics