05/20/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/20/2026 09:26
The Joint Committee on Further & Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science chaired by Committee Cathaoirleach Deputy Erin McGreehan meets on Thursday 21st May at 9:30am for further engagement on Accessibility and Assistive Technology in Committee Room 1 of Leinster House. The meeting is a joint Committee meeting with the Joint Committee on Disability Matters.
The meeting will hear from:
• University of Limerick
• Dunboyne College of Further Education
• Trinity Centre for People with Intellectual Disabilities
Speaking ahead of the meeting Committee Cathaoirleach Deputy Erin McGreehan said "We heard at the meeting last week that accessibility is about removing barriers so all learners can participate fully, regardless of disability, learning difference or digital exclusion.
"Among the topics we will look to discuss tomorrow with those attending are how students experience digital content in practice and the importance of early accessibility and digital design education. We will look for information from the Universities and Colleges attending to outline what access is currently available to their students and what innovations they have introduced to augment their students time in third level education.
"As a Committee we want to see what can be further implemented in order to alleviate any pressures experienced by students during their college life."
Cathaoirleach of the Committee on Disability Matters Deputy Maurice Quinlivan said: "Accessible Assistive Technology makes things possible for people with disabilities. It represents an unprecedented opportunity to improve quality of life, enhance participation in education. We need to move without delay to a Universal Design approach to enable the transformation of education which enables independence and social participation for all."
Read more on the work carried out by Joint Committee on Further & Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science
Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.