Every year, the number of students with disabilities going to college increases – last year there were over 3,000 studying at higher-level nationwide.

Most Irish higher-level institutions have modern facilities and services in place to enable students with disabilities to play a full role in the Irish higher education system. The Equal Status Act of 2000 prohibits colleges from discriminating in any way against students on the basis of disability. This applies to all educational institutions, both public and private. If you have a disability, your first concern should be to decide upon the subjects that interest you and the higher education courses for which to apply. Once you have this decided, you can then investigate the kind of disability support that individual institutions provide.

Students with disabilities should apply through the CAO. There is a space on the CAO application form to indicate that you have a disability. Ticking this box will have no negative effect on your application; the CAO will send you a Supplementary Information Form to complete and return to the CAO in March. This form asks for more details and information about your specific situation, which the CAO passes on to the colleges to which you have applied. This allows the various colleges and institutions time to consider and prepare for any specific support that you may need.

Some colleges have a non-standard entry system, which considers difficulties that any student may have encountered that affected the CAO points they achieved. Students who complete a Supplementary Information Form may be asked for further medical information regarding their disability or other difficulties that they have encountered during their education. Factors such as frequent illness, hospitalisation and access to facilities and materials can be taken into account, and sometimes college places are offered to students with sufficient academic ability who do not reach the CAO points target. Not all institutions offer this opportunity; you should contact your chosen college directly to find out.

All third-level campuses are supposed to be designed to ensure access for disabled students. Most institutions have a Disability Support Service and a specific staff member (such as a Disability or Access Officer) with responsibility for supporting students with disabilities and helping them to play a full role in all aspects of student life, including social activities. It is advisable to call the institution that you wish to attend – and pay a visit in advance if possible – to find out exactly what support they have in place. The Access Officer may also be able to offer advice and assistance with your application.

Upon registration, students are advised to contact the Disability Support Service in their colleges and discuss the equipment or services they may require. Different students will have different requirements, but examples include full-time or part-time assistants, assistive technology (examples include audio recorders for lectures and voice recognition software for typing essays) and help with getting to and from college.

Further assistance is available from the Department of Education’s Fund for Students with Disabilities. This fund is available to both full-time and postgraduate students with a physical, sensory, or specific learning disability such as dyslexia. Funding is also available for transport, personal assistants and sign language interpreters. It is not intended to cover other costs such as food, books or study materials. There is an application process and students must provide evidence of their specific circumstances. Your institution’s Disability Support Service should also be able to help you with these applications.

There are some specific scholarship schemes in place to help students with a disability to participate in higher-level education. One example is the Bank of Ireland Millenium Scholars Trust. Again, the Disability Support Service at each institution can help with advice. Students may also be eligible for the disability allowance and local authority maintenance grant.

It is important that students gather as much information as they can to help them with the transition to higher education. Other organisations such as AHEAD, the Association for Higher Education Access and Disability (http://www.ahead.ie/), the Centre for Independent Living (http://www.dublincil.org/), and support organisations for particular disabilities can also offer assistance and advice for students starting out in higher-level education.

All students going to college for the first time face challenges, and this rings especially true for students with disabilities. However, being aware of your rights and taking full advantage of all the support and services available to you should enhance your college experience.