FAQs
Q. Should I disclose my disability to DIT?
Yes, the Disability Service team is there to support you. By disclosing your disability it means that you will be assisted in accessing a range of reasonable supports, provided by the Institute and by the State, to enable you to successfully complete your course. However, the choice to disclose is entirely up to you.
For CAO applicants it also means your application will be considered under the Supplementary Admission Route for Applicants with Disabilities
Q. I have a disability and want to apply to Dublin Institute of Technology
Applicants with a disability applying for full time undergraduate degrees of the University should apply via the Central Applications Office (CAO), indicating on the application form that they have a disability or specific learning difficulty, which is the basis for seeking reasonable accommodations of support in either the application process or in pursuing their College career. Mature students with disabilities (i.e. at least 23 years of age on the 1st January of the proposed year of entry) with disabilities should apply via the supplementary admissions procedure for mature students as well as via CAO.
For information on the Disability Access Route to Education see http://www.accesscollege.ie/
Q. How do I register with the Disability Service?
Services are for all students with a disability, including, but not limited, to those who:
- Hearing Impaired / Deaf
- Visually Impaired / Blind
- Specific Learning Difficulties
- Physical Disability
- Medical Disability
- Mental Health Difficulties
If you require assistance for a disability or specific learning difficulty, you should register with Disability Service; the initial point of contact should be made via the Disability Office at (01) 4027681 or disability@dit.ie.
You will then be assigned a Learning Support Officer and Assistive Technology Officer who will work with you to assess the level of support required.
Q. What evidence of my disability do I need to provide?
DIT requires evidence of a disability to support the provision of any reasonable accommodations. Students who do not have appropriate evidence of their disability should forward the ‘Evidence of Disability Form' to their Medical Consultant / Specialist to be completed. General Practitioner (GP) letters will not be accepted as suitable medical evidence.
Students with Specific Learning Difficulties (e.g. dyslexia) should provide a copy of their most recent Educational Psychology Report clearly stating that the student has a Specific Learning Difficulty. This report must contain the age equivalent of intellectual functioning and reading age, age-related percentile point, or adult norm in the case of mature students. For applications to the CAO through the Supplementary Admissions Route assessment should have been conducted within the last 3 years. This three year rule does not apply to registering with the Disability Service for appropriate and relevant supports.
Q. What financial Information is available to me?
The HEA's Student Finance website is www.studentfinance.ie and applications for SUSI Grants can be made online at www.susi.ie.
Student Finance brings together comprehensive and user-friendly information on the range of financial support programmes available in further and higher education. It is designed to help users to quickly and conveniently identify the various sources of financial support that they may be eligible for and how they might apply. It is a valuable information resource for students, future students, their families and those who provide advice and guidance.
If a student has appropriate supporting documentation, the service can apply for funding from the ESF Student Disability Fund
http://www.studentfinance.ie/mp7575/fund-for-students-with-disabilities/index.html
Q. Can DIT guarantee my privacy?
Any information that you provide to the Disability Service will remain confidential. It is important to remember however, that the Disability and Service cannot provide support in isolation. With your permission, information will be disclosed solely for the purpose of arranging the necessary support for you.
Q. What services and support is offered to students with disabilities?
Every student with a disability in DIT has access to a wide range of reasonable supports and services. These are are based on each student’s individual needs.
Some of our services include:
- Supplementary admission route
- An educational needs assessment
- Study related financial support
- Learning support service
- Individual tutor support
- Free screening service to identify a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia
- Assistive technology and alternative format services
- Examination support
Q. What support is available for examinations?
DIT is committed to ensuring that students with disabilities are in no way disadvantaged in examinations. Specific examination and other assessment arrangements may be made for you if you have a temporary or permanent disability.
The specific arrangements are intended to enable you to perform to the best of your ability and are not intended to give you an unfair advantage. These arrangements are specified in accordance with DAWN (the National Disability Advisors Working Network) exam policy guidelines for third level institutions.
You have to register with the Disability Service if you are experiencing a disability, so contact them as soon as possible. You'll need medical documentation and psycho-educational reports. All exam accommodations for DIT students are in strict accordance with the requirements of the DAWN and DIT examination policy.
If a disability does prevent you taking an exam or assessment the way the rest of your class are required to, then it might be possible to make special arrangements for you.
Examination accommodations may include;
- Time allowances
- Flexibility with assignments
- Disregarding of spelling, grammar, punctuation etc
- Rest periods
- Use of a reader/ Scribe
- Smaller examination centre
- Physical space
- Accessible toilets
- Use of Computer or Assistive Technology
Q. I have a Specific Learning Difficulty – what do I do?
There are a large number of students with specific learning difficulties (SpLD) studying in DIT programmes. The Disability Service offer a range of services to assist in meeting the needs of students with an SpLD. The Disability Service has four full time Learning Support Officers who are based across all the campuses.
The overall aim of Learning Support is to equip students with strategies which suit their individual learning style and to assist them in becoming independent learners. They do this by identifying students’ needs and developing their skills in: active learning; time management; reading; note-taking; exam/study skills and task analysis.
Q. I think I have a Specific Learning Difficulty – what do I do?
You should contact the Disability Service. They offer a screening service to any student in DIT who suspects they may have a specific learning difficulty. The initial screening is carried out by the Learning Support Officer. Should the assessment determine the likelihood of an SpLD, the student can be referred to an educational psychologist for a full assessment. With a full educational psychologist assessment report, students can access a range of supports and services available to them.
For students who require an up to date assessment report the Service can refer students to the relevant professionals. Please note there is no funding available from the Disability Service for this assessment.
