MINISTER FOR HIGHER Education Simon Harris has today announced the creation of ten third-level courses designed for students with intellectual disabilities. 

The courses will be delivered across ten locations throughout the country, with approximately 150 students expected to enroll in the first year. 

Courses will be one to two years in length and have been specifically designed to meet the diverse range of needs of students with intellectual disabilities.

Speaking at the launch event in Dublin today, Minister Harris said:

“These courses have been designed with the learner at heart.

“When given the opportunity, students with an intellectual disability can thrive. Access to higher education can lead to employment. It can transform the lives of students and their families as well as society as a whole.”

Harris added that he was most excited about the courses that have a workplace element built into them. 

“One of the areas I’m not extraordinarily proud of is the very low participation rates within our workforce of people with disability, and even lower participation of people with intellectual disability,” he said. 

Harris also made the point that all of the courses announced today are accredited courses.

“Even talking to people this morning, I had comments from parents of people with disabilities asking ‘are these real courses and is it something real and meaningful for my child?’

“And the great thing is that it’s the exact same educational qualification that you or I would be able to access on the national framework of qualifications,” Harris said.