Students with intellectual disabilities in higher education institutes: An Irish experience

Aim: The purpose of the study was to explore the experience of implementing an inclusive educational programme for people with intellectual disabilities in six higher education institutes in Ireland. Methods: Multiple sources of qualitative data were collected to gain an understanding of the experiences of students, course tutors, nullchampionsnull who pioneered the initiative in each setting and student family members. Data was gathered via focus groups, interviews and surveys. Results: All participants experienced personal growth and development. For students, there was a deepening of their abilities to claim their educational rights and advocate for higher education infrastructure change. For tutors, the gain was in their experience of innovative learning and assessment methodologies targeted on this group. What emerged for nullchampionsnull was a questioning of how best to include students with intellectual disabilities in higher education. For family members, seeing their son or daughter in a new light brought with it the challenge of nullletting gonull. Conclusions: The study has highlighted some key challenges and insights for higher education institutes in how best to increase the inclusion of students with intellectual disabilities.