Supporting students with disabilities 

The Disability Support Service (DSS) is a confidential post-entry support service for students with disabilities. The DSS  team aims to provide a confidential, professional and responsive service to support the needs of students with disabilities. We are committed to the provision of a truly inclusive and equitable learning environment that fosters a University experience of the highest quality for all TU Dublin students.

It is important to note that a lot of disabilities are not visible, for example, mental health difficulties, students with significant ongoing illnesses, or learning difficulties. Students with disabilities are responsible for disclosing their disabilities and engaging with us to implement reasonable accommodations.  

The cooperation, flexibility, and understanding of academic and administrative staff are also so important here. Every student is different. It is often helpful to ask a student that you may come into contact with, how you can support them. If you are teaching staff, you can highlight at the beginning of a module that students are welcome to approach you if they have any particular difficulties that affect their learning.

For more information please contact the DSS team here: People

Definition of Disability

The legal definition of disability stipulated in the Employment Equality Act 1998 and Equal Status Acts (2000) as amended, defines disability as follows:

1. “the total or partial absence of a person’s bodily or mental functions, including the absence of a part of a person’s body,
2. the presence in the body of organisms causing or likely to cause, chronic disease or illness,
3. the malfunction, malformation, or disfigurement of a part of a person’s body,
4. a condition or malfunction which results in a person learning differently from a person without the condition or malfunction, or
5. a condition, illness or disease which affects a person’s thought processes, perception of reality, emotions or judgment or which results in disturbing behavior.”

and shall be taken to include a disability which exists at present, or which previously existed but no longer exists, or which may exist in the future or which is imputed to a person.”

The Disability Act 2005 refers to:

“disability”, in relation to a person, means a substantial restriction in the capacity of the person to carry on a profession, business, or occupation in the State or to participate in social or cultural life in the State by reason of an enduring physical, sensory, mental health or intellectual impairment.” Substantial restriction means a restriction that is permanent (or likely to be permanent) which results in significant difficulty in communication, learning, or mobility and means that the person has a need for services to be provided on a continuous basis.