See The Ability

See The Ability is the disability awareness week at MSU, the aim of which is to highlight the available services on campus for people living with disabilities while bringing awareness to the challenges they face daily as students of Maynooth University. We also aspire to educate the student population on disabilities and how they are not always visible.

Engage with the Campaign

All week we will be running events to raise awareness within the student body on what it is like to be on campus with a disability. If you come along to any of the events you are free to approach one of the team who can tell you more or provide you with information. And as always, your VP Welfare & Equality Ciarán is on hand to offer advice and support.

The Challenges

While significant efforts are being made to ensure students with disabilities needs are catered for, we still have a long way to go to create equal opportunities and eliminate the every-day struggles of those living with a chronic illness or disability. Daily tasks can be made impossible if the correct facilities and resources are not available for those who need them, affecting both academic performance and overall wellbeing. For example, while the lack of parking surrounding the University affects many people, the implications the issue has on the disabled population of Maynooth is much worse, with more accessible routes and parking is needed to eliminate these problems.

Socialising, studying, attending lectures and taking part in campus events/activities are all important elements of college life. It is important that students realise that disabilities are not always visible and that this may provide an invisible barrier to participation. According to the National Disability Authority there were 643,131 people with a disability in Ireland in 2016 and 123,515 of those had a psychological or emotional condition rather than a physical disability. this is why it helps to be considerate and respectful to all students and offer assistance to those who as or need it. In an ideal world, stigmas and biases around those living with a disability will be eliminated and they will have equal opportunity to access all elements of the University experience with ease.

The Supports

The Disability Office at Maynooth University plays an important role in ensuring students receive the academic supports they need to reach their full potential while completing their studies. They highlight how Maynooth University is a modern campus which aims to make lecture theatres and buildings as accessible as possible, forms of assistive technology are available across campus to achieve this. The Disability office has the resources to help students become more independent by offering them support through comprehensive learning programmes, modern technology and a welcoming and safe environment.

Services provided by the Disability office include exam supports for those who missed their end of semester exams due to illness, solutions for those who suffer from anxiety and as a result struggle with exams, those who have depression and fall behind in lectures and those who need exam centres altered to suit their specific needs. The MU Access Society also offer the opportunity for students to enjoy a positive environment and be part of a society with people who understand what they are going through.

Drop-in hours for the Disability Office are from 12pm – 2pm daily where you can call in without an appointment during these times and someone will be available to meet with you. You can also schedule an appointment with your Disability Advisor if you have any additional requirements you would like to discuss or if you would like us to review the supports that are in place. The Disability Office is located within the Maynooth University Access Programme (MAP).

The MU Access Society can be contacted through their page on MSU Life or on Facebook.