Current Students

If you are a student with a physical, sensory or learning disability, medical or mental health condition that impacts on your learning, we can support you.

We promote awareness within the college community and provide information on the rights and values of students with disabilities, including cultural, physical and psychological barriers which are encountered by these individuals.

Keep up to date

Email: We contact you using your NUIM email address (e.g. joe.bloggs.2010@nuim.ie) only.

Online: Current students should visit these pages regularly to make sure that you are up to date with announcements, deadlines and other important information. Why not subscribe to our blog to make sure that news reaches you when we publish it?

Moodle: The MAP Area in Moodle is full of study skills material, forums, downloads and announcements. All registered students can access this area; contact atc@nuim.ie for the key.

Supports

Students with disabilities can avail of a range of educational, in-course, exam and library support. Contact us to see what supports are right for you.

• Rose Ryan, Disability Officer
  
• Maeve McCaldin, Access Student Advisor
  

 

  Supports available:

 

• Information and advice
• Access to the Assistive Technology Centre
• Learning Support which helps with writing, study skills and exam techniques
• Student+ a unique study skills module that runs over 20 weeks
• Assistance from the Mathematics Support Centre
• Note taker in lectures for students who have difficulties with writing
• Frequent talks and workshops on study and writing skills
• Additional academic tuition
• Library support
• Academic/personal assistant
• Examination supports
• Screening for learning difficulties e.g. dyslexia.
  

Examination Supports

Some students need support when taking examinations. These supports may include :

• Extra time
• Smaller rooms
• Use of a computer or assistive technology
• Rest breaks

Note that examination supports must be agreed with the Disability Officer by the end of October.

Assistive Technology Centre

Increasingly, technology plays a central part in teaching and learning at NUI Maynooth for all students. However, some technology helps with the difficulties you may have as a result of a learning difficulty or disability. This technology is usually referred to as 'assistive technology'. The Disability Office has two staff members who will help you identify the right technology, show you how to use it, and arrange for the technology to be available to you when you need it.

When you meet the Educational Technology Officer, you will be asked about your experience of using technology, what works for you and what you might need to use it for in university. Many students will have their own technology or may be able to use this equipment in new ways, e.g. using the predictive text function on your mobile phone to check a spelling or using your mp3 player to listen to lecture notes. Everyone can benefit from training in the use of TextHelp Read & Write Gold and Inspiration, two very useful programs available everywhere on campus.

Anyone registered with the Disability Office can use the Assistive Technology Centre in the Students Service Building. Here you can receive training and make use of even more assistive technology. We are open between 9 and 6 during term time and no appointment is necessary. Just drop in and you can use the computers to access assistive technology and get help from the Educational Technology Officer. In the JPII Library, you can use the Performance+ Room on the ground floor to scan books, convert text to mp3 or magnify the area of your screen. You can also borrow laptops with assistive technology or use your own. Most areas on campus have wifi allowing you to access the web with your laptop or PDA wherever you are.

For more information contact the Assistive Technology Centre at (01) 708 4654 or atc@nuim.ie

 

 

Some of the applications and equipment available include:

 

• 
  Dragon Naturally Speaking: This application allows you to talk to the computer instead of typing. It is vary useful for students with restricted movement, dyslexia and visual impairments.
  
  
• Texthelp Read & Write Gold and Kurzweil 3000: These packages allow you to have the computer read text to you. They can also be used to magnify text, make notes, check spellings and even save documents as mp3 files to listen to later.
  

• Inspiration: This package helps you to plan and organise your written work using images, spidergrams and a variety of techniques.
  
  
• CCTV: This is a powerful magnifying device which can be used to read small print in books, handouts, maps, notes or any document.
  
  
• Zoomtext: This software allows you to magnify areas on the computer screen and have text read to you.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• JAWS and Kurzweil 1000: These allow users with visual impairments to access computers.