DARE

Disability Access Route to Education 2010

If you are about to apply for a place through the CAO, you should also complete the Supplementary Information Form. By completing this form you are letting colleges know that you have a disability and that you may require supports in college.

Completing this form may also allow you to be considered for the Disability Access Route to Education (DARE). Read through the information below to familiarise yourself with this scheme and download our DARE Application Guide.

What is the Disability Access Route to Education (DARE)?

Who is DARE for?

Why was DARE set up?

What does "reduced points" mean?

Which colleges run DARE?

How many places are there for DARE students each year?

What disabilities are eligible for consideration for DARE?

How are applications for DARE assessed?

What criteria are used to assess applications for DARE?

How can I apply to DARE?

When can students apply for DARE?

How do I know what supporting documents to provide?

Who are the accepted Medical Consultant/Specialists and how old can reports be?

What are the application and closing dates for DARE?

What happens if I do not meet the above deadlines?

How do you decide if I am eligible?

What happens after DARE applicants are assessed?

I have an exemption from Irish and/or a third language for my Leaving Certificate. Is this automatically accepted by NUIM?

I'm ineligible but I think there was some mistake in the assessment of my application - what can I do?

What happens if I am offered a place in college through DARE?

I have a disability but was ineligible for DARE. What happens if I am offered a place in college?

I have a disability but feel that I may also be eligible to apply to HEAR?

I am a mature student. Can I apply to DARE?

I do not think that I will be eligible for DARE and feel that I will meet the points required for my course. Do I have to apply to DARE?

Where can I get further information?

Information Events and Open Days

What is the Disability Access Route to Education (DARE)?

DARE is a third level admissions scheme for school leavers with disabilities. Eligible students compete for a quota of reduced points places in the colleges that run the scheme.

Who is DARE for?

School leavers (Under 23yrs as at 1 January 2010) who have a disability and who due to the impact of that disability may not be able to meet the points for their preferred course.

Why was DARE set up?

DARE was established to tackle educational disadvantage. Disability can negatively impact on educational attainment at school and can affect progression by some second level students to third level.

What does "reduced points" mean?

Applicants eligible for DARE may gain entry to college courses on less than the full CAO points. For example, a course that is 450 points through CAO may be offered to a student eligible for DARE with 410 Leaving Certificate points. All DARE students must however meet college matriculation and specific course entry requirements where they apply.

Which colleges run DARE?

o Athlone Institute of Technology
o Dublin City University
o Dublin Institute of Technology
o Mater Dei Institute
o National College of Ireland
o NUI Galway
o NUI Maynooth
o Trinity College, Dublin
o University College Dublin
o University College Cork
o University of Limerick

This means students can apply through DARE for the quota of places in any of these colleges.

How many places are there for DARE students each year?

Each of the colleges set aside a quota of places for DARE students each year. 4% of the 1st year intake at NUIM will be available to students with disabilities (combined merit and reduced points places).

What disabilities are eligible for consideration for DARE?

o Asperger's Syndrome / Autism
o Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)/ Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
o Blind/Vision Impaired
o Deaf/Hearing Impaired
o Dyspraxia
o Mental Health Condition
o Neurological Conditions (incl. Brain Injury, Speech and Language Disabilities)
o Significant Ongoing Illness
o Physical Disability
o Specific Learning Difficulty (incl. Dyslexia)
o Other Disabilities

How are applications for DARE assessed?

Applications for DARE are assessed by professionals in participating Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) who have expertise and an in-depth knowledge of the impact of disability on educational attainment.

What criteria are used to assess applications for DARE?

To assess an applicant's eligibility for DARE, specific criteria have been developed to determine the significance of each disability and the impact on educational attainment. The criteria used for assessing the impact of disability were developed by HEI Assessment Boards, which included HEI professionals and representatives from expert external organisations. Each applicant must meet the criteria in order to be eligible for the scheme. These criteria have been agreed by all participating institutions.

Thus, individual applicants are considered for places across all participating colleges using the same criteria. Please note that a limited number of places are available to students whose disability has impacted on their academic performance in second level education. Not everyone with a disability will qualify.

How can I apply to DARE?

School leavers who wish to be considered for DARE must:

• Apply online at www.cao.ie as part of the CAO application process by 1st February 2010.
• Disclose a disability or specific learning difficulty on the appropriate section of the application form. Applicants will then be directed to the separate online Supplementary Information Form which will ask them to provide additional information about their disability or specific learning difficulty (Sections A-C).
• Applicants must indicate their wish to be considered for DARE (Section D).
• Applicants must submit supporting documentation by 1st April 2010.

Applicants are encouraged to complete their applications online. If you are unable to do so you may request a paper Application Form from the CAO.

We strongly encourage you to complete the SIF online and well in advance of the deadline. The CAO have both the forms and samples for you on their downloads page.

When can students apply for DARE?

Students can apply online at the CAO website from early November 2009.

How do I know what supporting documents to provide?

When completing a DARE application, applicants will receive online prompts requesting that they submit specific documentation.

All applicants must complete the Supplementary Information Form which must be completed by the applicant, the applicant's school and the Medical Consultant/Specialist verifying the disability.

• Section A - applicants must complete a Personal Statement which outlines, from their perspective, the academic impact of the disability or specific learning difficulty.

• Section B - applicants must return a Second Level Academic Reference completed by their school. This form provides background information on the applicant's educational experience and helps to determine appropriate supports at third level.

• Section C - applicants must return the Evidence of Disability Form completed by the accepted Medical Consultant/Specialist. This form provides verification of the applicant's disability and helps to determine appropriate supports at third level. All applicants must complete this form with the exception of the following:

o Applicants with specific learning difficulties (incl. Dyslexia), who must provide a full psycho-educational assessment completed by an appropriately qualified psychologist. The report must be less than 3 years old i.e. must be dated after 1st February 2007.

o All other applicants, who have an existing report completed by the accepted Medical Consultant/Specialist. This report must be completed within the appropriate timeframe and must contain the same detail as the Evidence of Disability Form.

Who are the accepted Medical Consultant/Specialists and how old can reports be?

These are listed on the accesscollege.ie website

What are the application and closing dates for DARE?

1. By 1st February 2010 - Complete all elements of the online DARE application as part of CAO application process. Applicants who are unable to complete the online form must submit the paper application form by the same date.

2. By 1st April 2010 - Submit both Evidence of a Disability and Second Level Academic Reference to the CAO

What happens if I do not meet the above deadlines?

You will not be eligible for consideration under this scheme.

How do you decide if I am eligible?

A panel of disability professionals working in Higher Education Institutions will screen the applications for the impact of the disability or specific learning difficulty. We want to make sure that the applicants who are most severely affected get the available places.

There are two important stages for you to remember:

1. You must complete all sections of the Supplementary Information Form.

2. Don't forget that each college has set entry requirements to each course. At NUIM, you must reach minimum entry requirements and any specific course requirements.

At NUIM, the entry requirements are as follows:

• students must matriculate with:

o a Grade C3 or higher in 2 Higher Level subjects & Grade D3 or higher in 4 Ordinary or Higher Level Subjects including English and Irish.

o Any specific subject requirements for the course e.g. a number of courses also require an OD3 or higher in a third language.

Please see our prospectus for course requirements http://nuim.ie.

Please note that St. Patrick's College Maynooth (MU001 & MU002) is not part of the HEAR/DARE scheme.

• students must also:

o meet any other course requirements (see http://admissions.nuim.ie/subjects/);
o obtain the required number of CAO points.

• where demand for places exceeds the number of places available, places are awarded on merit.

NUI Maynooth has developed a DARE Admissions Policy in this regard.

What happens after DARE applicants are assessed?

After assessment, applicants will be informed of whether or not they are eligible for the scheme. Eligible applicants will go forward to compete for the quota of reduced points places in the DARE colleges to which they apply. Ineligible applicants compete for places in college in the usual manner.

I have an exemption from Irish and/or a third language for my Leaving Certificate. Is this automatically accepted by NUIM?

No, and a lot of students each year get this wrong. This exemption is not the same as the exemption you get for the Leaving Certificate. You need to apply for a new exemption directly from the National University of Ireland. If you do not get this exemption from the NUI, you will not matriculate and may be unable to get a place at NUIM or other NUI university. Note that other universities or ITs have other systems in place.
Your new application for a exemption is considered on an individual basis and you can apply for one from the NUI any time after your Junior Certificate. Fill in the form and send it with a School Record Form completed by the Head of your school and a Certification Form completed by a qualified professional.
The form is available from the National University of Ireland, 49 Merrion Square, Dublin 2, or may be downloaded from the NUI website.

I'm ineligible but I think there was some mistake in the assessment of my application - what can I do?

Ineligible applicants can apply to have their applications reviewed if they believe there has been an error in the screening of the application.

What happens if I am offered a place in college through DARE?

All students with a disability, irrespective of whether they come through DARE or not, are offered a variety of educational, technological and personal supports while studying at third level. Such supports include an orientation programme (before courses start), academic guidance and assistance and access to appropriate assistive technology. Individual institutions will determine the nature and delivery of such supports in accordance with their own policies and practices and subject to the availability of resources.

I have a disability but was ineligible for DARE. What happens if I am offered a place in college?

The majority of students with a disability who enter higher education do so on merit having met the points required for their course. All students with a disability, irrespective of whether they come through DARE or not, are offered a variety of educational, technological and personal supports while studying at third level.

I have a disability but feel that I may also be eligible to apply to HEAR?

HEAR is a separate process and you should complete the application process for this scheme submitting all required documentation. You may also apply to DARE following the DARE application process.

I am a mature student. Can I apply to DARE?

This scheme is for school leavers (Under 23yrs as at 1 January 2010) who have a disability and who due to the impact of that disability may not be able to meet the points for their preferred course. Mature Students can make applications to NUIM under the Mature Student Entry Route. You can get more information about admissions from http://access.nuim.ie/mature or by contacting Emer Sheerin, Mature Students Support Officer, at (01) 7083307.

I do not think that I will be eligible for DARE and feel that I will meet the points required for my course. Do I have to apply to DARE?

Deciding to apply to DARE is a matter for each individual student. If you think that you might be eligible then you should apply because if you find out after your Leaving Certificate that you need some points it is too late to apply. Many students will not apply to DARE. You should however always indicate that you have a disability and provide information about your disability/specific learning difficulty to the CAO as it allows colleges to be aware of and proactive about supports that you might need in college.

Where can I get further information?

The best source of information about DARE is www.accesscollege.ie. This is a single site offerring application information, Frequently Asked Questions and Student Stories. It also offers information specific to each of the participating colleges. The DARE Application Guide and Brochure are also available here and from the following websites www.cao.ie | www.qualifax.ie

You should also take some time to read the DARE Information Brochure.

For more information about NUI Maynooth, visit the Admissions pages, contact Rose Ryan, Disability Officer, at (01) 7086341 or rosario.ryan@nuim.ie. For more information on student life at NUI Maynooth, visit our prospective students area.

For information about the CAO process you should note that the CAO Application Process opens on November 3rd 2009. All applications for DARE need to be made before February 1st 2010. Supporting documentation must be submitted by April 1st 2010. There is a CAO Helpline to assist you in making a full application to DARE. CAO will operate a helpline from November 1st 2009 through to March 2010. More information can be found on www.cao.ie

Information Events and Open Days

For dates of Information Days and Open Days log on to the events listings on:
www.qualifax.ie . Better Options are 3 unique half-day events focusing on students with a disability or specific learning difficulty considering Higher Education options in Ireland. Third Level Institutions from across Ireland will be in attendance to provide information on application procedures, course details and the various supports available for students with disabilities and specific learning difficulties. Students will also be in attendance to talk about their experiences. Contact the Disability Service in the host institution for more information.