Ms Megan O'Connor:

They are fantastic programmes. They are the reason so many students are currently in the higher education sector. We are very grateful for that but they were implemented a long time ago. These things need to be kept up-to-date, renewed and invested in. We need to ensure that students are part of those conversations when we examine them and have engagement with stakeholders such as Ahead, which has done incredible work in ensuring that students are empowered to disclose their disabilities across the sector. The programmes are fantastic but we need to keep the pressure on to make sure they keep up with how quickly the sector is changing. We are entering this new digital era, as Mr. Brennan mentioned, in which students are having to catch up on their digital capabilities in order that they are appropriately prepared to enter the workforce. Staff have to catch up too. There is a lot left to do.

When students enter college under an access scheme they are often provided with the resources they need upfront. If a student is diagnosed with a disability during his or her studies, that is another barrier because the student then has to try to re-engage with a system that is not typically set up for, say, a third year requiring disability supports. There is a long way to go. The schemes are a great foundation but they are a little outdated for the staff and students across the sector now.