Massive Cuts (50%) for any Disabled student in 3rd Level education!!!

[Disabled student]

Hello,

I am a disabled student in university here in Ireland. Now in my second year, I rely on the support such as notetaking & other support to enable me to follow the lectures and the tutorials as well.Otherwise, i would be lost if there was NONE.

All these supports have enabled me to PASS the exams.

Now recently, we were notified that Dept of Education/HEA (in charge of the funds for disabled students for 3rd Level education) have told all disability officers around Ireland that they will cut funds-(for support needs for any disabled student when they apply for funding) by a MASSIVE 5O% or MORE.

It was quite absurd because how can we follow the lectures without any means of support such as notetaking,Braille transalation so on etc. These kind of support are vital and also a life saver for many of us.


It's also a possibility that without any support, Dropout rate will soar & also exam failure rate will also rise as well.

Also HEA have told all the disability officers that they want to DOUBLE the numbers in terms of disabilty students entering the University, while at the same time, they also want to CUT funding by HALF in 2010-12. That kind of brainless idea will never work.

You can see their (HEA/Dept of Education) thinking is flawed and illogical.

Finally, I will never vote for FF/GP again because of these HUGE massive cuts in terms of disability support. They have taken the easy route by TARGETING the vulnerables ones such as the disabled, the elderly (re Medical cards Fiasco) etc.

Many disabled students here hope & dream that FF/GP would be KICKED out but that remains to be seen.

Disabled Student

[KingKane]

I'm not doubting your sincerity here but can you link to something that shows where this has been announced and also some background to the current set of circumstances.

I'm not someone who would be likely to be defending the government for a moment but I'm also not going to jump into an attack on them without knowing the picture somewhat more fully. I'm not an expert but I was not aware that all of the funding for the support of disabled students at 3rd level came directly via a specific subvention from the HEA.

If the case is as you outline it then it is disgraceful to make such a cut for what would be absolutely minimal savings given the small number of disabled students in 3rd level.

[Question R24U]

That is harsh but FG are trying to outdo FF in cutting costs and the public sector reform: read cuts. But that won't stop Brian Hayes supporting your case as a unique example. Best of luck with that and your exams without the support you need as sadly for you and many others, there will be no change before you finish college.

[Disabled student]

King Kane,

For your information re HEA: Higher Education Authority | Access Funding

At the moment, Dept of Education haven't announced it yet but it was communicated to all Disability officers at a meeting held by HEA re annoucement of cuts.

My Disability officer was livid. Naturally they wrore a letter of protest. Later they told us what was happening as regards to their meeting with HEA.

Regards,

Disabled student.

[turdsl]

[QUOTE=Disabled student;1292228]King Kane,

For your information re HEA: Higher Education Authority | Access Funding

At the moment, Dept of Education haven't announced it yet but it was communicated to all Disability officers at a meeting held by HEA re annoucement of cuts.

My Disability officer was livid. Naturally they wrore a letter of protest. Later they told us what was happening as regards to their meeting with HEA.

Regards,

Disabled student.[/QUOTE
If this is true, it is worse than the medical cards for pensioners fiasco,it will bring shame not just on this F.F. government but on the whole country.

[Centurian]

Agreed - but the have no shame. The current lack of support for disabled people is appalling without them slashing it further.

Typical gombeen Irish politician attitude - pick on the most vulnerable people in society...

[corelli]

Hello,

I am a disabled student in university here in Ireland. Now in my second year, I rely on the support such as notetaking & other support to enable me to follow the lectures and the tutorials as well.Otherwise, i would be lost if there was NONE.

All these supports have enabled me to PASS the exams.

Now recently, we were notified that Dept of Education/HEA (in charge of the funds for disabled students for 3rd Level education) have told all disability officers around Ireland that they will cut funds-(for support needs for any disabled student when they apply for funding) by a MASSIVE 5O% or MORE.

It was quite absurd because how can we follow the lectures without any means of support such as notetaking,Braille transalation so on etc. These kind of support are vital and also a life saver for many of us.


It's also a possibility that without any support, Dropout rate will soar & also exam failure rate will also rise as well.

Also HEA have told all the disability officers that they want to DOUBLE the numbers in terms of disabilty students entering the University, while at the same time, they also want to CUT funding by HALF in 2010-12. That kind of brainless idea will never work.

You can see their (HEA/Dept of Education) thinking is flawed and illogical.

Finally, I will never vote for FF/GP again because of these HUGE massive cuts in terms of disability support. They have taken the easy route by TARGETING the vulnerables ones such as the disabled, the elderly (re Medical cards Fiasco) etc.

Many disabled students here hope & dream that FF/GP would be KICKED out but that remains to be seen.

Disabled Student

I sent you a private message. Can you give me more details of the contact of your student disability officer. I want to bring it to someones attention who might want to investigate it further and highlight the situation. Its not a politican I will bring it to the attention of in case you are wondering. Not an issue to make a political football of.

[Right is right]

That is harsh but FG are trying to outdo FF in cutting costs and the public sector reform: read cuts. But that won't stop Brian Hayes supporting your case as a unique example. Best of luck with that and your exams without the support you need as sadly for you and many others, there will be no change before you finish college.

What is the problem with cutting costs and making public sector reform when it is clearly needed and stops us wasting money which we have been doing a number of years...

[Centurian]

What is the problem with cutting costs and making public sector reform when it is clearly needed and stops us wasting money which we have been doing a number of years...

The problem Einstein is that the bar stewards, true to form, are making cuts from the most vulnerable and those most likely to suffer as a result of those cuts.

The support ( or rather lack of it ) that Irish disabled people currently get from the government in Ireland is already nothing short of a national disgrace. - Meanwhile the same government can't do enough for all the carpet bagging economic migrants and so-called asylum seekers, the black and prams and all the sundry other scammers that shouldn't even be in this country !

[Right is right]

The problem Einstein is that the bar stewards, true to form, are making cuts from the most vulnerable and those most likely to suffer as a result of those cuts.

The support ( or rather lack of it ) that Irish disabled people currently get from the government in Ireland is already nothing short of a national disgrace. - Meanwhile the same government can't do enough for all the carpet bagging economic migrants and so-called asylum seekers, the black and prams and all the sundry other scammers that shouldn't even be in this country !

So you aren't objecting to cuts you are just objecting to the incompetence of FF in making hte cuts....

Well I suppose you don't object to all the Irish scammers or all the Irish abroad who scam the system.....I guarantee if every other country sent home the Irish economic migrants and we had to pay for them it would be more expensive that our current costs...but obviously you support the "No dogs or Irish" policy the English had as well..