PhD Students

The 1998 Education Act, the Equal Status Act 2000 and the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 purport parents’ right to send their child to a school of the parents’ choice, and students with disabilities the right to access services on the same basis as students without the disability and avail of an integrated education. It is official policy to mainstream educational services and to provide an education to the level of ability of the student with pertinent supports where required. The research will document the experiences of parents and students when educational placements are sought, the consequences of denial of access, the journeys undertaken by the student group to access primary education. Resources within primary educational placements will be recorded and barriers to access and inclusion will be outlined.

This research is funded by the National Disability Authority.