Higher education (HE) in Northern Ireland
Higher education (HE) can be an opportunity for deaf young people to study a subject they enjoy. It can also advance their career prospects and expand their social horizons.
This information is for deaf young people and families of deaf children in Northern Ireland. Read our information for England and Scotland.
Understanding HE
HE is a ‘level’ of study higher than A-levels. It doesn’t just involve studying at university. Higher education courses can also be studied online, privately or at college.
Choosing a course and where to study
Some HE institutions are known for their support for deaf students. Others for their disability support in general. This is important to think about when choosing where to study. It should be combined with thinking about the subject and type of course you're interested in.
Concentrate first on what you want to study. Most courses can be made accessible with the appropriate support. All institutions have the same legal duties to make courses accessible.
"As a 17-year-old, it's really difficult to know what you want to do with the rest of your life. My parents were really supportive. They never made me feel like there was anything I couldn’t do. They didn’t put pressure on me; it was more like, why not give it a go, and if you don’t get in, you don’t get in.”
Ashna, who has moderate to severe hearing loss, studied medicine at the University of Cambridge.
Read Ashna's story.
For some deaf young people, finding a deaf peer group or access to reliable support is a priority in the decision-making process. The choice is theirs. Students are more likely to thrive academically if they're happy socially and supported.
Search for courses and universities at:
Visit Discover Uni to compare universities and colleges.
Support for admissions tests and interviews
In addition to applying via UCAS, some institutions have admissions tests or interviews. The results will be considered alongside UCAS points and performance at any interview.
Some deaf young people may find tests or interviews difficult because of their deafness. If a course requires an admission test or interview, contact the institution's disability officer.
It's a good idea to discuss access needs. For admission tests, this may include additional time. For interviews, this may include a British Sign Language (BSL) or Irish Sign Language (ISL) interpreter or a room with good acoustics and lighting.
If you have not been supported
A HE institution may reject a deaf young person's application. In some cases, it may seem that they've been rejected because of their deafness. For clarity, contact the institution and ask for the reasons for their decision. HE institutions must take steps to avoid placing disabled students at a disadvantage.
A deaf young person may feel that they've been placed at a substantial disadvantage. In this case, they have the right to make a complaint. For advice and support, contact our Helpline.
You may also be able to bring a legal case for disability discrimination under the disability discrimination laws in place in Northern Ireland. Read more about deaf young people’s rights in education.
Support deaf young people can get in HE
Contact disability services at HE institutions to find out about support.
"My Teacher of the Deaf advised me to send an email to the Disability Services teams at each of the universities I was considering, asking about the different types of support they offered to see how clued up they were about deafness. One of them didn’t reply, which didn’t fill me with confidence, but the others did with varying information.
"Some weren’t very accessible so that worried me. I made sure I got in touch with universities about my communication needs ahead of open days and I used a transcription app on my phone during talks."
Kirsty, who is moderately deaf and wears hearing aids, focused on the courses and disability support available when picking a university.
Student's organisations can also provide information and support, such as:
- The National Union of Students
- The Students’ Union, Association or Guild of Students on campus.
The law
There are 2 key pieces of legislation providing legal rights for disabled people in Northern Ireland:
Under these laws, deafness meets the legal definition of disability. This means that HE institutions must make ‘reasonable adjustments’ for deaf students. Reasonable adjustments are often small or inexpensive changes. They're made so disabled students are not placed at a substantial disadvantage.
All institutions have a student support or disability office. Prospective deaf students can discuss how their individual needs will be met. University or college websites can provide information about their support for disabled people.
Reasonable adjustments
Remember, not all adjustments are financial. Examples of reasonable adjustments include:
- extra time to finish assignments
- tutors/lecturers to provide handouts in advance
- tutors/lecturers to provide information in alternative formats
- a brief note or ‘support plan’ to be created which details their support needs, preferences and tips on deaf awareness for tutors/lecturers
- more one-to-one sessions with their tutor/lecturer to discuss their progress and any problems they’re having
- study support to help them manage coursework or organise exam revision
Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA)
DSA is a grant which covers the cost of additional support or equipment due to a disability. This includes deafness. DSA can be spent on support, such as radio aids, BSL interpreters and specialist study support.
Support for course assessments and exams
Some deaf young people find assessments and exams difficult because of their deafness. HE institutions must make reasonable adjustments to their assessment processes. Adjustments to make sure that disabled students are not disadvantaged might include:
- alternative methods of assessment
- flexibility with deadlines
- providing specialist equipment
- other support
These arrangements are usually made through the disability officer liaising with academic staff. It can be useful to share details of adjustments made for GCSEs or A-levels to inform this process.
Disability support services
Every university and college should have a disability support service or office. The staff at these services are responsible for delivering the university’s commitment to equality. This includes making sure the reasonable adjustments deaf students need are in place. They are also responsible for arranging the recommendations from DSA needs assessments.
In larger institutions, disability support services are on campus. They're usually open during office hours and can be walk-in or by appointment.
Visiting universities and colleges
The best way to find out what a university or college is like is to visit it before applying. Visiting a university or college can be an excellent opportunity to discuss support.
Most universities and colleges will have open days. Visit the institution's websites or opendays.com. It’s also worth contacting the institution to check if the open day is accessible for deaf young people. Another option is to go to HE conventions to meet staff from multiple institutions at once. These are free events arranged by UCAS. Visit the UCAS website information and dates.
At an open day
At open day events you can look around the facilities, meet course tutors and ask general questions. It may be useful to arrange a meeting with the person in charge of disability support.
Here are some suggestions of things to ask about on a university or college open day.
What kinds of adjustments can they make for deaf students?
- Is the accommodation accessible? Do the buildings already have flashing fire alarms or doorbells?
- Are the buildings and facilities accessible to deaf students?
- Do the lecture theatres have induction loops?
Do not be too discouraged if some things are not right. Talk to the disability officer about what adaptations would need to be made.
More information
Full references for this webpage are available by emailing
informationteam@ndcs.org.uk