Teagasc has publicly declared its support for and adoption of ALTITUDE; the National Charter for Universal Design (UD) in Tertiary Education and joined the national call to action for institutions and agencies to work towards a more universally designed tertiary education system.

Teagasc strongly believes that ‘inclusion is everyone’s business,’ and that all staff play a role in creating an environment in which the diversity of learners in our community can thrive. Universal design is central to our efforts to make that statement a reality, and by adopting the ALTITUDE Charter, we have committed to work collaboratively across Education to embed a UD approach more firmly in our practices and processes in the years ahead, building on the good work already achieved in this area.

Commenting on the adoption of ALTITUDE, Teagasc Director, Professor Frank O’Mara, welcomed this landmark development: “I am delighted to share that Teagasc has formally adopted the Altitude Charter. We are proud to support this important cross-sectoral initiative and remain committed to advancing the Charter in the years ahead. We look forward to strengthening and enhancing an inclusive experience in which all our learners have equity of opportunity to succeed.”

Representing Teagasc at the National ALTITUDE Summit, Head of Education Dr. Anne-Marie Butler noted: “The diversity of the tertiary education community is rapidly rising due to a range of factors. This welcomed trend requires all education providers to review their design approach and learning environment. Universal Design for Learning and ALTITUDE aims to remove barriers to learning for all learners while simultaneously enhancing the learning environment. Adoption of the ALTITUDE Charter is a milestone for Teagasc learners, our staff, our programmes, and excellent facilities. We will continue to support our learners and strengthen inclusive practice and equitable provision.”

Following adoption of the ALTITUDE Charter and our public support for the national call to action, Teagasc will now seek to examine our governance structures and establish a Universal Design/ALTITUDE working group using the model of committee membership/leadership proposed within the Charter. This working group will then collaborate in the years ahead to progress the actions and goals outlined within the Charter and build upon existing achievements.

About the ALTITUDE Charter

The learner population in tertiary education is becoming increasingly diverse, and students’ lives are also increasingly complex. The responsibility on educational institutions to provide equitable access for all is now strongly embedded in Irish legislation, and national tertiary education strategies contain more specific goals to implement a Universal Design approach.

The aim is to move towards a system where ‘Inclusion is Everyone’s Business,’ where all staff play their part in delivering an inclusive educational experience.

Universal Design, or UD for short, offers an evidence-based approach to engender this mindset, and is increasingly seen as a central tenet of our response to rising diversity. But how can a UD approach be embedded in institutions?

That is where ALTITUDE; the National Charter for Universal Design in Tertiary Education comes into play. Funded by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) under PATH 4, the ALTITUDE Project was an extensive cross sectoral collaboration involving six national agencies, fifteen higher education (HE) institutions and six Education and Training Board (ETB) representatives, nominated by Directors of FET to represent the Further Education and Training sector. The Charter was launched in Spring 2024, alongside an accompanying technical report and implementation toolkit.

The vision of the project looks to a future in tertiary education where ‘all learners are transformatively included through universal design in education,’ deriving the name ALTITUDE. It seeks to move us in that direction by supporting HEIs and ETBs to make sustainable progress towards systemically embedding a UD approach; one which places human diversity at the heart of tertiary education design, and fosters student success for all learners.

The ALTITUDE Charter, and the associated toolkit and technical report, build on significant existing work on UD in the Irish tertiary education landscape, and through these outputs, provides a clear roadmap for institutions to make progress.

The Charter recommends key strategic enablers, which institutions should put in place over time to support the sustainable implementation of UD, and proposes collaborative action to work towards goals under 4 key pillars of our institutions:

• Learning, Teaching & Assessment.
• Supports, Services and Social Engagement.
• the Physical Environment.
• and the Digital Environment.

Institutions who adopt it will over time benefit from:

• a more unified language of and commitment to a universal design approach in their institution
• a greater culture of shared responsibility for UD, access, and inclusion, operationalising the ‘Inclusion is Everyone’s Business’ mindset.
• a more effective and learner centred approach to compliance with national legislation and policy
• and most importantly, the iterative development of programmes, services, and environments that enable equitable opportunities for all learners to thrive and be successful.

The cross-sectoral development of the ALTITUDE Charter represents a landmark moment for the tertiary education sector, signalling its intent to place human diversity at the heart of its design and delivery.

For more information see https://youtu.be/MuqxT_HheLk