Dundalk IT joins call for universally designed tertiary education system

Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) has today publicly declared its support for and adoption of ALTITUDE – the National Charter for Universal Design (UD) in Tertiary Education – and the Louth institute has joined today’s national call to action for institutions and agencies to work towards a more universally designed tertiary education system.

The ALTITUDE Project is an initiative in Irish third-level education aimed at making learning more inclusive for all students. The project focuses on implementing Universal Design (UD), an approach that ensures education is accessible to everyone. The ALTITUDE Charter, launched in 2024, provides a roadmap for higher education institutions (HEIs) and further education and training boards (ETBs) to adopt a UD approach in their teaching, support services, physical spaces, and digital environments.

The goal is to create a culture where everyone shares responsibility for inclusion, making education more equitable and helping all students succeed. The project also provides tools and strategies to help institutions comply with national policies and improve their programmes and services over time.

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

Read next: Louth doctor a victim of phishing scam

Commenting on the Institute’s adoption of ALTITUDE, DkIT President, Dr Diarmuid O’Callaghan, welcomed this landmark development: “At DkIT, we embrace equality, diversity and inclusion as a core value. We are committed to ensuring that we create a vibrant campus community that is connected, safe, inclusive and caring, enriched by our diversity. 

"In doing so, we seek to enable our students and staff to achieve their full potential through the provision of a supportive, inclusive and respectful environment that meets their needs.  Embedding a Universal Design approach is a key element of our commitment to creating this inclusive experience and culture.

"We are delighted to fully support this important cross-sectoral effort and will continue working to make progress on the actions and goals outlined in the ALTITUDE Charter in the years ahead.”

Following the institute's adoption of the ALTITUDE Charter and its public support for the national call to action today, DkIT will now consider ways to bring this charter to life. It says it looks forward to building on its achievements to date and collaborating across its community to enhance the experiences of all its staff and students.