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Trinity Disability Service

Student Responsibilities for all Educational Support Services

ESWs will be given contact details (mobile and email) and will arrange to meet prior to the start of the specific support. This introductory meeting allows the student to familiarise him/herself with the ESW and to discuss individual needs.

Students must:

  • Inform the Disability Service (DS) and the ESW of any changes to contact details / course changes.
  • Ensure that they have contact details for their ESW
  • Provide 24 hours notice to their ESW if unable to attend a session or if there is a change or cancellation to lectures or tutorials. All ESWs are paid for the full booking unless 24 hours cancellation notice is given.
  • Attend all lectures / tutorials where an ESW is assigned. If you do not arrive within the first 20 minutes of a lecture / tutorial the ESW will forward any work undertaken in the lecture / tutorial to the DS and NOT the student. In exceptional circumstances, such as absence from Trinity due to long term serious illness related to the disability, the ESW may be permitted to attend lectures on the student's behalf. This level of support must be pre-approved by the Disability Officer.
  • Negotiate mutually convenient times to meet with their ESW while always adhering to the number of hours approved by The DS.
  • Sign and verify the accuracy of Educational Support Worker timesheets to confirm that the support has been delivered.

Students should:

  • Adequately prepare in their own time for any sessions with ESWs.
  • Give constructive feedback to the ESW to ensure that the most beneficial service is provided.
  • first discuss with the Educational Support Worker if they are not satisfied with the support being delivered, and if it cannot be resolved, the DS should be contacted.
  • If a student fails to advise and substantiate to the DS his/her failure to attend 3 consecutive appointments, the University reserves the right to withdraw the support.
  • Failure to meet any one or more of the above terms may result in withdrawal of support.

Students availing of a Note Taker

Note taking supports are provided on the condition that students receiving the support MUST attend all sessions for the entire session.

The student should:

  • Arrange with your note taker a way of indicating your attendance. This can be as informal as a wave or a text. Note takers are instructed to wait for 20 minutes and if you do not arrive they are required to forward the notes only to the DS and NOT the student.
  • Discuss the type of notes required (i.e. enlarged font, 1.5 spacing) and how to set out etc. It is the student's responsibility to provide feedback to the note taker so that they may adjust their style to suit.
  • Discuss first with the note taker if they are not satisfied with the notes, and if it cannot be resolved, the DS should be contacted.
  • Negotiate with the note taker before lectures about seating arrangements and where and when to provide the notes after class. Handwritten notes are generally given to student at the end of the class. Laptop notes are emailed on within 24 hours.
  • Provide paper and pens for handwritten notes. Laptops are provided to the note taker by the DS but if the student would like their notes immediately after class, they should bring a memory key with them and give it to the note taker.
  • In exceptional circumstances, such as absence from Trinity due to long term serious illness related to the disability, a student may be permitted to receive lecture notes while absent. This level of support must be pre-approved by the Disability Support Officer.
  • The note taking support does not include extra information, explanation, coaching or tutoring assistance.
  • Note taking support are provided on the condition that students receiving the support DO NOT offer the notes for sale, favour or free to another person unless authorised to do so by the Disability Service.
  • Failure to meet any one or more of the above terms may result in withdrawal of support.

Students availing of an Academic Personal Assistant

The primary responsibility of an academic personal assistant (academic PA) is to assist a student with a disability with educational support requirements that the student cannot complete independently.

An academic PA may be required:

  • to assist with mobility and orientation around the University.
  • to assist with educational tasks, sourcing library books, photocopying etc.
  • to assist with carrying personal belongings, books, folders, materials for the student.
  • to assist the student during meal times during Trinity contact hours.
  • to assist the student when using the toilet; this does not include lifting.
  • An academic PA is not responsible for providing assistance with personal care i.e. dressing, bathing, shaving etc.  Personal care needs are catered for through a dedicated support provider through the Health Service Executive.
  • An academic PA is only responsible for personal or domestic care tasks that arise during university contact hours.
  • An academic PA will facilitate the student’s participation in a course of study but will not assist with, or complete, any of the work associated with that course of study.  For example, it is fine to be asked to retrieve books on particular topics but it is not acceptable to be asked to research which articles or chapters should be chosen to fulfil an assignment.
  • Failure to meet any one or more of the above terms may result in withdrawal of support.