Awareness week: Disability awareness week in UCD this year focused on "hidden disabilities" such as ongoing mental health problems. This focus arose out of concern that many students with such problems are not registering with the college's disability support service.
The awareness week, which is organised by the Students Union, concluded at the weekend. It is now in its fourth year and has done much to raise awareness of services available to disabled students.
There are currently up to 400 students in UCD registered with the disability support service, according to Students Union welfare officer Jennifer Allen.
She said, however, that it was believed that there may be more than 2,000 out of the 22,000 students at UCD who actually have some form of disability.
"Unfortunately, many people with problems such as ongoing mental illness or dyslexia don't realise that they are eligible to register, and they are therefore not benefiting from a range of supports that are available.
"The services are excellent but they need to register," Ms Allen said.
The supports available vary depending on the disability. For example, special computers are provided to students with visual impairment and students who suffer from depression can be given extensions on deadlines for assignments.
Ms Allen said it was also very important that students with dyslexia made the college authorities aware of this, as they can get extra help with exams.
She said it was only recently that it became accepted that an ongoing mental health problem is a disability, but from her experience as welfare office, such issues affected very many students.
"About 20 per cent of my case work has been dealing with students who have issues around mental illness," she said.
A psychiatrist and a psychologist are available at the student health centre.
However, at times the demand is such that there can be a six-week waiting list to get an appointment, according to Ms Allen.
Demand for these services peaks in the weeks before Christmas and again in the weeks before the summer exams.
Students Union disability rights officer Éamonn Ó Raghallaigh said he was concerned that prejudice and a fear of discrimination was preventing people from admitting openly that they were affected by a hidden disability.
He said the aim of the awareness week was to try to tackle such stigma, and in the long term for awareness of such issues to filter down to second level and primary level education.
Many students felt under pressure due to expectations of academic performance and this stress could affect their mental health, he said.
"The key is awareness, and for people to see beyond the disability to the person. Someone may not be able to do something in a particular way, but they can do it in another way," Ms Allen said.
More than 20 organisations with an interest in disability rights issues visited the campus last week.
Other activities included an annual forum on disability with speakers from a range of organisations, and a basketball game involving the Irish wheelchair basketball team and UCD select panel.