Just 13 of Trinity’s 120 societies have completed an accessibility and inclusion checklist created by the Ability Co_op several months ago.
Only one of the 49 sports clubs in College has completed the checklist.
The Towards Inclusive Clubs and Societies Project was created to help clubs and societies self-identify barriers to participation within their events or spaces.
The student-led group launched the project in August, which includes training videos, guidelines and a checklist. All components are designed to improve the inclusion of disabled students in clubs and societies.
In a statement to The University Times, Project Lead Rachel Murphy said: “Lots of clubs and societies claim that they are inclusive to all students but this just isn’t the case. If they want to become inclusive they have to start recognising the problems so that changes can be made.”
“For disability inclusion, the Towards Inclusive Clubs and Societies Checklist is the first step as it breaks down the role of clubs and societies and offers solutions to any problems they are having in terms of accessibility and disability inclusion”, Murphy said.
“We have worked with the CSC and DUCAC to circulate the checklist and the other resources, so it is disappointing that so few clubs and societies have completed the checklist.”
“Disabled students expect to be included in student life, so it is no longer an option for clubs and societies to get away with ignoring this”, she concluded.
The project also contains a list of recommendations on changes clubs and societies can implement to become more inclusive to students with disabilities.
In a press statement at the time of the project’s launch, Declan Treanor, the director of College’s Disability Service said: “The checklist is a useful start for any club or society to see the level of accessibility. The guidelines content is brilliant, an easy-to-follow guide giving useful resources to help those thinking about accessibility.”
He added: “The training videos with the Provost speaking along with many others on accessibility, inclusion and what belonging means really helps those committed to inclusion get it.”
Earlier this year, Trinity Ability co_op received €4,800 in funding from the Trinity Trust Special Fund – a fund that was set up last year to provide support for student life during the pandemic.
The money will assist the co_op in achieving its wider goal of equal access and inclusion.
The Ability co_op is a group set up to establish inclusivity for all students with disabilities in Trinity, working to increase discussions surrounding inclusivity, raise awareness about the challenges students with disabilities face daily and help them develop graduate attribute skills.
Last February, Cumann Gaelach launched an accessibility campaign for its Seomra na Gaeilge.
A 2017 inquiry found that Seomra na Gaeilge is not accessible for wheelchair-users or students with mobility issues. Four years on, the room remains structurally unchanged and Cumann Gaelach has not yet been allocated another space.
