AHEAD, the Association for Higher Education Access and Disability, is to undertake a pilot investigative study across EU third level institutions into the levels of participation by students with disabilities in EU mobility programmes.

Mobility programmes such as ERASMUS and SOCRATES allow third level students to spend part of their time in university studying in a college in another EU country.

Over 300,000 students have participated in ERASMUS, perhaps the best known mobility programme, since 1987, but the participation of students with disabilities has not been great.

"There has been a number of students involved through ourselves in the past, but you have to recognise that there would be an additional expense involved in a student with disability attending an institution abroad," says Caroline McGrath of AHEAD. Expense may take the form of special travel arrangements, accommodation requirements and so on.

Proper or even adequate supports may not be available for all students with disabilities in every institution involved.

"In certain circumstances, other EU colleges would be well advanced but it varies from college to college," says McGrath. "For instance, some may be good on the visually impaired but less good on mobility."

Unfortunately, little has been done until now to analyse the situation and find means to correct deficiencies.

The AHEAD project aims to remedy this by making a detailed assessment of European higher education institutions and making recommendations for future action.

As part of the project, five students with disabilities from Irish higher education institutions will be individually funded to undertake their studies in other European universities under ERASMUS, while five students form other EU institutions travel to Ireland.

Further details should be available soon from individual colleges or from AHEAD at (01) 475 2386.