AHEAD Ireland

28/08/2026

Want to embed inclusion and accessibility in your work, but not sure where to start? Join the Universal Design movement 📢

Universal Design (UD) is design which aims to be accessible, usable, understandable to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of their age, size, ability or disability.

AHEAD Ireland and UCD for ALL are working together to deliver Digital Badges in UDL and UD Beyond the Classroom, credentials provided by the HEA National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning.

Both badges operate as follows;

10-week programme, with approx. 2.5 hours of work per week.
5 self-paced online modules and 3 recorded webinars.
4 online peer group meetings.
A Redesign Activity, submitted and reviewed for badge completion.
An optional 5-hour Facilitator module, for those who want to support future badge deliveries.

C'mon, join the movement. Get more information or sign up here by September 24th for the Digital Badges in Universal Design for an education context - https://buff.ly/5U6b7Z1

- AHEAD

28/08/2026

Lived experience is at the heart of AHEAD’s work, and our mission ❤️

Applications are open for 2 of our lived experience advisory groups right now. Develop and exercise your advocacy skills, influence national policies, and connect with likeminded people along the way.

Our LEAD Advisory Group is open for applications from graduates, employees and job seekers across different career and life stages. This is a wonderful opportunity to make a meaningful impact by helping shape the future of employment and job seeking for disabled people in Ireland! Applications close next Tuesday (September 1st). More information or apply to join LEAD here - https://buff.ly/102Xd8y

Our SwDAG (Students with Disabilities Advisory Group) with AMLÉ is open for applications from disabled students in Further Education and Training, and Higher Education in Ireland. This diverse group of students contributes to work advocating for and promoting accessible and inclusive learning environments. Applications close on Wednesday September 23rd. More information or apply to join SwDAG here - https://buff.ly/DdzIa8p

If you're not sure which group might be for you, please ask!

27/08/2026

Free at 2pm today? Come to our online launch of our annual report from 2025! Get a look under the hood at how AHEAD does what we do, and get a sneak peek at our future plans for 2027 and beyond.

Register for our late lunchtime session here - https://buff.ly/Rj3bah8

26/08/2026

Come work with us! We're looking for an innovative team player to play a key role in the planning, organisation and administration of AHEAD Education Team events.

The successful candidate will be highly organised, efficient, adaptable and a strong team player. They will take the lead in organising various events, while also working collaboratively and taking direction from more experienced colleagues where needed. This may include supporting events outside their area of expertise, helping with working group administration, taking minutes and managing meeting communications, or providing administrative support for other events and activities.

Worked on the ground at events and want to take your steps? We want to hear from you.
Already got experience managing or leading events? We want to hear from you.

If you have any questions, please DM or reach out to [email protected]. If you want more information or to apply, visit - https://www.ahead.ie/hiring-education-events-officer

21/08/2026

Why haven't you signed up for the launch of our Annual Report 2024-2025 then?! Any staff or practitioners from any of our members are invited to attend. Students, postgraduates and early career researchers, feel free to check this event out too if you're curious about our work!

We're having an online get-together next Thursday on Zoom from 2-4ish. See you there?

Sign up to deep dive into the work of AHEAD, our inner workings, how we do all the great work we do across our Operations, Research & Policy, Education and Employment teams - https://buff.ly/Rj3bah8

20/08/2026

Join the AHEAD and Aontas na Mac Léinn in Éirinn Students with Disabilities Advisory Group! The SwDAG shares insights into the experiences of students and learners with disabilities, both positive and negative. Members of the group give feedback and advice on the strategy, working agenda, and outputs of AHEAD and AMLÉ. These findings are fed into the research, policy, and advocacy agenda of the organisations. You are not required to have previous advocacy experience to be eligible.

The advisory group also plays a key role in designing Power of Disability, an annual conference for students with disabilities, SUs, clubs and socs, and allies. The SwDAG amplifies the lived experiences within AHEAD and AMLÉ. Got questions? Email [email protected], or DM us. Wanna apply? Visit

- AHEAD

14/08/2026

Invitation to Tender 🚨 We are looking for support to develop and implement a new CRM system.

We envisage the finished will:

Provide a centralised database of AHEAD’s stakeholders, organisations, members, students, graduates, employers and partners.

Provide a complete view of stakeholder engagement across AHEAD’s programmes.

Improve reporting for management, the AHEAD Board and funders.

Support GDPR-compliant data management and subject access requests.

Enable more targeted communications and effective relationship management.

Reduce manual administration and disconnected processes.

Integrate with AHEAD’s existing systems where appropriate.

Meet WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility requirements.

The call closes on September 11th. Feel free to reach out to [email protected] with any questions. More details on the CRM tender call here -

- AHEAD

12/08/2026

Come along to our AGM to hear about where we've been and where we're going! All staff from any of our member organisations are welcome. The meeting will start with highlights from our work in 2025 and a look to the future.

Where and When; Online via Zoom on Thursday August 27th from 2pm.

As our strategy grows and evolves, it's important that we continuously evaluate our membership model to ensure we're meeting the needs of the sectors we work with. We hope to see many of you at our AGM - sign up here to attend - https://buff.ly/laFUz2y

11/08/2026

Come to our Better Options webinar to get advice on planning your education journey, hear about options from students with disabilities, and learn more about the DARE scheme.

Whether you're studying for your leaving cert, considering returning to education, or on any other education journey, Better Options is designed to help you consider your options and think about what supports you might benefit from.

Sign up now to attend Better Options, a free online event taking place Thursday October 1st from 7pm - https://buff.ly/5xaHEDb

07/08/2026

How does our work impact the lives of disabled learners, students and graduates? Read how our work contributes to empowering and inclusive environments in tertiary education and employment. The Research and Policy Team highlight current initiatives.

Impact Through Research - A Synopsis of AHEAD’s Research and Policy Team activities for 2025 from Dara Ryder, Richard Healy, Catherine Murray, Nicole Bennett. Read more at: https://buff.ly/8nufxCo

We'll be sharing regular highlights from the latest issue of the AHEAD Journal. Follow along to see showcases and stories of inclusive education and employment practices. Explore Issue 19 - Out now: https://buff.ly/bsi4uFW