Thomas O'Shaughnessy talks Accessibility, Inclusive Practice and Assistive Technology

Finbarr and Erin welcome Thomas O'Shaughnessy, Manager of the Educational Assistive Technology Centre at the University of Limerick to this episode.

Thomas is a graduate of the University of Limerick at both undergraduate (BSc in Computer Systems) and postgraduate level (MSc in Software Engineering) and is also currently undertaking a PhD in Education. With over 15 years of experience promoting and facilitating inclusive practice in higher education.

Thomas currently manages the Educational Assistive Technology Centre (EATC). He also manages projects related to inclusive practice, accessibility and Universal Design for Learning. Thomas also has guest lectures on several undergraduate and postgraduate courses in AT, Accessibility and UDL.

This discussion emphasises the importance of advancing accessibility in the higher education sector, highlighting opportunities for refinement and the advantageous impacts these enhancements could yield.

It suggests the feasibility of altering the cultural framework of academic institutions to incorporate accessibility and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) into educational methodologies and communication practices among students and staff. Given the dynamic nature of inclusivity, educational bodies need to stay abreast of societal transformations and the varied learning modalities of students.

Additionally, investing in the continuous skill development of university staff is vital for keeping pace with these changes. Captioning for this episode will be made available on the KBS Future Thinking YouTube channel shortly.

https://www.youtube.com/@KBSFutureThinkingPodcast

This episode is produced by the KBS Digital Hub-Grzegorz Rogala