The Elusive Inclusive University: What Does This Look Like for Students With Intellectual Disability? An Irish Perspective

Abstract Aim This study aimed to examine the policy and system context for transition to third‐level education for people with an intellectual disability (ID), using Bourdieu's theory of reproduction as a framework, with the situation in the Republic of Ireland as a case study. Background The “massification” of higher education (HE) has resulted in ever increasing numbers of students progressing to postsecondary level education (PSE). Progressing to HE has become embedded within the normative life course and an expected transition for young adults. This article questions the extent to which the field of HE is ready for students with ID, in the context of limited capital and differing experience of the dominant habitus. Methodology Using the Republic of Ireland, and in particular Trinity College Dublin as the first HE institute in Ireland to offer a full‐time, 2 years course for people with ID, the access experience of people with ID is examined in the context of current national policy and system issues in the HE sector. Results There is a disjuncture between the level of demand for university places and supply. In addition, the transition to third‐level education for students with ID is populated with unique challenges, which differ from peers without ID. Conclusion This article demonstrates how such programs can highlight the extent to which the field of HE responds to the inclusion of students with intellectual disability, as well as the policy and system issues that need to be responsive to a cohort of students with differing habitus and capital, to support fully the engagement and participation of students with ID in HE. A dearth of evidence exists, and the author proposes that Bourdieu's theory of reproduction can provide a useful framework for future research.