10.11.2025
National University of Ireland (NUI) was delighted to host the most recent seminar in the Higher Education, Today and Tomorrow series – Neurodiverse Learners Transitioning to Higher Education – in 49 Merrion Square on Tuesday, 21 October 2025.
Speakers
Dara Ryder (Chief Executive Officer, AHEAD) will chair a panel with
- • Marina Carlin – Post-primary special education teacher and member of NUI Senate
- • Linda Doran – Disability Support Manager, UCC
- • Daisy Garde – Research master’s student, UCC
The panel shared a variety of perspectives from a teacher working with students at post-primary level, a higher education institution’s support team and a learner who has successfully navigated the transition. The panel spotlighted success stories as well as challenges and explored what we can do to improve access, increase retention, and create more inclusive learning environments and learning experiences for neurodivergent learners.
Further information on our panel:
Dara Ryder - Chief Executive Officer, AHEAD
Dara Ryder is Chief Executive Officer of AHEAD, an Irish NGO establish in 1988 which is dedicated to creating inclusive environments for people with disabilities in education and employment. He became CEO in 2020 having previously managed AHEAD’s digital presence and developed a suite of online CPD programmes relating to Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and inclusive practice in his role as Digital Media and eLearning Manager there. This included co-leading the development of a national UDL badge programme with colleagues in University College Dublin, a 10-week programme which has now been taken by over 4,000 educators. In recent years, he played a leading role in the cross sectoral collaboration to develop ALTITUDE – the National Charter for Universal Design in Tertiary Education.
In 2024, Dara was recognised for his work in promoting the UDL framework internationally by CAST, who awarded him the inaugural UDL Innovative Practice Award.
His research interests include examining the participation rates of students with disabilities in higher education, exploring the learning experiences and desires of students with disabilities, and examining the implementation of Universal Design and UDL in policy and practice.
After graduating from Queens University in 2005, Dara joined Dún Laoghaire College of Further Education as a lecturer, where he became interested in inclusive education when working first-hand with students with disabilities in his classroom. When the opportunity arose in 2008, he joined AHEAD where he has been working ever since on creating inclusive environments in education and employment for people with disabilities.
Marina Carlin - Post-primary special education teacher
Marina Carlin is an NCSE-trained special education teacher in the Autism class in Scoil Mhuire post-primary school in Buncrana, Co. Donegal, where she is also a member of the Board of Management.
Marina is a trained Cognitive Behavioural Therapist and completed a master’s in counselling and therapeutic communication in 2009.
Passionate about inclusion and equality, Marina has been involved in a number of educational and social inclusion initiatives. She was a school completion co-ordinator from 2004-2011, working in nine schools to embed the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) programme. She was involved in the ‘Peace in the Valleys’ programme, which afforded potential early school leavers with opportunities to write and record music with Van Morrison's band (among others) on both sides of the border. She also designed an inclusive summer programme, which became a best practice model nationally to engage young people in education. As a former member of the Board of Directors of Pro-Social Ireland (2015-2023), Marina co-created a programme methodology, now being used nationwide, to re-educate and rehabilitate those who come to the attention of the courts for anti-social driving.
Marina is currently an elected member of NUI Senate (and the Education & Society Committee). She serves on the Central Executive Committee and the National Equality Committee of the Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland (ASTI). Closer to home, Marina is the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Donegal Youth Service, which is a dynamic, community-driven organisation dedicated to empowering young people across the county of Donegal.
Linda Doran - Manager Disability Support, University College Cork
Linda Doran is the Manager of Disability Support in UCC, the Disability Team support students with disabilities in their academic journey from pre-entry to graduation. Linda became Manager in 2019 having previously managed and developed the Assistive Technology Lab, which is based in the Boole Library.
Linda led the integration of assistive technology into student computer labs and exam settings, helping to mainstream its use across the university.
Linda is passionate about creating inclusive, accessible pathways to education for all, and advocates for systemic change that empowers students with disabilities to thrive in Higher Education.
After graduating from UCC Linda taught in the International Baccalaureate system in both London and Rome before returning to UCC to take up the role as Assistive Technology Officer.
Daisy Garde - Research master’s student, UCC
Daisy Garde is a passionate advocate for inclusivity and accessibility within third level education. She has spoken at the John Kelly Awards for Universal Design in Further & Higher Education. Daisy has been interviewed on UCC’s Ag Caint podcast about her experience of navigating university with physical disability and autism. Daisy completed her undergraduate degree in Biotechnology in 2023. She is currently a research master’s student in UCC. Her research examines the link between metabolism and ageing, with a focus on women's ageing and menopause. During her studies she was Vice-Chair of the Women in STEM society in UCC where she organised an annual outreach event in collaboration with Access UCC, bringing 100 girls from DEIS primary schools into UCC to learn about studying STEM.
Alongside her studies, Daisy served as an Access Ambassador for two years, a programme designed to amplify student voices with the aim of creating a more accessible university. Daisy is currently a student research partner on the project, Creating a Neuro-Inclusive Postgraduate Research Student Experience.
Images from the seminar
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