University of Limerick (UL) will run a series of accessibility-specific events to mark Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) 2026, which takes place on May 21. This week of activities (Monday 18 to Friday 22 May) is designed to raise awareness, promote inclusive practice, provide training, and celebrate the progress made in accessibility across UL.
This year, the accessibility-specific events will include a workshop on supporting ADHD learners with Karen Costa-
This workshop presents a new, inclusive vision of ADHD that will disrupt most of what you think you know about this supposed disorder that's not a disorder at all. Framed within the neurodiversity paradigm, attendees will gain a newfound understanding of ADHD, providing a stronger foundation for their work with ADHD learners. In addition to this big-picture vision, attendees will have the opportunity to learn and practice specific teaching and design strategies they can immediately apply in their work.
Karen Costa is an author, adjunct faculty, and faculty development facilitator working in higher education. Her second book, An Educator's Guide to ADHD: Designing and Teaching for Student Success was published by Johns Hopkins University Press on January 20, 2026.with educator and independent faculty developer focusing on neurodiversity, disability studies, and inclusive instructional design Sarah Silverman PhD who will speak on Neurodiversity theory and Universal Design for Learning (UDL).
The week will also feature a special accessibility tour of the campus, a webinar on web accessibility and a visit from the Limerick Branch of the Irish Guide Dogs.
There will be a student panel where students will discuss their experiences of accessibility and inclusion in UL.
Accessibility is everyone's responsibility, and it requires a university-wide collaborative approach to deliver a truly inclusive university for staff and students successfully. This approach is mirrored in the development of the calendar for GAAD, which was designed, developed, and supported by staff from several key areas, including Student Life, Marketing and Communications, the Educational Assistive Technology Centre (EATC), the Centre for Transformative Learning (CTL), Library Services, Learning Technologists, Disability Services, Buildings and Estates, ITD staff, the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion unit, and students.
This week of activities has something for everyone, so please come and join us by registering for some of the events or engaging with some of the activities for that week.