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About Us

Trinity Centre for People with Intellectual Disabilities (TCPID) is situated within the School of Education, Trinity College Dublin. We aim to promote the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in education and society.

Our mission is to enable people with an intellectual disability to develop their potential by a combination of high quality research, dissemination of new knowledge, lifelong learning and professional training. The Centre provides people who have intellectual disabilities with the opportunity to participate in a higher education programme designed to enhance their capacity to fully participate in society as independent adults.

The TCPID was formerly established as the National Institute for Intellectual Disability (NIID) in 2004 and the NIID developed the Certificate in Contemporary Living (CCL), a two year full time course for students with intellectual disabilities. The aim of the CCL was to introduce students with intellectual disabilities to college life and to enable them to develop life skills. Since the CCL was first approved by University Council in 2006, there have been over 120 graduates. However, the course was not aligned to an appropriate National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) level and students successfully completing the course did not receive a formal qualification.

For this reason, we are delighted to announce that this CCL course has now been substantially reconceptualised and the curriculum has been aligned to Level 5 of the NFQ. The new course Arts, Science and Inclusive Applied Practice will have its first intake of students in September 2016.

The development of the Centre has been made possible through the support and funding of a range of philanthropic organisations, individuals and business partners – including the Atlantic Philanthropies, the Ireland Funds, the Iris O’Brien Foundation and the Margaret McLoughlin Fund, as well as a range of leading companies who are involved as Business Partners. We gratefully acknowledge this valuable support which has enabled us to learn, grown and innovate.