Dr Brendan Ryan has worked in Adult and Further Education for over thirty years and as a Learning Technologist for over twenty of those years. In his role with Limerick and Clare ETB Further Education and Training (FET) Division he leads up the Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) Support Service. Brendan has extensive teaching and research experience and recently completed a PhD study focused on embedding criticality in Learning Technology Professional Development.

Cian O’Tiarnaigh is the Learning Hub Coordinator working with the Active Inclusion Support Service (AISS) in a Community Education Facilitator (CEF) leadership role with Limerick and Clare ETB.

Cian joined LCETB as a Resource Worker with Core Skills (Adult Literacy) before moving into the Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) field running the Learning Hub in the FET Centre, O’Connell Avenue, Limerick City.

Cian graduated in Marketing Management and later joined the FET sector, completing a Graduate Diploma in Adult and Further Education in Mary Immaculate College (UL). Following on from his experiences in adult literacy, a further Diploma in TEL from NUIG led Cian to Learner Supports where he promotes diversity and inclusion while managing the development of the Learning Hubs throughout LCETB.

Cian.otiarnaigh@lcetb.ie

Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board.

Disability Officer with South East Technology University (SETU) Kilkenny Rd. Carlow with a special interest in Assistive Technology (AT). Trainer of AT through the SOAR Enabling Transitions PATH 3 project. Lead of the AT sub-group of the Disability Advisors Working Network (DAWN). Member of the Steering Committee of PATH 4  Intellectual Disability. Registered Trainer of Read and Write software

Deirdre Madden is a B.Sc. graduate of UCC and has worked in the disability and education field for over 15 years. She was the computer trainer with Enable Ireland Cork Adult services for 15 years. She has tutored on the ICT module of UCC’s Certificate in Contemporary Living course aimed at adults with intellectual disabilities. She joined the Disability Support Service in UCC  in March 2012 to take up the new role of Assistive Technology Outreach Co-ordinator. Her role is to enhance access and transition to higher level education for students with disabilities through promoting awareness and use of assistive technology in second level education. More recently, Deirdre has worked on the SOAR PATH Enabling Transitions Programme, a cross institutional programme with MTU Tralee and Cork, SETU Carlow and Waterford and UCC on building assistive technology competency and adoption amongst education providers, students and parents. She has created this free Technology to Make Learning Easier course/resource on free/built in tech to make reading, writing, planning and studying easier as part of the SOAR PATH Enabling transitions resources.