Overview

Do you know that one million people living in Ireland will experience a communication difficulty? Do you know that 20% of tourists will have a communication difficulty? The problem here is communication disabilities are often invisible. They go unnoticed due to lack of awareness and training and ability of staff to recognise the signs. If you are interested in making your customer facing business accessible to people with communication difficulties then this micro-credential course is for you.

Entry Requirements

Applicants must be over 21 years of age. Applications can be considered using  Recognition of Prior Learning.

What you will Learn

The course aims to provide people working in customer-facing businesses with the necessary skills and knowledge to identify the needed criteria to make their business communication accessible for people who have communication difficulties/disabilities. Being able to communicate successfully in public places such as coffee shops, restaurants, hotels, shops is a human right. The World Health Organisation Sustainable Development Goal 11 is Sustainable Cities and Communities and it focuses on making cities of the world inclusive where all members of society feel valued and have a sense of belonging. Also the Economic, Social and Governance framework urges businesses to consider sustainability for all customers. Key to this is staff being aware of communication difficulties, understanding how these difficulties impact how the person interacts in their daily activities and knowing how to create a sustainable and inclusive communication environment. This micro-credential will enable a participant to learn strategies and ideas to create a communication accessible business. It will also enable participants to assess the accessibility of their business for people with communication disability.

The module will be facilitated by Dr. Clare Carroll, a speech and language therapist and lecturer at University of Galway, with the support of community partners and people with communication difficulties. It is delivered online over 12 weeks. The course includes six live online classes plus offline activities to be completed each week. By the end of the course you will develop and present your action plan for communication accessibility in your context/business. 

Learning Outcomes

1. Evaluate the concept, nature and purpose of communication accessibility
2. Understand different speech, language and communication difficulties
3. Understand the impact of speech, language and communication difficulties on people’s lives.
4. Apply the knowledge and skills learned to develop a plan for communication accessibility in their context/business.

Assessments

• Continuous Assessment (100%)

Contact

If you have any questions about this course, please contact:

Micro-credentials Team,
University of Galway

Email: Micro-credentials

How to Apply

From the 1st October 2025, you can apply for this micro-credential through our Online Application Portal.

Learn more about our application process.

Apply here: Online Application Portal

When completing your application please make sure to select the following categories:

Academic level: Micro-credentials and CPD
College/Interest type: Micro-credentials/CPD Postgrad Level 9
Academic programme: Business & Management Micro-credentials - CPC13

You will need to manually enter the Module Name and Code under ‘Module Name’ on the second page of your application. Please copy the name and code below:

Inclusive Businesses - SL5113