Irish Deaf Society

How the Irish Deaf Society Expanded Access Through Innovation and Partnership with D2L Brightspace

The Irish Deaf Society’s Further Education and Training (FET) program needed a way to extend Deaf-led education beyond in-person delivery in Dublin and make learning more accessible across the country. As Ireland’s only provider delivering further education in Irish Sign Language (ISL), the organization faced long-standing barriers related to geography, accessibility and scale. 

With D2L Brightspace™, FET built a flexible digital learning environment designed around how Deaf learners learn best. Learners can now access courses anytime, anywhere through a highly visual and accessible experience that combines self-paced content, ISL video resources and live online instruction. 

Since launching Brightspace in 2022, FET has reached more than 2,172 learners across all 32 counties in Ireland and internationally, while also reducing administrative burden and improving consistency across programs. The result is a scalable and sustainable model for inclusive education that is expanding access to Deaf learners in Ireland and beyond. 

Challenge

Breaking Barriers to Deaf Education

Since 1998, the Irish Deaf Society’s Further Education and Training (FET) program has supported Deaf learners across Ireland through Deaf-led education delivered in Irish Sign Language (ISL), the country’s third official language. The program plays a critical role in providing learning opportunities that reflect the language, culture and lived experiences of the Deaf community. 

Many Deaf adults in Ireland experienced education systems shaped by oralism, where sign language was discouraged and Deaf learners were not adequately supported. This created long-term barriers to education, confidence and opportunity. FET’s mission extends beyond teaching skills—it helps restore access to learning in a way that respects Deaf identity and language. 

Despite its impact, the program faced significant limitations. Courses were delivered primarily in person, making access difficult for learners outside Dublin. For many people across the country, participation simply was not possible. 

Learning was also restricted to scheduled classroom sessions, leaving learners with limited opportunities to revisit content, practice independently or continue learning between classes. 

Demand for ISL education was growing even before the COVID-19 pandemic. Learners increasingly needed more flexible ways to engage with content and access support remotely. When the pandemic forced a rapid shift to online, FET adapted using videoconferencing tools, but the approach lacked the structure and consistency needed for long-term delivery. Paul Grundy, digital education officer at FET, recalls the compounding pressures on the team at the time. 

“For years our education model was largely limited to in-person delivery in Dublin, which meant many Deaf learners across Ireland simply could not access learning in their first language. At the same time, demand for ISL learning was growing quickly, and our team was managing disconnected systems, manual administration and communication barriers that made it difficult to scale.” 

Communication also presented unique challenges. For many educators, ISL is their first language, while written English is a second or additional language. Tasks such as writing emails, reminders and feedback required additional time and effort, making consistent communication more difficult to maintain. 

As demand continued to increase, FET needed a solution that could: 

• expand access beyond geographic barriers; 

• support learners in their first language; 

• create a consistent and accessible learning experience; 

• reduce administrative workload; and 

• scale sustainably without increasing staff demands. 

Solution

Build an Accessible Digital Learning Experience With Brightspace

To address these challenges, FET partnered with D2L to redesign how it delivers education. Rather than simply moving courses online, the organization set out to create a digital learning environment built specifically around accessibility, consistency and long-term sustainability. 

FET launched Brightspace through a small pilot program in spring 2022 with one tutor and eight learners. This phased rollout allowed the team to test workflows, gather feedback and build confidence gradually across the organization. 

Working closely with D2L, FET expanded the platform step by step—training educators, introducing additional courses each term and refining the learning experience based on learner feedback. By spring 2026, 16 teachers had been trained to deliver courses through Brightspace. Accessibility guided every stage of implementation. 

To support learners who were new to online learning, FET developed a comprehensive onboarding experience within Brightspace. Learners received early access to courses, visual tutorials in ISL, navigation guidance and multilingual support for international participants before classes even began. This helped learners feel prepared and confident from day one. 

Brightspace also enabled FET to create a more consistent learning experience across programs. Standardized course templates introduced clear navigation and predictable structures, helping learners focus on content instead of trying to interpret different course layouts. 

The platform supports a highly visual learning environment aligned with the needs of Deaf learners. FET created extensive video-based and interactive learning materials that learners can revisit anytime, allowing them to practice skills, review lessons and build confidence independently. 

Before Brightspace, assignments, attendance tracking, grading, learner communication and quality assurance processes were managed across multiple disconnected tools. Brightspace centralized these workflows into one system, reducing manual work, improving accuracy and simplifying day-to-day operations. 

One of the most impactful tools has been Intelligent Agents. Automated messages now support learners throughout their learning journey through welcome communications, reminders, check-ins and at-risk-learner interventions. These automated workflows also reduce the need for educators to produce large volumes of written English communications manually. Messages are created centrally and delivered consistently, helping save time while ensuring learners receive timely support. 

The flexibility of Brightspace also allows FET to respond quickly to learner feedback and continuously improve courses, even while programs are running. For example, after learners reported buffering challenges with video content, FET compressed course videos during live delivery to improve accessibility and performance. The impact of the implementation was felt quickly across both learner experience and day-to-day operations.  

Grundy reflects on how that shift played out. 

“Brightspace helped us move from an ad hoc online response to a structured, accessible model designed around how Deaf learners learn best. Starting with a small pilot of eight learners, we gradually scaled the platform across our programs, trained 16 teachers and created a more consistent experience for learners, while cutting key administrative processes from weeks to hours.” 

Together, FET and D2L created more than an online learning platform; they built a scalable and sustainable model for Deaf-led education that continues to grow alongside learner needs.  

Result

Expanded Access and Scaled Impact 

Since implementing Brightspace, FET has transformed how it delivers education, supports learners and manages day-to-day operations. The most immediate impact has been expanded access. What was once primarily limited to in-person learning in Dublin is now available to learners across all 32 counties in Ireland, as well as internationally. Learners now participate from more than 10 countries, including the U.K., Spain, Italy, the U.S., Canada, Japan and Australia. 

The expanded reach has also created new opportunities for Deaf migrants and refugees arriving in Ireland, including learners from Syria, Somalia and Ukraine. Through accessible online education delivered in ISL, learners are building language skills, confidence and stronger connections within their communities. This growth has been significant. What began as a pilot with one tutor and eight learners in 2022 has expanded to more than 2,172 learners enrolled in Brightspace-supported courses. 

The learner experience has improved alongside that growth. Through Brightspace, learners now have access to more than 500 ISL vocabulary videos, structured learning modules and interactive resources designed specifically for visual learning. Because learners can revisit materials anytime, they are able to practice independently, reinforce concepts and build confidence at their own pace. 

FET also created a more consistent and accessible learning experience across programs through standardized course layouts, onboarding supports and centralized communication. This accessibility is reflected in learner feedback, with a 90% satisfaction rate for platform navigability. 

“What stood out most was how easy the platform is to navigate. Everything is well laid out … it’s a very user-friendly and efficient site that made learning simpler and more enjoyable.”

— Learner 

Operationally, Brightspace has also helped FET streamline processes and reduce administrative burden. By centralizing assignments, attendance tracking, grading, learner communication and quality assurance processes in one system, the organization significantly reduced manual work and improved efficiency. Internal verification processes that once took several weeks can now be completed within hours. 

Since implementing Intelligent Agents in 2024, FET has also delivered more than 29,000 automated learner support messages, helping staff provide timely reminders, check-ins and at-risk-learner interventions without increasing workload. For teachers, the change has gone beyond saved time. Many describe a shift in how confidently they can teach, assess and engage learners. 

“Brightspace is significantly more effective than traditional teaching methods. It enhances organization, supports student independence, improves assessment efficiency and ultimately strengthens the learning experience for both teachers and students.” 

— Teacher 

Administrators describe a similar shift in oversight and quality assurance. With learner data, assessment evidence and verification records now centralized on a single platform, the team can manage compliance work with the kind of confidence that disconnected systems never allowed. 

“Brightspace has greatly strengthened our teaching, learning and quality assurance processes. It has become an essential tool that supports compliance, improves efficiency and ultimately contributes to a positive and high-quality learning experience for both learners and staff.”

— Administrator 

These operational efficiencies have enabled FET’s small team to continue scaling programs sustainably while maintaining strong learner support and consistent delivery standards. The work has also strengthened the organization’s ability to deliver Quality and Qualifications Ireland-accredited online and blended programs on an ongoing basis, helping secure long-term access to Deaf education for the future. 

From a small in-person provider to a globally accessible digital learning model, the Irish Deaf Society’s journey demonstrates how accessibility, partnership and thoughtful technology implementation can expand opportunities for Deaf learners across Ireland and around the world.