The situation ULL in Portugal must consider the very low investment and access to education during the period of the dictatorship (until 1974) which explains the low levels of educational attainment in the population until today, especially in older cohorts. The situation of disabled people is even more striking: data reveals that only about 1,7% of disabled people have a higher education degree in contrast to 9,3% of general population. Therefore, it is not surprising that universities have developed special programmes which promote accessibility for older adults and disabled people. We will briefly describe two of such programs at the University of Porto and at the Catholic University, considering not only effectiveness in access, but also in the progression of mature and disabled students. However, in both cases, a better articulation between existing research and practice was considered necessary. This paper identifies and discusses the barriers and potential solutions for promoting a better DIALOGUE, taking account of the points of view of practitioners and researchers, as well as institutional policy makers and students. Implications for widening access to higher education and ensuring equity in progression are also considered.