Understanding the needs of disabled students

1
Understanding the needs of disabled students

• Karen Robson
• Disability Service Manager, UWIC
• Accessible Curriculum Conference 08 July 2002

2
Question

• How many disabled students are currently studying
  at UK HEIs?
• A 10, 970
• B 20,970
• C 30,970
• Answer 30,970 (taken from HESA 2000/01)

3
The context

• Widening Access Agenda
• Societal changes
• Breadth of definition of disability
• Disability Discrimination Act

4
Who are these students?

• 0 None
• 1 Specific Learning Difficulty
• 2 Blind/partially sighted
• 3 Deaf/hard of hearing
• 4 Wheelchair user/
• mobility difficulties
• (UCAS codes 2002-03)

• T Autistic Spectrum Disorder Asperger Syndrome
• 6 Mental health difficulties
• 7 Unseen disability
• 8 Two or more of the above
• 9 Not listed above

5
What are the needs of a student?

• Includes
• Finding out about course/Institution
• Quality tuition
• Social life
• Qualifications

• Future/employment
• Financial difficulties
• Accommodation

6
The student experience

• Some examples
• Teaching
• Accommodation
• Library/IT
• Physical environment
• Enrolment

• Exams/Assessments
• Student Services
• Catering
• Field Trips
• Work Placement

7
Do you ask your students what they need?

• Some UWIC examples
• Annual Student Satisfaction survey
• Disability Departments evaluation questionnaire
• Disability committee
• Staff training

8
Resources available

• Institutional block grant
• Special Initiative funding
• Funding through Individual Disabled Students
  Allowance
• Knowledge and experience of disability team

9
Underlying Principles

• Inclusivity
• Mainstreaming
• Pedagogy (Accessible Curricula Good Practice for
  All)

10
UCAS codes

• 0 None
• 1 Specific Learning Difficulty
• 2 Blind/partially sighted
• 3 Deaf/hard of hearing
• 4 Wheelchair user/
• mobility difficulties
• (UCAS codes 2002-03)

• T Autistic Spectrum Disorder Asperger Syndrome
• 6 Mental health difficulties
• 7 Unseen disability
• 8 Two or more of the above
• 9 Not listed above

11
Finding out about students with disabilities

• For example
• Admissions
• Enrolment
• Starting a new module

• But dont forget
• Students who dont wish to disclose
• Students who find out at a later date
• DDA and disclosure

12
The importance of staff training

• In legal proceedings against a responsible body
  based
• on the actions of an employee, it is a defence
  that the
• responsible body took such steps as were
  reasonably
• practicable to prevent such actions. S 58(5)
  
• Training for staff on how to work with disabled
  people
• is likely to be central to such a defence. It is
  not a
• defence for the responsible body simply to show
  that
• the action took place without its knowledge or
  approval.
• (draft Code of Practice)

13
Understanding the needs of disabled students

• Encourage staff to be informed and participate in
  staff training events
• Anticipate student needs and change teaching and
  other practices, when necessary
• Dont be afraid to ask the student