Project ABECAS

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Project ABECAS

• Peter Farrell pf1_at_bolton.ac.uk
• Rosie Middlemass rm8_at_bolton.ac.uk
• University of Bolton
• BEE Conference, Sept 2005

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Complying with DDA and SENDA bringing disabled
people into the construction professions
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Introduction

• Contents
• 1. DDA / SENDA
• 2. ABECAS barriers
• 3. Anticipating reasonable adjustments
• 4. Type 3 barriers
• 5. General discussion
• 6. Other work DART

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1. DDA / SENDA

• Must not discriminate
• Make reasonable adjustments
• Employment the job (not the infrastructure ?)
• Education the educational experience (not the
  infrastructure)

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2. ABECAS accessible built environment careers
for all students

• Supported by National Disability Team
  www.natdisteam.ac.uk
• Aim to remove artificial barriers that prevent
  students with visual, hearing and mobility
  impairments from undertaking professional careers
  in the construction industry
• Other disabilities dyslexia dyscalculia mental
  health diabetes autism aspergers syndrome
  epilepsy
• Making adjustments

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2. ABECAS - outcomes

• Tangible guidance for 4 stakeholder groups

STUDENTS
PROF BODIES
HEIs
EMPLOYERS

• Desirable increase numbers of students with
  visual, hearing and mobility impairments
  undertaking built environment degree subjects and
  becoming chartered

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2. ABECAS levers for change

• SENDA
• Validation systems
• Accreditation systems

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2. ABECAS - barriers in curricula

• Learning outcomes, range indicators
• Teaching and learning strategies
• Assessment
• Assessment criteria

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2. ABECAS - barriers in curricula

• Generic lectures, presentations, exams
• Bespoke barriers - laboratories, fieldwork,
  groupwork, practical, placements, drawings,
  industry software
• Individual students individual tutors /
  lecturers

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2. ABECAS Barriers - definitions

• Type 1 unwittingly semantics learning
  outcome carry out survey change to
  understand how to carry out a survey
• Type 2 make adjustments learning outcome
  understand how to carry out a survey
  assessment carry out a survey adjustment
  direct third person to carry out survey

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2. ABECAS Barriers - definitions

• Type 3 cannot be removed
• to maintain academic standards, or if they are
  material to circumstances and substantial
  (SWANDS, 2002 103).

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3. Anticipating reasonable adjustments

• Teaching and learning surveying visual
  impairment electronic notes in advance, written
  description of drawings and sketches, DVDs with
  subtitles, models of survey areas, touchy feely
  approach to explaining instruments, one-to-one
  tutorials and extra technician support (cost no
  defence). Healthy budget for equipment.

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3. Anticipating reasonable adjustments

• Teaching and learning structures hearing
  impairment laboratory experiment written notes
  of experiment, DSA funding for interpreter,
  observation stations, yellow paint lines on
  floors, vibrating alarm, budget for flashing
  lights on equipment
• Assessment use criteria for marking written work
  of deaf students

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3. Anticipating reasonable adjustments

• Teaching and learning technology mobility
  impairment site visits eight storey building,
  concrete to roof, CCS site, transport to site,
  disabled car parking space, fix grab rails to
  ladies loo, notice for site workers, pre-tour by
  site manager, passenger hoist, digital
  camera/video, emergencies, mobile phones etc

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4. Type 3 barriers for discussion

• A chartered construction professional loses his
  eyesight through diabetes. He can no longer meet
  the competencies normally expected of his
  profession should he be able to continue his
  professional institute membership, continue to
  practice and continue to advise clients ?

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4. Type 3 barriers for discussion

• A construction graduate loses her eyesight over a
  short period after graduation through diabetes.
  She can no longer meet the competencies of her
  Institutes PDP should she be permitted to
  become chartered ?

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4. Type 3 barriers for discussion

• Examinations a student has difficulty
  concentrating over long periods and asks for
  examinations to be adjusted to coursework
• University perspective
• Employer perspective

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4. Type 3 barriers for discussion

• A professional institute competence stipulates
  that candidates should
• give an oral presentation deaf candidate
• measure quantities blind candidate
• survey the roof to a structure mobility
  impaired candidate
• calculate a beam size dyscalculia candidate
• have one year site experience epileptic
  candidate
• Should these competencies be adjusted? Yes or no
  if no, why - if yes, how

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4. Type 3 barriers for discussion

• Any other competencies that could be justified as
  being type 3 in the courts ?
• Do construction professionals have to be
  front-line i.e. must a chartered surveyor be
  able to survey ?

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5. Generally for discussion

• Is there a difference between HEIs and
  professional institutes / employers ? Guardians
  of different things ?
• HEI perspective disabled students to
  participate and achieve to the maximum of their
  potential
• Professional institute / employer perspective
  members / employees must be competent to do

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5. Generally for discussion

• How do we demonstrate to third parties that we
  have fulfilled our anticipatory responsibilities
  ?
• Resource implications to comply with DDA / SENDA
  money and time ?
• How well are we doing ?

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6. Other work

• DART (2005) Disabilities Academic Resource Tool
  Project. Engineering Education Centre,
  Loughborough University. http//dart.lboro.ac.uk
• Feedback please