SENDA and its implications for Biomedical Sciences teaching

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SENDA and its implicationsfor Biomedical
Sciences teaching

• Pauline Ridley, Centre for Learning Teaching,
  University of Brighton

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Quick reminder SENDA Special Educational Needs
and Disability Act 2001

• Part IV of the Disability Discrimination Act -
  covers education (excluded from 1995 DDA)
• Obliges HEIs to make reasonable adjustments to
  ensure that disabled students are not
  substantially disadvantaged in comparison to
  other students.
• Requires universities to be pro-active, and to
  anticipate the needs of potential students.

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Justifications for exceptions

• Academic standards No compromise or reduction of
  standards in general or essential requirements of
  the subject or course (as identified in programme
  specifications subject benchmarking statement)
• Professional body restrictions/ requirements
• Institute of Biomedical Science
• Health Professions Council
• Material and substantial reasons why an
  adjustment may not be made (eg cost, major
  disruption) - but this should not be used as
  blanket excuse to avoid exploring creative
  solutions

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Some statistics (with health warning)

• Categories by UCAS code All subjects
  Subjects allied to Medicine
• Biological Sciences
• Disabled students as percentage of total 4.6
• Within this group
• 1 Dyslexia /other SLD 36.3
• 2 Blind/partially sighted 3.7
• 3 Deaf /hearing impaired 6.4
• 4 Mobility difficulties 5.1
• 6 Mental health difficulties 4.2
• 7 Unseen (usually medical) 24.7
• 8 Multiple 7.1
• 9 Other 12.5
• T (from 2002)Autism spectrum disorder
  

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What action should we take?

• For individual students
• Dont make assumptions about student needs -
  always ask!
• Review information systems
• Common cause of problems. Need good communication
  between student, academic support staff
  clear guidelines on disclosure
• Anticipatory duty
• Review programmes from recruitment to final
  assessment
• Action plan - potential difficulties, solutions,
  queries, resource needs?

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Lectures, seminars, tutorials

• Accessibility and layout of rooms
• Session notes and summaries
• available in class? in advance? electronically?
• Staff awareness and training for adjustments in
  teaching style eg
• Management of in-class discussion
• Audibility RNID Guidelines on working with
  lip-readers/ signers/ note-takers
• Visibility (lighting etc) alternative
  formats for visual aids

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Tactile Diagrams

• National Centre for Tactile Diagrams at
  http//www.nctd.org.uk/ provide a range of
  services and materials to help academics in
  presenting graphical information.

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Laboratories workshops

• Common issues
• Access
• Health Safety
• Information
• Participation
• Assessment
• Eliminating unnecessary obstacles while
  maintaining rigour demands clarity over
• Core course requirements
• Real function of lab work in these

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Labs workshops - Access

• General access audit should include
• Physical access to (and safe exit from) labs
• Space between benches
• At least one adjustable height work station
• Position of power points, taps, other controls
• Access to fixed equipment (eg fume cupboards)
• Lighting
• Accommodation for helpers or guide dogs
• Resource implications of adjustments?

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Labs workshops - Health Safety

• Procedure for individual risk assessments
• Some medical conditions/ biological hazards?
• Individual inductions to labs/equipment
• Housekeeping system to prevent obstructions,
  spillages other hazards
• Nominated individual responsible for safety of
  disabled student?
• Safety notices in accessible formats
• Audible/visible alarms and safety devices
• Adaptations to standard protective equipment

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Labs workshops - Information

• Staff awareness and training (including part-time
  staff, postgraduate assistants)
• Notices in labs encouraging disclosure
• Lab information in different formats
• Advance discussions between student and staff
  (academic/technical /disability advisors)
• Course information/ experimental protocols in
  advance so student can prepare
• Regular monitoring who is responsible?

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Labs workshops - Participation

• Possible adjustments might include
• Equipment adaptations
• Further Resources articles for cheap /simple
  ideas
• TechDis database of assistive technology
• Support worker and/or buddy system
• Use of tape recorder for lab notes
• Extra time (with supervision)
• Virtual experiments/ simulations

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Assessment

• Assessment adjustments include
• Extra time/ flexibility around deadlines
• Minor variations to format
• Use of helpers or technology for exams or
  practical assessments, help with access
• If part of everyday study arrangements, should
  normally be permitted
• Alternative assessment tasks

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Alternative assessment tasks

• Australian experience
• More inclusive assessment design led to 70 drop
  in requests for special arrangements
• Clarity over what we really want to assess helps
  in choosing alternative tasks
• subject knowledge?
• practical skills?
• key skills eg communication?
• Is the same option available to all students?
• Principle of equality, wider use helps develop
  staff expertise, improves consistency and rigour

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Further Information

• Institutional Disability Services
• Professional Bodies
• LTSN Centres
• Further Resources Handout