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‘The discourse used was of care and concern rather than of discrimination and rights. In other words, there was a lack of a general recognition of disability as a form of oppression, with structural and curricular implications for each department’s practice in its provision for all students. Rather, disability tends to be seen only in terms of meeting ‘special needs’.’ (Leicester, M and Lovell, T., 1994, Equal Opportunities and University Practice; Race, Gender and Disability: A Comparative Perspective, Journal of Further and Higher Education, 18(2,) p. 47.)

You wake up in the morning and you think ‘Oh, I’ve got this for sixty years … this year was really the first time when I got some scope on … the fact that I’m disabled forever, and that things … may not get worse, but they don’t get better either. I had to work through all that at the same time as just doing the normal ‘I’m at uni for the first time, in a new place, with new people’ … it was a bit hard. But I’m getting there a bit now. … I wouldn’t want to say that my feelings or emotions are different to anyone else’s because they’re probably not. It’s just that they kind of, they have added bits sometimes. (Wheelchair user) Jackie Goode (2007) ‘Managing’ disability: early experiences of university students with disabilities, Disability & Society, 22:1, p. 41

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My first assignment was a pass in the 40% mark bracket and this was without any support in place. I would attend regular meetings with my dyslexia tutor which really helped me to understand my dyslexia. This in turn enabled me to improve on areas of weakness. In 2013 I graduated with a first class degree and have had an article published. Without the support from all the team at student support I would not have been able to reach my full potential and understand the strengths that I have as a person who has dyslexia. Feedback from LSBU student, 2014

“I feel when you are a disabled student you have to prove to them that you are actually able, more if you understand. It’s horrible. The relationship with the tutors was more on an equal standing, whereas as soon as you raise with them that you have a disability, well I then feel I am put in a position where I have to kind of say “look, you know, but I’m kind of, I’m safe”. It’s kind of that power discrepancy, it’s the way in which you are viewed and of course the way you view yourself, but more as to how you handle the disability, and your ability is now determined by your disability. You’re not on an equal footing with other students. It’s kind of “oh well we’ll give you notes, but it’s a big favour and we are going out of our way, and you should be able to, you shouldn’t be here if you can’t”. It’s that kind of thing, that kind of attitude” (Carol’s student experience: Beauchamp-Pryor, K., 2007, A Framework for the Equality and Inclusion of Disabled Students In Higher Education, Ph. D., Swansea University, p. 290)

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Disabled people are around half as likely to hold a degree level qualification (15% compared with 27% of non-disabled people in 2011)

Office for Disability Issues Indicator B8

Department for Work and Pensions, 2012, Fulfilling Potential: The Discussions So Far, London: DWP, p.18

“The barriers to education – in schools and in further and higher education – that were mentioned most frequently in responses were accessibility and attitudes. For example, the respondents said that educational providers do not always make the right adjustments to enable deaf and disabled people to access lessons (including physical education lessons) or exams. They suggested that curricula are not flexible enough, and a lack of awareness or low expectations of educational professionals can mean that support needs are not identified early enough.” Department for Work and Pensions, 2012, Fulfilling Potential: The Discussions So Far, London: DWP, p.20.

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Supporting students with disabilities

0207 815 6454

disability@lsbu.ac.uk

The term disability can mean different things to different people, not least to the students we use it to describe. The Equality Act 2010 defines a disability as: “a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities”. In an educational setting, long term means a condition that has lasted, or is expected to last at least twelve months.

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• Specific learning difficulties including dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, and attention deficit (hyperactivity) disorder

• Physical or mobility difficulties

• Sensory impairments including visual impairment and hearing impairment

• Mental health difficulties including depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders, psychotic illnesses, and personality disorders

• A long term health condition such as diabetes, epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, cardiovascular disease, and rheumatoid arthritis

• A progressive condition such as HIV, cancer, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, motor, neurone disease, and lupus

• Asperger syndrome and autistic spectrum disorders (ASD)

In 13/14 DDS had support arrangements in place for 1807 students (about 9% of LSBU students) Students supported by DDS in 13/14

Blind or partially sighted 13

Longstanding illness/unseen disability 88

D/deaf or hearing impairment 24

Physical disability/mobility difficulty/wheelchair user 76

Social/communication difficulty e.g. Autism Spectrum Disorder 20

Mental health condition 164

Two or more disabilities 157

Specific learning difficulty e.g. dyslexia 1210

Other disability 55

Total 1807

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The Equality Act 2010 is the legislative framework that protects people with disabilities from discrimination and places a legal responsibility on employers and service providers not to discriminate against disabled people.

It’s against the law for [an] … education provider to treat disabled students unfavourably. This includes:

• ‘direct discrimination’

• ‘indirect discrimination’

• ‘discrimination arising from a disability’

• ‘harassment’

• victimisation

https://www.gov.uk/rights-disabled-person/education-rights

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These barriers can frequently be modified.

If barriers are lessened by appropriate awareness and adjustments, then people with disabilities can perform to their full potential.

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Competence standards

• The Act defines a ‘competence standard’ as an academic, medical, or other standard applied for the purpose of determining whether or not a person has a particular level of competence or ability.

• Education providers are likely to impose various requirements and conditions in respect of courses. However, any such requirement or condition only amounts to a competence standard if its purpose is to demonstrate a particular level of a relevant competence or ability such as a requirement that a person has a particular level of relevant knowledge of a subject.

• Reasonable adjustments

• Anticipatory duties

• Promoting equality

• Disclosure

• Evidence

• Academic regulations

• Confidentiality and data protection

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An education provider has a duty to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to make sure disabled students are not discriminated against. These changes could include: changes to physical features - for example, creating a ramp so that students can enter a classroom providing extra support and aids (such as specialist teachers or equipment) https://www.gov.uk/rights-disabled-person/education-rights

• Student and course details • Nature of disability and any additional useful

information • Reasonable adjustments (split into teaching,

assessment, examination, and other) • Consent to share the form with relevant staff • Student’s responsibilities

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DDS creates SAF

Sent to School Circulated to

CD and teaching staff

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I don’t mind anyone knowing to be honest, but I was a bit surprised that the relevant people weren’t told. Because some people knew and I was surprised that they knew, but more important people, like my tutors, didn’t know. (Hearing impaired student) Jackie Goode (2007) ‘Managing’ disability: early experiences of university students with disabilities, Disability & Society, 22:1, p. 42

Law and Social Science (including Psychology)

Arts and Creative Industries

Engineering (including Chem. and Pet. Eng.)

Built Environment and Architecture

Applied Science

Business Health and Social Care (inc. Havering)

School contact School contact School contact

School contact

School contact

School contact

School contact

Priscillia Onuoha Borough Road admin office

Priscillia Onuoha Borough Road admin office

Tower Block helpdesk

Tower Block helpdesk

Tower Block helpdesk

Stefan Harakis London Road admin office

Joanna French K2 admin office

DDS contact DDS contact DDS contact DDS contact DDS contact DDS contact DDS contact

Rosie Holden X 6408

Rosie Holden X 6408

Jennifer Afram X 6413

Jennifer Afram X 6413

Jennifer Afram X 6413

Ellena Wilkinson X 6497

Clive Cort X 6433

or disability@lsbu.ac.uk / 0207 815 6454 Student Life Centre helpdesk (Student Centre)

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If the expected support is not in place or if students do not feel fully ‘integrated’ at the start of their course this can have an enormous ‘knock-on’ effect: If I’d felt much more integrated at the beginning, I would have coped a lot better. … I think I lost the first three months … (Student with multiple disabilities) Jackie Goode (2007) ‘Managing’ disability: early experiences of university students with disabilities, Disability & Society, 22:1, p. 46

We have a specific anticipatory duty under the Equality Act to ensure that there is provision and support (reasonable adjustments) made for and available to disabled students (not just reactively for specific individuals).

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• Make hand-outs/slides available before the start of class (on Moodle)

• Leave any written notes on the board for as long as possible to aid note-taking

• Provide important additional instructions in writing • Allow students to record lectures if agreed in their

support arrangements form • Respect confidentiality and don’t draw attention to

a student’s difficulties

• Additional time (e.g. 25%) • A separate room • Marking policy • Reader/scribe • Permission to use the toilet during an exam

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The university’s Academic Regulations allow all students to hand in work up to two weeks after a deadline with marks capped at 40 for undergraduates and 50 for postgraduates

DDS support = marks won’t be capped for a late submission (not the late submission itself)

• Doesn’t apply to resubmissions • Only applies to written

coursework (not presentations)

‘The study skills sessions were enormously helpful, and I have finished my placement successfully and gained a job for September in the same school, so very happy. It was great that I managed to get a diagnosis even at a late stage in the course. I am now applying for Access to Work, and preparing for all the paperwork of my new job’.

Feedback from LSBU student (PGCE), 2014

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Supporting students with disabilities

0207 815 6454

disability@lsbu.ac.uk