New Approaches to Disability

1. New Approaches to Disability • New legislation intended to end discrimination in Education. • Institutions now have to plan in advance to meet the needs of students with disabilities rather than being content with a reactive approach. • The excuse that `there is no purpose in making course and facilities more inclusive as disabled people do not apply’ is specifically targeted as this excuse becomes self- validating. • Institutions must treat not treat disabled students less favorably than non-disabled and need to make `reasonable adjustments’ • Including `adjustments to curriculum’.

2. The Legislation • Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Act 2001 (SENDA). In particular the section that deals with post-16 aged students in education. • Became law on 1st September 2002. • Affects all institutions and all areas of activity involved in higher education provision. • High on the agenda of QAA Code of Practice and full implementation a legitimate part of any subject review process. The QAA Code of Practice for Students with Disabilities lists 24 Precepts and compliance with SENDA is fundamental to meeting the requirements for quality assurance in the QAA Code of Practice. • Compliance It is both the law and QAA good practice.

3. Basic Tenants, Principles and Ethos • Full access and opportunities to disabled students. Ethos of compliance through: • 1. Anticipatory duty towards requirements of disabled students. • 2. Reasonable adjustments to all provision. • 3. Alternative strategies where possible • Act “means that strategic planners will necessarily be making explicit what might formerly have been implicit or merely understood”. • “Embedded consistent practice rather than `bolt on’ or ad hoc provision …. Mainstreaming of inclusive practices. …. SENDA obligations will require that such awareness and action is planned, embedded and monitored throughout the faculties/schools and not centred on an individual student.” (Senda Compliance in Higher Education, SWANDS, 1999-2002, 8-9.)

4. Disclosure • There is a formal process for disclosure through which the student can gain help in various ways. However the student can ask for confidentiality. Also some students with disabilities never disclose nor ask for support. • Non-disclosure does not allow for inactivity. The imperative is to help the student whatever the degree of disability or disclosure, and to act in an anticipatory manner. • QAA Code make it clear that there are many ways of defining disability and a wide spectrum of degree. Some may be temporary, some only impact on study activities. Minor or temporary disability should still be helped through good practice.

5. Disability Support Office • Disclosure and assessment is dealt with through the DSO. (Liz Brewer – Disability Office Assistant) • Students either come with an assessed and statemented disability letter/report, or they disclose while in the course of the time at BSUC. The process is basically the same for either.

6. Disclosure and Assessment • Preliminary talk to disability office. • Register with disability office. • Disclosure – confidentiality agreement. Only relevant staff need to be informed. • Dyslexia and Learning Difficulties students can take a 15 minute QuickScan test for dyslexia. If the results reveal a problem that an official identification by a chartered Education Psychologist is necessary. A report is then produced for sending to the LEA. • All other disabilities need a statement from a doctor outlining the disability and how it may affect the ability to study.

7. Disability Support Allowance - DSA • These are paid by the LEAs to support students with: dyslexia, visual impairment, hearing impairment, mobility, multiple disabilities, mental health problems, any other long term condition which affects study. • DSAs pay for equipment (computers, special chairs, dictaphones, book allowances, etc.) or personal support (people to take notes, special tuition, etc). • Once the LEA is contacted they send an application form and can be ask for a letter of explanation and must see copy of the report or doctor’s letter. • If the LEA agrees the Disability Support Office needs to know. Also they may be able to help with rejections. • A needs assessment is then made (usually London, Plymouth or Southampton). The needs assessment is then acted upon either by the college, LEA or individual, and funded by LEA.

8. Admissions • Clear criteria for each programme to prevent discrimination. All interviewers know and have guidelines on how to deal with disability issues in interviews. • Keep records and have transparent arrangements so that decisions can be justified and monitored. Disabled applicants may wish to see records of an interview if discrimination is claimed. • Be open and clear about the provision for disabled students and signal it in all publicity.

9. Courses, Teaching and Learning • Course planning needs to consider how to be inclusive in all things. • Have alternative strategies for delivering courses wherever appropriate and possible. Courses material can be made available through electronic means as an alternative wherever possible – Blackboard, College Web, etc., or as hardcopy (handouts, etc). In some cases video of lectures/teaching activities may be appropriate. All three (printed material, visual display and electonic dissemination) can then be made available in an appropriate form. (size, colour etc.)

10. Teaching methods • An audit of `face to face’ teaching style can done to seek improvements for clarity, speed, audibility, visibility – all measures of positive communication. By doing so not only disabled student’s understanding may be improved but all students benefit

11. Printed Material and Publicity • Should highlight the alternative provisions that can be available for disabled students. • The students should not have to ask about alternative provision for it to be brought to his/her attention, but it should be signaled in all printed material. • In course publicity it should be seen as a positive selling point and encouragement to disabled applicants.

12. Assessment • Principle of flexibility should be embedded in all assessment activities. • Alternatives should be in place that can help as broad a range of disabilities as possible. • Anticipating requirements of disabled students in curriculum design and assessment schemes.

13. Student’s Own Responsibilities • While the institution needs to be anticipatory the student does have a responsibility to communicate needs as much as is possible. • There needs to be means of communication set up for the needs to be channeled and acted upon. Regular meetings and help monitoring students with disabilites outside normal tutoring. But students need to attend and make use of such channels of communication. • Student can make needs explicit too late in the day. If alternative strategies are in place but the student does not ask for them although they are clearly publicised it is hard to help.

14. Make it a positive story • Disability is a high priority in Government strategy and thinking on higher education. • Up until now the uptake and provision for disabled students has been low. A statistically small number of disabled people apply and complete courses in higher education as a proportion of all disabled people. • For BSUC to be seen to be positively encouraging to applicants and to help them though course successfully may bring rewards.