Evaluating the use of reasonable adjustment plans for students with a specific learning difficulty

Abstract

Despite calls for a move away from individual adjustments toward a fully inclusive design for learning, the practice of applying institutional reasonable adjustments for disabled students persists in UK higher education. Previous research suggests, however, that these adjustments are often generic and do not appropriately address individual students' learning needs. If the practice is to continue, therefore, it is incumbent on higher education institutions to ensure current policies and procedures are fit for purpose and lead to increased accessibility for disabled students. This article presents a small-scale developmental evaluation of Reasonable Adjustment Plans (RAPs) for students with specific learning differences at one large, post-92 institution. Findings from 16 interviews indicate that despite some positive feedback, RAPs are not always well received by students and do not always lead to enhanced inclusion. A number of changes are recommended for practice, including stream-lining existing processes, implementing a RAP review and focusing on relationships with faculty staff.

Atención a las personas con dislexia en la formación universitaria: recomendaciones a nivel institucional y de práctica docente

“…Richardson y Wydell (2003), en línea con las sospechas de los autores griegos, muestran que en el Reino Unido un 0,46% del estudiantado universitario tiene dislexia. No obstante, este dato se ha visto incrementado posteriormente (ver Taylor et al, 2009, Beck, 2022 para el conjunto de estudiantes con NEA y los datos de la Higher Education Statistics Agency, 2023).…”

“…Idealmente, esta tutela debe ser ejercida por personas con conocimientos específicos para recomendar estrategias de aprendizaje eficaz o aportar información sobre los errores de lectura y escritura cometidos (Chevalier et al, 2015). Es decir, para que la tutela tenga efectividad sobre el proceso de aprendizaje no debe consistir en un mero acompañamiento formal, sino tratarse de una suerte de asesoría informada (Tops et al, 2023) que sea percibida por las personas destinatarias como un apoyo real, que vaya más allá del mero cumplimiento de la normativa por parte de la institución (Beck, 2022).…”