Policy and provision for disabled students in higher education in Scotland and England: the current state of play

Abstract

Higher education in the UK has been through a period of major change since the mid-1980s. A massive expansion in the number of students has been coupled with a reduction in the unit of resource, increased inter-institutional competition and greater accountability. Within this demanding context, pressure has also been applied to institutions to improve accessibility for disabled people, through funding council mechanisms, quality assurance procedures and, more recently, changes in legislation. Drawing on the ®ndings of an ESRC-funded research project, Disabled students and multiple policy innovations in higher education, involving a survey of higher education institutions, the article describes and discusses the current state of policy and provision for disabled students in higher education in Scotland and England. It concludes that, while there are de®nite signs of progress in the development of provision for disabled students, many areas need much further attention. A particular area of concern is teaching and learning. Effecting real change in this area means addressing questions which challenge conventional notions of effective teaching and learning practice. It is argued that improvements in provision for disabled students in this area would mean improvements for all students. Disability is still seen as a fairly distinct policy area, mainly addressed by student support services. Further signi®cant progress can only be made if disability is embedded into all institutional policies and procedures. Its relocation, particularly in the area of teaching and learning, however, will demand a signi®cant commitment on the part of all institutions.

Creating, Resisting or Neglecting Change: Exploring the Complexities of Accessible Education for Students with Disabilities

“…As in previous research (e.g., Cook et al, 2009;Riddell et al, 2007;Shevlin, Kenny, & McNeela, 2004;Tinklin et al, 2005a), several negative attitudes were either described or expressed by our participants. For example, individuals in the administrator, instructor, and staff categories (n=4) espoused the idea that accessibility may not be worth the effort or the cost, while participants from the instructor, staff, and student without disabilities groups either argued that accommodations for students with disabilities are unfair to nondisabled others (n=3), or attributed this view to others on campus (n=2).…”

“…So we can accommodate, but we also have to think how much can we accommodate before it becomes something different. (Instructor 4) The issue of perceived disciplinary barriers, which has also been raised in previous research (e.g., Fuller et al, 2004;Riddell et al, 2007;Shevlin et al, 2004;Tinklin et al, 2005a), is especially interesting to consider, as it suggests that -in some cases -accessibility is understood to conflict with elements of disciplinary and academic identities that are seen as fundamental.…”

“…Existing research (largely from the UK and the US) documents a number of challenges and inequities experienced by this student group (Healey et al, 2006;Jacklin et al, 2007;Tinklin, Riddell, & Wilson, 2005b), many of which can be observed in Canadian institutions as well. While, in Ontario, the AODA may help to alleviate some of these barriers in coming years, its success is far from certain, particularly since the literature documents cases wherein legislative change in other countries has not generated the results for which people with disabilities, advocates, and allies might have hoped (Tinklin, Riddell, & Wilson, 2005a).…”

“…Existing research (largely from the UK and the US) documents a number of challenges and inequities experienced by this student group (Healey et al, 2006;Jacklin et al, 2007;Tinklin, Riddell, & Wilson, 2005b), many of which can be observed in Canadian institutions as well. While, in Ontario, the AODA may help to alleviate some of these barriers in coming years, its success is far from certain, particularly since the literature documents cases wherein legislative change in other countries has not generated the results for which people with disabilities, advocates, and allies might have hoped (Tinklin, Riddell, & Wilson, 2005a).In order to create inclusive and equitable educational experiences, existing barriers to teaching and learning accessibility in Canadian educational institutions must be fully enumerated and strategies must be developed to eliminate or reduce these barriers. Surely this will require talking more with students with disabilities in order to understand their unique experiences.…”

Inclusion in Higher Education: Learning Experiences of Disabled Students at Winchester University

“…As a result, there has been a large increase both in student numbers and diversity in institutions of higher education in recent years (Tinklin, Riddell, & Willson, 2004). These changing trends have also witnessed pressure for the provision of inclusive education through amendments to the Disability Discrimination Act (1995).…”