Review of Support for Disabled Students in Higher Education in England

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Review of Support for Disabled Students in Higher Education in England Review of Support for Disabled Students in Higher Education in England Report to the Office for Students by the Institute for Employment Studies and Researching Equity, Access and Participation October 2019 Authors Matthew Williams, Emma Pollard, Helena Takala (IES) Dr Ann-Marie Houghton (REAP) Institute for Employment Studies (IES) IES is an independent, apolitical, international centre of research and consultancy in public employment policy and HR management. It works closely with employers in all sectors, government departments, agencies, professional bodies and associations. IES is a focus of knowledge and practical experience in employment and training policy, the operation of labour markets, and HR planning and development. IES is a not-for-profit organisation. Researching Equity, Access and Participation (REAP) REAP is an externally funded research group based in Lancaster University’s Department of Educational Research, which explores the factors contributing to exclusion from learning as well as looking at the ways in which barriers to participation can be removed. It works closely with the Centre for Social Justice and Wellbeing in Education, and HERE@Lancaster (the Centre for Higher Education Research and Evaluation). Acknowledgements The authors are indebted to Alex Lewis, Amy Norton and Becka Wallbridge at the Office for Students for their support and project management. We would also like to thank Megan Wells at Independent HE for her advice on the survey questionnaire, and Kate Arnill-Graham at IES for her support in administering the survey. We are however particularly grateful to the representatives in the universities and colleges who provided information for the survey responses, and especially those who collated and coordinated the institution responses; and also to the staff in the case study institutions for their enthusiasm, frank feedback and detailed insights. Institute for Employment Studies City Gate 185 Dyke Road Brighton BN3 1TL UK Telephone: +44 (0)1273 763400 Email: [email protected] Website: www.employment-studies.co.uk Copyright © 2019 Institute for Employment Studies IES project code: 01065-5668 Contents Executive summary ...................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 1 Background ................................................................................................................................. 1 Methodology ............................................................................................................................... 2 Key findings ................................................................................................................................ 3 1 Introduction and background ............................................................................................... 6 1.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 6 1.2 Background ..................................................................................................................... 7 1.2.1 Increasing numbers of disabled students accessing HE .............................................. 7 1.2.2 Changes in the funding for disabled students ............................................................ 10 1.3 Progress against the key indicators ............................................................................... 13 1.4 Methodology .................................................................................................................. 17 1.4.1 Aims and objectives ................................................................................................... 18 1.4.2 Approach ................................................................................................................... 18 1.5 Report structure ............................................................................................................. 21 2 Governance, organisational structures and budgets ....................................................... 22 2.1 Governance and organisational structures..................................................................... 22 2.1.1 Responsibility for supporting disabled students ......................................................... 22 2.1.2 Written policies .......................................................................................................... 23 2.1.3 Factors influencing institutional response to inclusivity .............................................. 27 2.2 Budget and expenditure................................................................................................. 28 2.2.1 Budget setting ............................................................................................................ 28 2.2.2 Funding for improvements to physical and digital accessibility ................................... 30 3 Organisation of disability support services ...................................................................... 32 3.1 Day-to-day responsibility for disability services .............................................................. 32 3.2 Central support for disabled students ............................................................................ 33 3.2.1 Composition of central team ...................................................................................... 33 3.2.2 Location of services ................................................................................................... 36 3.3 External support ............................................................................................................ 37 3.4 Encouraging disclosure ................................................................................................. 39 4 Inclusive provision .............................................................................................................. 44 4.1 Characteristics of inclusive provision ............................................................................. 44 4.1.1 Overview of inclusivity ............................................................................................... 45 4.1.2 All student (or institution) approach ............................................................................ 46 4.1.3 Curriculum and assessment ...................................................................................... 47 4.1.4 Teaching and learning ............................................................................................... 48 4.1.5 Collaboration and sharing good practice .................................................................... 49 4.1.6 Physical accessibility ................................................................................................. 50 4.1.7 Importance of the social model of disability ................................................................ 51 4.2 Senior management commitment to inclusivity .............................................................. 51 4.3 Range of inclusive practices .......................................................................................... 53 4.4 Using technology to aid inclusion ................................................................................... 55 4.4.1 Lecture capture .......................................................................................................... 55 4.4.2 Specialist software ..................................................................................................... 58 4.4.3 Digital accessibility ..................................................................................................... 63 4.5 Other teaching and learning inclusive practices ............................................................. 68 4.5.1 Notes in advance ....................................................................................................... 69 4.5.2 Course materials online ............................................................................................. 69 4.5.3 Alternative assessment methods ............................................................................... 70 4.5.4 Attendance monitoring ............................................................................................... 72 4.5.5 Learning analytics ...................................................................................................... 73 4.6 Physical accessibility ..................................................................................................... 74 4.6.1 Accessibility checklist ................................................................................................ 76 4.7 Overall progress towards inclusive provision ................................................................. 77 4.7.1 Use of additional HEFCE funding .............................................................................. 77 4.7.2 Further progress towards an inclusive model ............................................................. 80 4.7.3 Challenges to a developing a fully inclusive model of support .................................... 82 5 Engagement with stakeholders .......................................................................................... 85 5.1 Engaging with students.................................................................................................
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