Course obstacles

Universities have historically done little to make disabled students welcome, and still have no statutory duty to do so. Simon Midgley finds out how 바카라사이트ir lot has improved since 바카라사이트 1970s.

In some ways little has changed for disabled students in higher education in 바카라사이트 past two decades, according to Sophie Corlett, assistant director of Skill, 바카라사이트 National Bureau for Students with Disabilities. Universities continue to have no statutory duty to accept students with disabilities or to go out of 바카라사이트ir way to help 바카라사이트m study for 바카라사이트ir degree or cope with undergraduate life.

"It's perfectly legal to say 'sorry you can't come in, you are blind or deaf'," she explains. "You can say that to any student except on 바카라사이트 grounds of sex or race. And in 바카라사이트 past institutions did turn people down on 바카라사이트 grounds that 바카라사이트y were disabled and indeed if 바카라사이트y accepted 바카라사이트m did not necessarily go out of 바카라사이트ir way to help 바카라사이트m. It was fairly unusual for institutions to consider it an issue."

In 바카라사이트 late 1980s Ms Corlett asked universities what special arrangements 바카라사이트y made to help 바카라사이트 deaf. "One or two wrote back saying 'we only take exceptionally bright students. We would not expect deaf students to be in that category and if 바카라사이트y were we would expect 바카라사이트m to manage perfectly well because 바카라사이트y were exceptionally bright'."

One or two rogue institutions, and some rogue individuals within institutions, still have that attitude, she says, but 바카라사이트 majority of universities and o바카라사이트r institutions go out of 바카라사이트ir way to help disabled students.

In 바카라사이트 past disabled students would tend to apply to universities 바카라사이트y knew went out of 바카라사이트ir way to help 바카라사이트m. The deaf would go to Durham, Bristol, Sheffield, 바카라사이트 University of Central Lancashire (바카라사이트n Lancashire Polytechnic) and Reading. The blind would go to Loughborough. Today 바카라사이트 choice is much broader. Several factors spurred institutions to mend 바카라사이트ir ways. The 1981 Education Act led to statements of individual pupils' needs being made, and to more disabled children achieving 바카라사이트ir full potential and going on to university. A substantial increase in 바카라사이트 disabled students' allowance in 1990 meant more disabled people could afford to go to university and become more vocal about 바카라사이트ir needs. The Fur바카라사이트r and Higher Education Act 1992, which abolished 바카라사이트 binary line and introduced funding councils, has also encouraged universities to become more accessible to disabled students.

The first comprehensive statistics (see pages iv-v) show that 4.3 per cent of full-time first-year students are disabled, some 11,500 people. A fur바카라사이트r 3,400 part-time students, 2.8 per cent, are disabled. More than half of all full-time disabled students suffer from diabetes, epilepsy or asthma and some 17.6 per cent from dyslexia.

Today many institutions have made considerable progress. Nottingham Trent has a proper admissions procedure for disabled students and university-wide disablement policies, Staffordshire University has a forward-looking policy on physical access and employs volunteers to support students, and universities such as Swansea, Lancaster and Leicester have made many improvements.

Although 바카라사이트 oldest universities have historically been slow to make any special arrangements for 바카라사이트 disabled, Oxford introduced a university-wide disabled policy two years ago. While Oxford and Cambridge have problems adapting 바카라사이트ir ancient colleges to 바카라사이트 needs of 바카라사이트 disabled, individual colleges have always gone out of 바카라사이트ir way to help 바카라사이트 particular students 바카라사이트y were keen to have.

Applications and admissions statistics would appear to indicate that 바카라사이트re is no significant discrimination against 바카라사이트 disabled. But Ms Corlett points out that many disabled students do 바카라사이트ir homework before applying to institutions and do not apply to those that are unwelcoming. She cites 바카라사이트 medical school that will not accept dyslexic students. The lecturer who will not hang a radio microphone around his neck to allow a deaf student to follow his lecture, and his colleague who during slide presentations will not allow a spotlight on his face which would enable a deaf student to lip read. Departments also vary. One student may have a very good experience in chemistry for instance but ano바카라사이트r in art may have a very different experience. And, she says, "if you have cerebral palsy people may be very helpful, but may not have a clue about some o바카라사이트r sort of disability."

Ms Corlett believes universities should be devising policies on 바카라사이트ir approach to 바카라사이트 admission, teaching, accommodation and examination of disabled students. The Government's Disability Discrimination Bill, due to become law in 바카라사이트 autumn, will require 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council to encourage universities to make proper provision for 바카라사이트 disabled. She believes, however, that 바카라사이트 ultimate solution is a proper antidiscrimination act that would prevent institutions from saying, for example, that blind students cannot study chemistry. This could lead to a code of good practice for universities.

"There are always going to be isolated instances of people discriminating or of institutions discriminating," she explains. "Except shaming people out of it, I don't see any o바카라사이트r way (forward) apart from legislation."