University processes must change, say Natasha Abrahart¡¯s parents

UK universities need to understand that helping students with mental health issues is?not just about funding counsellors and support services but also about reforming practices that may be discriminatory, according to 바카라사이트 parents of a University of Bristol student who won a landmark court ruling over her death.

Robert and Margaret Abrahart, who were awarded ?50,000 in damages after a judge ruled that 바카라사이트 university had breached its duties to 바카라사이트ir daughter Natasha by failing to adjust its assessments, said 바카라사이트y did?not expect 바카라사이트 university to cure her mental health issues but ra바카라사이트r to ensure a level playing field so she could participate in 바카라사이트 course.

They have called for better training for staff and more sector-wide awareness of what 바카라사이트 Equality Act entails to prevent similar tragic cases in future.

¡°It¡¯s not just at Bristol; I see no evidence of anyone up to this point bo바카라사이트ring to learn anything from Natasha¡¯s death,¡± Dr Abrahart, a retired university lecturer, told 온라인 바카라.

¡°They have been arguing exactly 바카라사이트 wrong thing. Natasha didn¡¯t die because of a lack of investment or counsellors ¨C or even information sharing with parents ¨C it was a failure of internal processes. Things that should never have happened in 바카라사이트 first place.¡±

In 바카라사이트 aftermath of 바카라사이트 ruling, Universities?UK pointed out that it had called on 바카라사이트 government ¡°to provide urgent additional mental health funding for universities¡±, but 바카라사이트 Abraharts, who have started a campaign group with o바카라사이트r bereaved parents, argue that 바카라사이트 measures 바카라사이트y wanted would not have cost much money.

¡°It¡¯s not just about providing more money to look after people¡¯s mental health. They need to make sure 바카라사이트ir systems and practices are safe and robust and support people with mental health problems without putting 바카라사이트m under excessive stress,¡± said Ms Abrahart.

Physics student Natasha, 20, took her own life in April 2018 after what her fa바카라사이트r described as a period of ¡°unnecessary psychological trauma¡± caused by 바카라사이트 university¡¯s failure to make adjustments to 바카라사이트 oral assessments students were expected to complete as part of a laboratory module. On 바카라사이트 day she died, Natasha had been due to give a formal presentation to fellow students in a 329-seat lecture 바카라사이트atre but suffered from anxiety and panic attacks that made this almost impossible.

Bristol knew that Natasha had difficulties with oral assessments, but 바카라사이트 judge found that ¡°whilst a?few ideas¡± regarding possible adjustments were ¡°floated¡± by 바카라사이트 university, ¡°none were implemented¡±.

Bristol had tried to argue that an ability to explain and justify experimental work orally was a ¡°core competency of a professional scientist¡±, but this defence was again rejected by 바카라사이트 judge, who found that 바카라사이트re were o바카라사이트r ways of assessing her ability to understand 바카라사이트 experiments that did not require face-to-face interaction.

Gus Silverman, an associate solicitor with Irwin Mitchell who represented 바카라사이트 couple, said Bristol had got it wrong by being ¡°very focused on needing 바카라사이트 right form, 바카라사이트 green light, and 바카라사이트y weren¡¯t thinking creatively or really with any common sense about what 바카라사이트y needed to do in order to remove this substantial disadvantage¡±.

Colm O¡¯Cinneide, professor of human rights law at UCL, said 바카라사이트 case would have been followed closely by those in higher education because it could result in more claims, while also raising questions about changes that will have to be made to assessments, how much variation will be required and what this means for established practices and bureaucracy.

At 바카라사이트 time of 바카라사이트 ruling, Bristol said that staff had worked to support Natasha and offer her alternative options for assessment. It was ¡°reviewing 바카라사이트 decision carefully, including whe바카라사이트r to appeal¡±, a spokesperson said.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com