Disability services transform students' lives – we must protect them

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https://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/2017/apr/07/disability-services-transform-students-lives-we-must-protect-them

Not all disabilities are immediately obvious but being given the word disability to use may make life at university more manageable. Photograph: Alamy Stock Photo

As if cuts threatening crucial services in universities aren’t bad enough, the word ‘disability’ is itself now at risk – despite its key role

Back when I was a student, disability services changed my life. They gave me the tools to build on my inquisitive nature and expand my critical thinking skills. They helped me to identify strategies I had simply not learned at school and allowed me to regain independence in my learning. In many ways, disability services helped me to find my voice.

These days I work for disability services within a university. But what we offer is at risk – both from government cuts and changes within higher education.

The government has made £30m of cuts to Disabled Students Allowance since August 2015, which has resulted in the loss of funding for specialist IT equipment and non-medical help such as mentoring, study skills support, note-takers, interpreters and physical assistance.

Now, the term “disabled” is also under threat. My manager has had to challenge university directors who want to get rid of the word entirely.

Many universities are adopting the word “enablement” to describe services, which is part of the agenda for inclusion. Some argue that enablement is about including disabled students in the curriculum, but this ignores the fact that disabled students have to deal with external barriers. It looks at ways to make students with impairments fit into an inaccessible structure, rather than changing the structures themselves.

Moreover, trying to avoid the term disabled altogether actually creates greater barriers. Jess Thom, president of NADP, sums it up perfectly in a video for the Guardian.

Using the word disability, on the other hand, cuts out the need to go into detail about an impairment. A student feels able to explain that the symptoms of their disability prevent them from accessing information or doing the work in the same way as a non-disabled person.

A review carried out by the Higher Education Funding Council in 2014–15 found that institutions wanted to move towards the social model of disability – more inclusive curricula, learning and teaching environments, and restructured support – but that there continue to be barriers to participation and success not from the students themselves but because of the processes, systems and institutions of society.

Disability can have a real impact on university life. In 2014 the NUS Students arrive at my door failing or barely scraping a pass because they can’t access their studies in the same way non-disabled students can. Once in receipt of disability support, however, they report better grades and reach their full potential because they can finally enjoy their course. By identifying the barriers that prevented them from success, they understand why they had been struggling.

Most of our own team are disabled. This allows disabled students to be more frank in explaining the reasonable adjustments they need from their departments to access their studies or work.

Of the 7,000 students attending our university, 1,000 are registered with us. But first degree students, often two or three years into their qualification, tell me that they had no idea that they were entitled to support from disability services because of the discouragement of identifying as disabled. This can come from parents, family, friends or academics who are not trained or know little about disability.

Not all disabilities are immediately obvious. Sometimes students come to us with a mental health difficulty. Often in these cases, it is found that they have a missed or undiagnosed specific learning difficulty (SpLD), and once they’ve been screened and their access needs have been met their mental health difficulty is more manageable.

Being given the word disability to use may also help their situation seem more manageable. This can help students realise and acknowledge why they feel something is “wrong” and why they haven’t been able to do their work.

Part of what we do is raise awareness by training academics who might not understand disability or know what the social model of disability is. Through these training schemes, academics can sometimes become aware of their own access needs. Talking with us helps them to identify what support is open to them and gives them the language to talk to their own managers.

In a climate where suicide rates at universities are at an all-time highsince 2007 (ONS), the word disability is important as an identifier for affected students and academics, who for most of their lives have encountered barriers or prejudice. And ultimately, down-playing the term disability threatens to make university less of a viable option for disabled students. Disability services must keep its name in order to be recognised as a key factor for equal access for all students

My own positive experience from disability services has been a gift I was able to pass on to my own disabled students, who in turn have been able to find their voice and become empowered agents of change.

So we must do more to fund and champion the work of disability services departments – because this not only meets the needs of disabled students but helps academics and their managers to understand and be part of the conversation around disability.

Join the higher education network for more comment, analysis and job opportunities, direct to your inbox. Follow us on Twitter @gdnhighered. And if you have an idea for a story, please read our guidelines and email your pitch to us athighereducationnetwork@theguardian.com

ที่มา: www.theguardian.com
วันที่โพสต์: 10/04/2560 เวลา 10:53:16 ดูภาพสไลด์โชว์ Disability services transform students' lives – we must protect them

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https://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/2017/apr/07/disability-services-transform-students-lives-we-must-protect-them Not all disabilities are immediately obvious but being given the word disability to use may make life at university more manageable. Photograph: Alamy Stock Photo As if cuts threatening crucial services in universities aren’t bad enough, the word ‘disability’ is itself now at risk – despite its key role Back when I was a student, disability services changed my life. They gave me the tools to build on my inquisitive nature and expand my critical thinking skills. They helped me to identify strategies I had simply not learned at school and allowed me to regain independence in my learning. In many ways, disability services helped me to find my voice. These days I work for disability services within a university. But what we offer is at risk – both from government cuts and changes within higher education. The government has made £30m of cuts to Disabled Students Allowance since August 2015, which has resulted in the loss of funding for specialist IT equipment and non-medical help such as mentoring, study skills support, note-takers, interpreters and physical assistance. Now, the term “disabled” is also under threat. My manager has had to challenge university directors who want to get rid of the word entirely. Many universities are adopting the word “enablement” to describe services, which is part of the agenda for inclusion. Some argue that enablement is about including disabled students in the curriculum, but this ignores the fact that disabled students have to deal with external barriers. It looks at ways to make students with impairments fit into an inaccessible structure, rather than changing the structures themselves. Moreover, trying to avoid the term disabled altogether actually creates greater barriers. Jess Thom, president of NADP, sums it up perfectly in a video for the Guardian. Using the word disability, on the other hand, cuts out the need to go into detail about an impairment. A student feels able to explain that the symptoms of their disability prevent them from accessing information or doing the work in the same way as a non-disabled person. A review carried out by the Higher Education Funding Council in 2014–15 found that institutions wanted to move towards the social model of disability – more inclusive curricula, learning and teaching environments, and restructured support – but that there continue to be barriers to participation and success not from the students themselves but because of the processes, systems and institutions of society. Disability can have a real impact on university life. In 2014 the NUS found that 55% of disabled students have seriously considered leaving their course, compared to 35% of non-disabled respondents. Of those who considered leaving, 54% reported it was because of a financial problem, 36% because of a health problem, and 20% for a disability issue. Students arrive at my door failing or barely scraping a pass because they can’t access their studies in the same way non-disabled students can. Once in receipt of disability support, however, they report better grades and reach their full potential because they can finally enjoy their course. By identifying the barriers that prevented them from success, they understand why they had been struggling. Most of our own team are disabled. This allows disabled students to be more frank in explaining the reasonable adjustments they need from their departments to access their studies or work. Of the 7,000 students attending our university, 1,000 are registered with us. But first degree students, often two or three years into their qualification, tell me that they had no idea that they were entitled to support from disability services because of the discouragement of identifying as disabled. This can come from parents, family, friends or academics who are not trained or know little about disability. Not all disabilities are immediately obvious. Sometimes students come to us with a mental health difficulty. Often in these cases, it is found that they have a missed or undiagnosed specific learning difficulty (SpLD), and once they’ve been screened and their access needs have been met their mental health difficulty is more manageable. Being given the word disability to use may also help their situation seem more manageable. This can help students realise and acknowledge why they feel something is “wrong” and why they haven’t been able to do their work. Part of what we do is raise awareness by training academics who might not understand disability or know what the social model of disability is. Through these training schemes, academics can sometimes become aware of their own access needs. Talking with us helps them to identify what support is open to them and gives them the language to talk to their own managers. In a climate where suicide rates at universities are at an all-time highsince 2007 (ONS), the word disability is important as an identifier for affected students and academics, who for most of their lives have encountered barriers or prejudice. And ultimately, down-playing the term disability threatens to make university less of a viable option for disabled students. Disability services must keep its name in order to be recognised as a key factor for equal access for all students My own positive experience from disability services has been a gift I was able to pass on to my own disabled students, who in turn have been able to find their voice and become empowered agents of change. So we must do more to fund and champion the work of disability services departments – because this not only meets the needs of disabled students but helps academics and their managers to understand and be part of the conversation around disability. Join the higher education network for more comment, analysis and job opportunities, direct to your inbox. Follow us on Twitter @gdnhighered. And if you have an idea for a story, please read our guidelines and email your pitch to us athighereducationnetwork@theguardian.com

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