Strategic approaches to disabled student engagement
Guidance to support higher education institutions (HEIs) to strategically develop more effective mechanisms to further the involvement of disabled students, not only in the development of disability equality schemes, but also in the implementation of those schemes and in the wider development of an ongoing institutional culture towards disability equality.
Authors - Dr Helen May, Higher Education Academy & Amy Felsinger, Equality Challenge Unit
Publisher - Equity Challenge Unit and The Higher Education Academy
Date - 2010
This guidance is a joint publication from the (UK) Higher Education Academy and Equality Challenge Unit (ECU). It has been written to support higher education institutions (HEIs) to strategically develop more effective mechanisms to further the involvement of disabled students, not only in the development of disability equality schemes (DES), as required by the disability equality duty (DED), but also in the implementation of those schemes and in the wider development of an ongoing institutional culture towards disability equality.
This practical guidance draws on the strategies and experiences of seven HEIs from England and Wales to further the involvement of disabled students across a range of institutional functions. It provides some guiding principles for other institutions wishing to advance their work in this area and a series of reflective questions for the sector that can be found in the appendix.
In addition to the guidance, there are a series of case studies detailing the participating institutions' experiences of identifying and implementing effective mechanisms to further the involvement of disabled students. The institutions worked across a range of institutional departments and services. The case studies offer practical ideas and information for other institutions wishing to advance their work in this area.