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Social representations and inclusive practices for disabled students in Italian higher education: A mixed-method analysis of multiple perspectives
... To, co najistotniejsze w kształceniu akademickim, to przygotowanie wykładowców do pracy ze studentami z niepełnosprawnością (Shelvin, Kenny, McNeela, 2004;Konur, 2006;Matthews, 2009). Kolejnym ważnym elementem edukacji jest partycypacja w życiu studenckim, umożliwienie aktywnego udziału w życiu społeczności akademickiej, kontakty ze studentami bez niepełnosprawności zarówno w trakcie zajęć, jak i poza nimi (Ferrucci, Cortini, 2015). ...
... Wsparcie osób z niepełnosprawnościami może być bardziej efektywne i trafne, gdy jest udzielane przez osoby z tego samego środowiska, mające podobny status społeczny, przebywające na co dzień razem, znające mocne strony osoby z niepełnosprawnością, doświadczające podobnych problemów, czyli koleżanki czy kolegów ze studiów, tzw. peer tutoring (Ferrucci, Cortini, 2015). ...
... Studenci z niepełnosprawnością doświadczają obojętności, braku uważności ze strony kadry akademickiej i administracyjnej czy obsługi uczelni, ale również ze strony studentów sprawnych (Ferrucci, Cortini, 2015). Dlatego istotne są działania podnoszące świadomość środowiska akademickiego, tj. ...
„Edukacja integracyjna to złożony i wieloaspektowy proces czerpiący
swe źródła z idei normalizacji i autonomii życia osób z niepełnosprawnością.
Idee te wyznaczyły koncepcję wspólnego kształcenia uczniów
wymagających specjalnej realizacji potrzeb edukacyjnych z ich sprawnymi
rówieśnikami. Wspólna edukacja stwarza korzystne warunki realizacji «dobrej
szkoły dla wszystkich». Urzeczywistnienie idei edukacji integracyjnej
wymaga zaangażowania wszystkich podmiotów, w tym uczniów, nauczycieli,
rodziców, społeczności lokalnych oraz organizacji i instytucji państwowych.
Złożoność i wielowymiarowość procesu edukacji integracyjnej, jak też
jej znaczenie dla kształtowania nowego modelu życia społecznego, wskazuje
na potrzebę i rangę ponowionej debaty w gronie teoretyków i praktyków”
(https://konferencje.aps.edu.pl/osoba/?lang=pl).
Społeczność Instytutu Pedagogiki Specjalnej w Akademii Pedagogiki Specjalnej
im. Marii Grzegorzewskiej w Warszawie nie tylko dostrzegła potrzebę
takiej debaty, lecz także ją zainicjowała i zorganizowała w dniach 26–27
września 2019 r. w ramach naukowych spotkań z cyklu OSOBA. Dyskurs teoretyków
i praktyków toczył się wokół tematu Jedność w różnorodności – idea
i rzeczywistość. 30 lat edukacji integracyjnej, a prezentowana publikacja jest jego
pokłosiem – namysłem nad stanem polskiej edukacji integracyjnej. Przedstawia
także działania wdrażające ideę inkluzji i dążenia do zbudowania modelu
edukacji wysokiej jakości dla wszystkich uczących się podmiotów.
8
Wstęp
Opracowanie składa się z dwóch tomów. W pierwszym tomie zamieszczone
zostały teksty analizujące podstawy prawne, teoretyczne konteksty
i modele koncepcyjne edukacji inkluzyjnej (dziewięć tekstów – część pierwsza),
a także uwarunkowania wspólnej i rozłącznej edukacji (11 tekstów –
część druga). Tom drugi (17 tekstów zestawionych w trzech częściach) został
zaprojektowany z myślą o prekursorach wychowania i nauczania uczniów
pełnosprawnych i z niepełnosprawnością w jednej przestrzeni edukacyjnej.
Snują oni interesujące – często osobiste i emocjonalne – refleksje, przedstawiają
trudności, jakie musieli pokonać, dzielą się swoimi doświadczeniami
i przede wszystkim pasją oraz optymizmem pedagogicznym.
Do zapoznania się z publikacją, zarówno z tomem pierwszym, jak i drugim,
zachęcamy naukowców, doktorantów, studentów, nauczycieli, rodziców,
decydentów, słowem: te osoby, którym na sercu leżą dobrostan każdego
ucznia i „dobra szkoła dla wszystkich”.
... Widoczny jest duży rozdźwięk pomiędzy ideami podmiotowego traktowania a praktyką edukacyjną czy terapeutyczną (Juszczyk--Rygałło 2016, Zubrzycka-Maciąg, Wosik-Kawala 2015, Formella 2018, Lejzerowicz, Galbarczyk 2018 Wykładowcy uczelni wyższych często nie zauważają zróżnicowanych potrzeb studentów. Powszechna jest opinia, że to studenci powinni dostosować się do standardów zajęć a nie odwrotnie (Byra 2010, RPO 2015, Shelvin, Kenny, McNeel 2004 Uczestnictwo w grupie społecznej, partycypacja w życiu studenckim, możliwość aktywnego udziału w społeczności akademickiej, kontakty ze studentami bez niepełnosprawności, zarówno w trakcie zajęć, jak i poza nimi, to ważny element edukacji (Ferrucci, Cortini 2015, Thomas 2016, Giermanowska, Kumaniecka-Wiśniewska, Racław, Zakrzewska-Manterys 2015, RPO 2015, Sztobryn-Giercuszkiewicz 2016. ...
W książce ukazano niepełnosprawność jako zagadnienie o charakterze interdyscyplinarnym, pozostające w polu zainteresowań przedstawicieli wielu dyscyplin naukowych. Znalazły się w niej rozdziały poświęcone: rozwiązaniom systemowym i politykom w obszarze niepełnosprawności, roli i znaczeniu instytucji w systemie wsparcia osób niepełnosprawnych, społeczeństwu i społecznościom wobec niepełnosprawności i osób niepełnosprawnych, interakcyjnemu wymiarowi niepełnosprawności, a także niepełnosprawności jako doświadczeniu osobistemu. Publikacja, poza jej wymiarem naukowym, ma również istotny walor społeczny poprzez jej praktyczny i aplikacyjny charakter. Proponowana książka jest zatem skierowana zarówno do przedstawicieli środowiska akademickiego, przede wszystkim socjologów i pedagogów zainteresowanych problematyką niepełnosprawności, jak i praktyków zaangażowanych w udzielanie pomocy i wsparcia tej grupie klientów pomocy społecznej, a także tych wszystkich, którzy w życiu codziennym stykają się z ludźmi z niepełnosprawnościami, ich bliskimi oraz członkami rodzin.
... Widoczny jest duży rozdźwięk pomiędzy ideami podmiotowego traktowania a praktyką edukacyjną czy terapeutyczną (Juszczyk--Rygałło 2016, Zubrzycka-Maciąg, Wosik-Kawala 2015, Formella 2018, Lejzerowicz, Galbarczyk 2018 Wykładowcy uczelni wyższych często nie zauważają zróżnicowanych potrzeb studentów. Powszechna jest opinia, że to studenci powinni dostosować się do standardów zajęć a nie odwrotnie (Byra 2010, RPO 2015, Shelvin, Kenny, McNeel 2004 Uczestnictwo w grupie społecznej, partycypacja w życiu studenckim, możliwość aktywnego udziału w społeczności akademickiej, kontakty ze studentami bez niepełnosprawności, zarówno w trakcie zajęć, jak i poza nimi, to ważny element edukacji (Ferrucci, Cortini 2015, Thomas 2016, Giermanowska, Kumaniecka-Wiśniewska, Racław, Zakrzewska-Manterys 2015, RPO 2015, Sztobryn-Giercuszkiewicz 2016. ...
W książce ukazano niepełnosprawność jako zagadnienie o charakterze interdyscyplinarnym, pozostające w polu zainteresowań przedstawicieli wielu dyscyplin naukowych. Znalazły się w niej rozdziały poświęcone: rozwiązaniom systemowym i politykom w obszarze niepełnosprawności, roli i znaczeniu instytucji w systemie wsparcia osób niepełnosprawnych, społeczeństwu i społecznościom wobec niepełnosprawności i osób niepełnosprawnych, interakcyjnemu wymiarowi niepełnosprawności, a także niepełnosprawności jako doświadczeniu osobistemu.
Publikacja, poza jej wymiarem naukowym, ma również istotny walor społeczny poprzez jej praktyczny i aplikacyjny charakter. Proponowana książka jest zatem skierowana zarówno do przedstawicieli środowiska akademickiego, przede wszystkim socjologów i pedagogów zainteresowanych problematyką niepełnosprawności, jak i praktyków zaangażowanych w udzielanie pomocy i wsparcia tej grupie klientów pomocy społecznej, a także tych wszystkich, którzy w życiu codziennym stykają się z ludźmi z niepełnosprawnościami, ich bliskimi oraz członkami rodzin.
Introduction. Being an author/subject by person with disability is a complex process. In analyzes interdisciplinary research of pedagogical, sociological, psychological and philosophical perspectives were used. Aim. The aim of the research in action is to stimulate the critical reflection of participants on the co-creation of scientific reality, their own practice, and raising research and professional competences. The next aim is to demonstrate the importance of educational and social activity in the process of becoming the subject/author of the own’s life of student with disability. Materials and methods. The research used the methodology of participatory research in action (Denzin, Linkoln 2009, Glaser, Strauss 2009, Charmaz 2009, Reason, Torbert 2010, Cervinkova, Gołębniak 2010, Czerepaniak-Walczak 2014) and the autoetnographic method was used (Geertz 2005, Wolcott 2008, Chang 2007, Freeman 2004, Anderson 2014). Results. The analysis of the experiences of a student with disability in the academic environment indicates significant deficiencies in supporting the areas of authorship: subjective experiences, well-being, independence, implementation of development tasks, social contacts. Conclusions. Autoethnographic-enhanced action research is a useful tool in the process of improving research and professional competences of both students and academic teachers. The participation of students with diversed needs in academic education may enable an increase in the level of inclusion in the academic community and affect the quality of education for all.
This paper aims to present an analytical tool called Model of Becoming Aware, to explore the production of the subjectivities of disabled students and new forms of exclusions during the enactment of disability policies in the Italian higher education context. It deploys Foucault’s governmentality studies to frame the changing historical conditions from a welfarist to neoliberal governance, of the university and it draws upon qualitative data collected in an Italian university. The Model is the product of situational analysis of the enactment of inclusive policies and explores the mobilisation of authority, resources, practices, subjects, opportunities and knowledge by two technologies of power – autonomy and sensitivity. Findings illustrate how medical and economic truths in times of austerity are producing new forms of performative neoliberal subjectivities in higher education while subordinating forms of subjection based on expensive welfarist provisions. Through the Model of Becoming Aware, the article aims to supply a contingent tool to analyse current ableist and exclusionary practices in the enactment of disability higher education policies, providing an evidence-based space to rethink policies to support disabled students educational access and attainment in higher education.
Introduction. Being an author/subject by person with disability is a complex process. In analyzes interdisciplinary research of pedagogical, sociological, psychological and philosophical perspectives were used.
Aim. The aim of the research in action is to stimulate the critical reflection of participants on the co-creation of scientific reality, their own practice, and raising research and professional competences aimed at developing their own professionalism. The next aim is to demonstrate the importance of educational and social activity on agency, autonomy, independence, identity, self-determination, being the subject/author of the own's life of student with disability. Additionally, the functioning of a person with disability at the university was examined and (not)adjustment of the educational process and conditions for supporting people with disabilities in the process of social inclusion.
Materials and methods. The research used the methodology of participatory research in action (Denzin, Linkoln 2009; Glaser, Strauss 2009; Charmaz 2009; Freire 2005; Lewin 2010; Reason, Torbert 2010; Cervinkova, Gołębniak 2010; Czerepaniak-Walczak 2014) and the autoetnographic method was used (Geerts 2005; Wolcott 2008; Chang 2007; Freeman 2004; Anderson 2014).
Results. The analysis of the experiences of a student with disability in the academic environment indicates significant deficiencies in supporting the areas of authorship: subjective experiences, well-being, independence, implementation of development tasks, social support. The condition of supporting a person in the educational process is noticing their needs, possibilities, limitations and adjusting the level of support. Inclusion of people with disabilities in the academic environment is often limited to some educational activities, there is no inclusion in a social group.
Conclusions. Autoethnographic-enhanced action research is a useful tool in the process of improving research and professional competences of both students and academic teachers. The empowerment of persons with disabilities in the education and social support process reduces social isolation and discrimination, and increases self-reliance. Academic teachers should be mindful of students needs, conduct classes using universal design for learning, enable autonomous learning. The participation of students with diversed needs in academic education may enable an increase in the level of inclusion in the academic community and affect the quality of education for all.
Drawing on the insights of critical disability studies, this article addresses anxieties frequently articulated by academic staff around the implementation of the United Kingdom's Disability Discrimination Act: how to accommodate the needs of students with ‘hidden’ impairments. Following the social model of disability, it argues that universities should avoid the use of medical labels in identifying the learning needs of disabled students, and should make efforts to institute as part of everyday practice a diversity of inclusive teaching strategies. Finally it discusses an induction activity which sought to encourage students to disclose additional learning needs to university staff while opening up a discussion around difference, diversity with the student cohort as a whole.
This paper considers some of the themes to be found in current UK debates about the social model of disability. It commences with a review of the origins and key features of the social model, then moves on to an examination of current critiques of its efficacy. The argument advanced is that the radical ideas that laid the foundation for the social model of disability contain a social relational kernel that now needs to be rescued and developed. A rescue is required because this social relational understanding of disability has become over‐shadowed by the social model itself as the latter has risen in stature, and has been obscured in the heat of recent debates about the model's strengths and weaknesses.
Research in higher education, linked to national and international policy, suggests the need for educationalists to show greater understanding and awareness of the lived experiences of undergraduate students with disabilities. These sources argue that this knowledge should then be used to inform their understandings as tutors and facilitate inclusive and effective teaching strategies. This research had a primary focus on first-year students with disabilities’ learning experiences; their transitions from school or college to university and their feedback on positive and negative learning experiences at both levels. Rich, complex stories were uncovered taking the research beyond the lecture theatre and seminar room, into the students’ union bar and back to the Year 10 classroom. It is the intention of this paper to relay some of the stories shared, in particular drawing out findings related to effective learning practices and to note the significance of placing a socio-cultural lens on the question of inclusion in education.
Recent UK legislation, operational from December 2006, places a duty on all public authorities, including higher education institutions, to actively promote equality of opportunity for people with disabilities. The university studied here has a number of initiatives in place to develop good practice in this area, but how do students themselves experience that provision? Research about people with disabilities has sometimes alienated them by failing to reflect their own perspectives. This study, explicitly aimed at incorporating students' voices and using interview and video data, offers some insight into students' experiences of the aids and obstacles to an inclusive learning environment at one university.
Internationally, the number of students with disabilities entering higher education institutions is on the rise. Research estimates that 8–10% of students attending higher education are registered with disability, with learning difficulties being the most commonly reported disability. Widening participation in higher education has been supported by legislative changes, inclusive education practices, the use of ICT and accessible facilities and programs and, ultimately, an increasing belief among students with disabilities that higher education maximizes their opportunities for employment and independent living. Within the Cypriot context, research on disability, access and provision in higher education is limited. This study was a part of a large-scale study (PERSEAS) funded by the EU. From the original sample, 15 students attending private higher education institutions in Cyprus reported disability (i.e., sensory impairment, dyslexia, physical disabilities) and were selected for focus group discussions. Also, interviews and focus groups were conducted with the Headmasters and teachers, respectively, in 10 private higher education institutions. This study yielded interesting results regarding the current state of provision (e.g., concessions for exams and assignments, infrastructure, teaching modification, counseling services) as well as issues of social inclusion, equality of opportunity and entitlement to education.
Within the context of marketisation and managerialism, this article discusses the effects of recent attempts to dismantle the barriers encountered by disabled students in higher education. Exploring statistics compiled by the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council and drawing on recent Scottish small-scale studies (Baron et al, 1996; Brown et al, 1997; Hall & Tinklin, 1998), it is suggested that although disabled students now have a greater presence in higher education, nonetheless many barriers to full participation remain, and indeed may be reinforced by some initiatives intended to widen access. The article supports Clarke & Newman's contention (1997) that an effect of new managerialism is to sidestep important social, cultural and political problems, leaving these in an unresolved state to be tackled by less powerful people when they encounter them in practice. The barriers met by disabled students are structural in nature, but in the dominant liberal equal opportunities approach means that these are seen by policy makers in individualised and medical terms and therefore the solutions proposed are often inadequate. Initiatives to widen access, rooted in the liberal belief that change will come about through appealing to individual goodwill, have failed to take into account the intensification of labour within higher education and have therefore achieved only limited success.
Increasing numbers of students with disabilities are enrolled in post‐secondary institutions. This study examined faculty attitudes and practices regarding students with disabilities in teacher education. Participants were 188 faculty in seven colleges, in Israel, who responded to a survey instrument about attitudes and practices. Faculty reported personal contact and extensive teaching experience with students with all types of disabilities – mainly those with learning disabilities, yet many had no training in the area of disabilities. A large majority reported both willingness and actual provision of classroom accommodations. More technological than instructional and testing accommodations were noted. Supportive attitudes were found towards students with disabilities in higher education and in the teaching profession. Several background variables such as contact, training, academic discipline and rank were associated with attitudes and practices. Implications for practice and cross‐cultural studies are discussed.
his article highlights issues concerned with the nature of relationships between disabled students and their non-disabled peers in further education. An investigation of the relationships between disabled and non-disabled students is undertaken within a critical ethnographic framework. The interaction between students is located within a wider societal context, with a particular emphasis upon identifying the impact of oppressive social forces. Deaf students, and students with dyslexia are the particular focus of this article as a case study within a wider disability debate. The findings point to a lack of contact between disabled and non-disabled children in primary and secondary education as being an important factor in relationships between these two groups in tertiary education. A variation in experience is highlighted between the different colleges and also different Access programmes within the same institution, which raises questions about notions of fairness and equality within the Access system. Recommendations are made for the recruitment and induction of disabled and non-disabled students leading to a more integrated approach.
Since the return of the Labour government to power in the UK in 1997 issues of social inclusion have risen up the political and statutory agenda within higher education (HE). This study reports the findings of disabled students lived experiences and views of transition from induction through to employability within one HE institution. The study examined the perspectives of disabled students via a questionnaire and face‐to‐face interviews. It found that there was still much work to be done in levelling HE experiences for disabled students and identified five key issues that should be addressed in order to enable access and entitlement to HE. These are pre‐course induction support, commitment by HE institutions to facilitating barrier free curricula, consultation with disabled students, institutional commitment to develop support services and embedding of personal development planning.
The purpose of this article is to present some recent contributions to discussions on social justice and recognition in the context of disability research. Nancy Fraser's theory of redistribution and recognition, and her endeavour to include both a materialist and a cultural perspective in a theory of justice is examined. We also discuss Honneth's Hegelian‐informed model of recognition. Critical realism, emphasizing a non‐reductionist perspective, is briefly presented and, finally, we put forward some ideas on how to analyse and understand disability within such a framework.
Third level institutions have been encouraged to facilitate greater access and participation for people from marginalized groups who have traditionally been excluded from higher education. In Ireland, as elsewhere, people with disabilities have been included in this process. Few studies have explored the quality of access and participation for students with disabilities within higher education, and this small scale qualitative study aimed to explore this issue. Students with disabilities reported variable access experiences within higher education and physical access remains a serious obstacle to full participation. Generally, there was a low level of awareness of student needs in relation to assistive provision and assessment. A positive and informed staff/college attitude proved crucial in ensuring access and equitable treatment. This research highlights the inherent limitations in the current piecemeal institutional response to provision for students with disabilities. A comprehensive access service is required that addresses the needs of all marginalized groups and becomes an integral part of the third level institution.
This article describes the findings and examines the issues arising from a small-scale investigation into the experience of higher education from the perspective of disabled students at a university in the United Kingdom, and makes recommendations for policy and practice. Methodology involved semi-structured interviews with participants to reveal individual experience and analysis of relevant documentation from the university to examine the rhetoric underlying their experience. Factors that create a positive experience for disabled students, and those which effect discriminatory practice and marginalisation are identified. The implications of the findings for policy and practice are discussed, and conclusions drawn including: the need for a central policy which supports the philosophy of an accessible learning environment for all students; central co-ordination to implement the policy with practical guidelines to departments; ongoing monitoring and evaluation procedures which involve disabled students; staff training and awareness; student advocacy.
This paper summarises the results of an investigation into the social and learning experiences of students with disabilities in a UK University. The students' experiences were evaluated in three broad areas: with respect to the categories used by the Higher Education Council to examine the quality of the learning experience for all students in higher education; against the issues conventionally included in studies and policy developments for independent living for people with disabilities; and in relation to the impact coming to university has on the lives of students with disabilities. The paper highlights the issues of central concern to students with disabilities in the University and draws some conclusions with policy implications from a discussion of student perception of services, the practical constraints facing the institution, and the social values which underpin the framework of support for students with disabilities in Higher Education in England and Wales.
This investigation examines the relationship between prior disability-focused training and university staff members’ attitudes toward students with learning disabilities (LD). A survey containing items pertaining to prior disability-focused training experiences and attitudes about students with LD was administered to 300 university staff members. Responses from 112 participants indicated that staff who had not received any form of prior training had greater interest in receiving training regarding LD and had insufficient knowledge to support students with LD. In contrast, staff who had received some form of prior training reported greater scores on general knowledge and sensitivity toward university students with LD. Analyses of training type indicated that staff who had previously participated in disability-related workshops and coursework reported the most positive attitudes, followed by staff who had participated in other forms of training (i.e., reading books and articles or visiting websites). Total number of training types experienced, time spent engaged in training activities, and the amount of time elapsed since training experiences predicted different aspects of staff members’ attitudes and perceptions as well as their satisfaction with prior training. The implications of these findings for future disability-focused professional development efforts within postsecondary settings are discussed.
This study investigated disabled students' perceptions and experiences of learning in a single university. The paper reports the views of disabled student volunteers with a range of impairments who were selected to discuss experiences of teaching and assessment that they commonly encountered. Four group interviews were organized in 2002, before the Disability Discriminants Act (DDA) part IV came on stream, in which disabled students were invited to reflect together on their experiences as learners at the case study university. In addition to teaching and assessment, the students also identified issues to do with access to, and the use of, information as important in their learning experience. We conclude that further studies will need to adopt a more integrated approach to understanding disabled students' experiences as learners.
In this paper, we examine issues relating to the enduring nature of elitism and exclusion in medical education by exploring the changes in social and policy influences on the admission and inclusion of women and disabled people to undergraduate medical courses and the medical profession. The widening participation imperative in the United Kingdom has impacted on medical education in that a traditional, elite, white, middle-class profession has been forcibly required to open its doors to `non-traditional' students. Only since the 1970s have women been admitted in increasing numbers, then people from ethnic minorities, but active recruitment from a wider range of social classes and other disadvantaged backgrounds remains an issue, with the most recent challenge being the inclusion of disabled people.Higher Education Policy (2009) 22, 19-36. doi:10.1057/hep.2008.35
This article advocates for socially just pedagogies in higher education to challenge senses of normalcy that perpetuate elitist academic attitudes towards the inclusion of disabled students. Normalcy is equated here with an everyday eugenics, which heralds a non-disabled person without ‘defects’, or impairments, as the ideal norm. This article attempts to mark the pervasiveness of normalcy in higher education by presenting findings from a systematic experience survey of disabled students and non-disabled students within one higher education institution in the United Kingdom. The findings indicate that disabled students who have institutional disability support express more difficulties in their learning and assessment than students with no known disability. However, it was found that there was no significant difference in academic achievement between the two cohorts of students. In relation to the latter point, the evidence also shows that disabled students who do not receive institutional disability support underperform.
This article discusses the representation and participation of disabled students in the development of higher education policy and provision within the UK, at both a national and institutional level. Findings are drawn from a doctoral study, which identified the importance of student participation in securing equality and inclusion. Power relationships and established boundaries are explored to ascertain how vocal disabled students are in these processes. Questions are addressed in terms of the genuineness and effectiveness of participatory approaches, identifying those barriers that are likely to impede the process. These include the influence of dominant ideology, professional expertise and attitudes towards the capability of disabled students. All are important when considering the increased rights of disabled people.
This paper draws on data from a research project that was funded by the UK's Higher Education Academy. The project focused on the experiences of disabled students in one English higher education institution, and a key feature of the project was to attempt to access the perspectives of ‘non-declaring’ disabled students. This paper draws on the experiences of one of the ‘non-declaring’ respondents, Anna, a postgraduate student. In the UK, some students declare their disabled status on entry to a higher education institution, some do so once at the institution and some never let the institution know of their impairment. It is the perspectives of this latter group that are particularly difficult to access. Anna's experiences as a postgraduate student provide some insight into what may affect decisions about declaration of impairment. Drawing on a social-relational understanding of disability, factors that influenced her decision not to ‘declare’ and the consequent effect on her experience of higher education are explored.
As the number of disabled students in higher education has increased in recent years, teaching them in compliance with public policy while maintaining academic standards has become a crucial issue. The access of disabled students to programs and to the curriculum are two separate but inter-linked features of such policies. This paper reviews the key features of the major four anti-discrimination laws and outlines the key adjustments to the currictilimi for these students that are needed in response. It then outlines and discusses the current research on these adjustments. Four curriculum adjustments are explored: presentation fonnat, response format, timing, and setting. The policy and practice of the curriculum adjustments have implications for academic staff. Research priorities are set out in relation to die attitudes of disabled students, academic staff, managerial or support staff, and non-disabled students.
This paper draws on a four-year longitudinal ESRC funded project examining learning experiences of disabled students in higher
education in four universities. The focus here is on institutional responses to the demands of audit culture and legislation
in relation to making reasonable adjustments for students with impairments. The data comes from institutional documents and
face-to-face interviews with key informants within the institutions. The findings indicate that quality assurance regimes
and legislation have had some positive effect on improving access for disabled students; however, local factors and type of
institution also have a major impact on the way that national policies are expressed in particular contexts.