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Last month, after a six-month Inquiry into disabled students' access, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) released a report with lessons for the government and the Higher Education sector.
The evidence (which we address here) paints a vivid picture, validating the voices of disabled student groups all over the country who have increasingly drawn attention to educational access barriers in the last few years. As one such student group, Disabled Students UK welcomes the report and its recommendations as important first steps toward increased equity.
As an organisation led by disabled students, we believe that the failures detailed in the report can effectively be addressed by better oversight. We were very pleased to see the Higher Education Commission make recommendations for Office for Students (OfS) to take a more active role in monitoring disabled students’ access.
We additionally argue that for such monitoring to be effective, it must be accompanied by clear and transparent rules for what type of findings are acceptable, as well as by clear consequences for those Higher Education Providers who break the new rules.
We call on the government and OfS to build on the ever growing evidence basis to take concrete steps toward enforcing the rights of disabled students in Higher Education.
Do read our full statement, as well as further information about key issues raised by the report.
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