What can academics do to advance disability equality Chris Brill Senior Policy Adviser Equality Challenge Unit Aims and objectives Understand how course arrangements can potentially disadvantage disabled learners and why competence standards are so important ID: 478542
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Slide1
Designing accessible courses
What can academics do to advance disability equality?
Chris Brill, Senior Policy Adviser
Equality Challenge UnitSlide2
Aims and objectives
Understand….
… how course arrangements can potentially disadvantage disabled learners and why competence standards are so important
Practice….
… developing competence standards that are compliant with disability legislation
Consider…
… how competence standards interact with assessmentSlide3
Firstly, some quick stats….
Question:
What percentage of students disclosed as disabled in 2003/04?Slide4
Firstly, some quick stats….
Answer:
5.4%
Source:
http://www.ecu.ac.uk/guidance-resources/using-data-and-evidence/statistics-report
/
Slide5
Firstly, some quick stats….
Question:
What percentage of students disclosed as disabled in 2013/14?Slide6
Firstly, some quick stats….
Answer:
10.0%
Source:
http://www.ecu.ac.uk/guidance-resources/using-data-and-evidence/statistics-report
/
Slide7Slide8
How can course arrangements potentially
disadvantage disabled
learners? Slide9
What are the barriers?Slide10
Some solutionsSlide11
What are the barriers?Slide12
Definition
‘
An
academic, medical or other standard
applied for the purposes of determining whether or not a person has a
particular level of competence or ability
.’
Equality Act 2010 (
Sch
13, para 4(3
))
‘The requirement for students studying for a
law degree
to demonstrate a
particular standard of knowledge of certain areas of law
in order to obtain the degree is a competence standard.’
(EHRC, 2010
)Slide13
Recap of the key points so far…
Adjustments
can be made to physical environment, equipment and aids, and policies and practices
Different universities may use
different terms
for competence standards
Competence
standards
are applied to determine
whether or not a person
has a particular level of competence or ability
.
Universities have a legal responsibility to ensure competence standards are
non-discriminatorySlide14
Developing non-discriminatory competence standards
Is
this a genuine standard and essential to the subject being studied
?
Are
there aspects of this standard which could present barriers to disabled students
?
If
so, are there ways that the standard could be expressed so that these barriers were eliminated or reduced without compromising its academic
integrity
?Slide15
Yes or No?
A
school of
teaching has
a variety of necessary procedures for managing placements, for example a requirement for a student to attend at least one placement outside a city.
Is the requirement to attend at least one placement outside a city a
competence
standard? Slide16
Answer
These rules are
not
competence standards.
This
requirement would therefore be subject to the duty to make
reasonable adjustments.Slide17
Yes or No?
Is
requiring students to
have a particular level of physical fitness a
competence
standard?
YES
NO
Sports theory
Classical balletSlide18
Are any of these skills essential for your courses?
YES
NO
Speaking
Listening
Handwriting
CommunicationSlide19
Recap: key questions when developing competence standards
Is
the standard under development or review
a competence standard
or is it some
other kind of criterion or policy
?
Is the competence standard an
appropriate
and
necessary
way of meeting a
legitimate aim
?
Is
this competence standard
articulated
in a way which may present unnecessary barriers to disabled students?Slide20
Assessing competence standards: discussion
What adjustments can be made to the ways of assessing competence standard?Slide21
Assessing competence standards: work placements
Timetabling / location
Learning plans
Responsibilities
Early preparation
Decisions on riskSlide22
Key points: assessing competence standards
Adjustments can be made to the way competence standards are assessed
Providing
a range of modes of
assessments
Provide clear instruction
Develop a team approachSlide23
Take home 3 points…
Competence standards have different associated
legal requirements
than other standards
Competence standards should be a
proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim
Reasonable adjustments
can be made
to the way that competence standards are
assessedSlide24
Resources
ECU work on competence standards
http://www.ecu.ac.uk/guidance-resources/student-recruitment-retention-attainment/student-retention/inclusive-learning-teaching/competence-standards-reasonable-adjustments/
Disability
legislation
: practical
guidance for academic
staff Revised 2010 (ECU and HEA guidance)
http://
www.ecu.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/external/disability-legislation-for-academics-revised.pdf
Slide25
Any questions…
Chris Brill, Equality Challenge Unit
0207 438 1021
Chris.brill@ecu.ac.uk