A deep dive into accessibility in Higher Education for people with disabilities.

Personal perspective 

For an easy read document of this blog post, click here. 

The 16th November to 16th December 2023 marks Disability History Month. A time to reflect and celebrate the diversity of human existence. We can take note of how people with disabilities have been treated in the past and evaluate how things have changed. Or have they?

University 

Upon researching Disability History Month, I was impressed by the amount of Universities within the UK that have made an effort to get involved and showcase the diversity within their institution. Many Universities take the opportunity to tell us about how they “take pride in their commitment to making higher education accessible” and “accommodates its disabled students and staff with support.” 

Despite the well aimed efforts of Universities providing inclusivity for higher education, the statistics still stand that 17.8% of pupils with a special educational need attended higher education by age 19, compared to 47.3% of those without a special educational need. The gap affecting children and young people with special educational needs has shockingly remained broadly the same since 2009/10 UK Parliament. 

Disability History Month

2023’s theme for Disability History Month is ‘Disability, Children and Youth’. Providing an opportunity for all councils, service providers, education establishments, health providers and employers to examine their approaches to disabled children and youth, UKDHM. 

Ealing Mencap

Ealing Mencap’s vision is that disabled people will have every opportunity throughout their life to achieve their full potential. A driving force behind our vision is that in 2023 many disabled students still feel that there is little to no improvement with regards to the accessibility of higher education. A heartfelt blog post, written by current A-level student Pheobe Allen, who has cerebral palsy, demonstrates why disabled students are still hesitant to attend University because of a lack of assistance. You can read her blog here. 

For young people, the pressure to succeed is at an all time high…

There are increasing concerns for the mental health of young people in education. 44% of young people reported concerns with study and exam pressures (2021). Research carried out by YMCA found; despite being the most academically qualified generation ever, employers are consistently reporting that young people are unprepared and unequipped to enter the workplace. For young people, the pressure to succeed is at an all time high. Can this standard be expected without considering the accessibility needs of people with disabilities? 

Thank you for reading. 

Jodie Clark