Disability Action

For instance, a note-taker if you are unable to take notes. These should be provided:

• in a way that does not itself put you at a significant disadvantage (for instance through delays, being dangerous or humiliating)
• based on your need rather than your diagnosis.

This could also be the practice of scheduling distant lectures close together is the same for all students, but may make it impossible for a person with mobility difficulties to get there on time. The practice of not providing captions on videos is the same for all students but may make it impossible for someone with hearing loss to take in information.

Education providers must make reasonable adjustments (Equality Act 2010, Sections 20-21) to avoid putting disabled students at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled peers. This includes changes to policies, practices, and provision of auxiliary aids or services.

The university should have many of its accessibility structures in place before a single student has declared a disability. When you have declared a disability the university should anticipate your needs rather than wait for you to experience difficulties.

Universities and colleges have an anticipatory duty (Equality Act 2010, Schedule 13) to plan for accessibility before a student declares a disability. Adjustments must be based on need, not diagnosis, and should not themselves create disadvantage (e.g., delays or humiliation)

Being treated worse could include:

• Direct discrimination (e.g., refusing module choices because of disability)
• Indirect discrimination (e.g., policies that disadvantage disabled students)
• Discrimination arising from disability (e.g., penalizing low attendance due to hospital stays)
• Harassment and victimisation related to disability.

[Source: Equality Act 2010, Part 2]

Adjustments are there to create a level playing field. They are not cheating or charity. You are entitled to the same quality of reasonable adjustments regardless of whether you get Disabled Students Allowance (DSA).

You are entitled to accessible student housing at no extra cost compared to non-accessible student housing. Universities must provide accessible accommodation and cannot charge more for it than standard housing (Equality Act 2010, Sections 20-21). They must make reasonable adjustments to remove barriers, such as step-free access or adapted bathrooms.