Creating Accessible Teaching and Support

Graduates with disability have a lot to offer and gain from being active members of alumni organisations.  Unfortunately they often face significant barriers in realising that aim.  Key amongst these barriers are  inaccessible information/websites, limited physical access at events and procedures that discourage participation by those with disability.  Not only is this inequitable, it is also illegal under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).

People with disability are at significant risk of unemployment or underemployment.  Fewer than half of the working aged adults with disability are employed and those who are employed often have low earnings. Significant numbers of people with disability who are employed have experienced some form of job discrimination, even in the presence of protective legislation.

However, the barriers that most graduates with disabilities and medical conditions experience may be more indirect. For example, the lack of work experience is one of the strongest explanations put forward by researchers for the longer job-hunting time experienced by graduates with disabilities. The Graduate Destination Survey indicates that significantly more graduates without disabilities than graduates with disabilities worked during their final years of study.

The barriers that most graduates with disabilities and medical conditions experience may be more indirect. For example, the lack of work experience is one of the strongest explanations put forward by researchers for the longer job-hunting time experienced by graduates with disabilities.

The Graduate Destination Survey indicates that significantly more graduates without disabilities than graduates with disabilities worked during their final years of study.