Educational Context

Although the number of students with disability has more than doubled over the past ten years, these students are still under-represented within higher education and are less successful in gaining employment following graduation. Poor physical access to buildings has created a barrier for some students, while others have been excluded by inaccessible course materials or teaching methods that do not take full account of their needs.  Facilities beyond the classroom have been inaccessible in some institutions and in others the attitudes of staff may have been less than welcoming. 

The authors of this resource believe that provision for students with disabilities should also be based on:

• a number of guiding principles 
• an understanding of the social context of disability  
• a commitment to equal opportunity within the  legislative context.   

Institutions that are identified as demonstrating good practice in meeting the needs of students with disabilities tend to share a number of features in common:

• an ethos that embraces social justice rather than viewing it as an irritation in the pursuit of 'more important' priorities
  
• senior managers who take a leadership role in pursuing equal opportunity
  
• decision making processes that ensure consideration of the needs of students with disability at all levels of the institution. 

However, students and staff have reciprocal rights and responsibilities and the needs of both must be balanced.