Teaching to Student Diversity
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Welcome
Alex Stanton
Educational Support Office (ESO) – central
office which coordinates the support for
disabled students
FW151/ 01784 443966
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Session Outline
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Legal framework and disability at RHUL
The ESO Support Process
DVD “A Veneer of Acceptance”
Case studies and discussion
Good practice advice
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Equality Duty 2010
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Special Educational Needs and Disability Act
2001;
Disability Discrimination Act, part IV (2005);
Disability Equality Duty (2006)
Equality Act 2010 which protects 9 characteristics:
age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage
and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity,
race, religion and belief, sex and sexual
orientation.
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Defining the word disability…
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How would you define the word
disability?
How do you think the Law defines
disability?
Give examples of disabilities
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What is a ‘Disability’?
“A person has a disability if he or she has a physical
or mental impairment that has a substantial and
long-term adverse effect on his or her ability to
carry out normal day-to-day activities”
(Disability Discrimination Act 1995: Part 4)
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‘substantial’ – limitation that goes beyond normal
differences in ability which exist in people
‘long-term’ – lasting at least 12 months or
likely to recur within 12 months
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Examples of Disabilities
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Communication impairments – ASD [
Asperger’s Syndrome
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Sensory Impairments
Mobility difficulties or physical
impairment
Long-standing illness - cancer, HIV, diabetes,
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Specific Learning Difficulties – Dyslexia,
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Mental Health Conditions
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Epilepsy, diabetes
Dyspraxia, ADHD
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RHUL Disability Statistics
ESO Registration Figures (August 2012)
Disability
Numbers
Specific Learning Difficulties
Blind/Partially sighted
Deaf/Hard of hearing
395
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Mobility Difficulties
Mental Health Condition
Long standing illness
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98
107
Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Multiple Disabilities
TOTAL
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75
735
Equality Duty – a medical definition of
disability?
Medical model of disability:
- physical condition/defect in individual
- reduces quality of life or causes
disadvantages.
- necessitates cure or clinical management
- just society is a compassionate one which
invests in research/management to increase
individual’s opportunity to experience a
“normal life”
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Equality Duty and the social model of
disability
Whilst individuals have impairments that
affect certain areas of their lives, it is
social barriers which purposely or
unintentionally contribute to making
individuals disabled.
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Social model of disability - 2
Types of barriers:
 environmental barriers(e.g. stairs instead of
lifts),
 attitudinal barriers(e.g. lack of
understanding or discomfort with certain
impairments) or
 institutional (e.g. certain fixed assessment
and examination procedures)
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Social Model of Disability - 3
These barriers can frequently be
modified. If these barriers can be
lessened by appropriate awareness
and adjustments, then individuals with
impairments can perform to their full
potential
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In Other Words…
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Main requirements of Disability
Legislation
1.Reasonable adjustments
2. Anticipatory duties
3. Promoting disability equality
All types of students and all College
facilities and services
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1 – Reasonable adjustments
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Not treating disabled students ‘less favourably’
Making ‘reasonable adjustments’ to ensure that
disabled students are not at a ‘substantial
disadvantage’ – in relation to time,
inconvenience, effort and discomfort
Treating disabled students more favourably
(Equality Duty 2010)
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What Does This Include?
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Changes to policies, practices and
procedures
Provision of services and auxiliary aids
(interpreters or course
materials/brochures in alternative
formats)
Physical features of buildings (from 2005)
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Reasonable vs. unreasonable
adjustments?
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Cost of making the adjustments – if alternative options or
covered by other funding e.g. Disabled Students’
Allowance
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Health and Safety implications
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The interests of the other students
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“Competence Standard” (includes former “academic
standards”): “an academic, medical or other standard
applied by or on behalf of an [education provider] for the
purpose of determining whether or not a person has a
particular level of competency or ability” (DDA)
Involves the question- what is ‘core’ to the learning
outcomes or course?
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2. Anticipatory Duty
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Consideration and action in relation to barriers
that disabled students prior to an individual
disabled student seeking to access
RHUL…therefore need for inclusive curriculum
design (see next slide)
Duty to create an environment where it is both
easy and “comfortable” to disclose
Students need to be given numerous and
regular opportunities to disclose
Support at earliest opportunity
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ESO Support Process
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UCAS form/Post-grad application or student
approaches the ESO
Questionnaire – outlining students’ disability
and support requested
Students signs to give consent
Memo to ESO Network Member(s)
ESO Network Member cascades information
to relevant staff
ESO Network Member keeps ESO informed
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Other Support
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Priority to College Accommodation
Special Examination Arrangements
Student Helpers (note-takers, mentors, specialist
mentors, etc.)
SpLDs screenings and assessments
Study Skills Tuition – for SpLDs (Pippa Moore) and for all
other students (Helen Shore – Generic Study Skills Tutor)
Financial Support (e.g. Disabled Students’ Allowance
and ad-hoc financial help for International students)
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3. Promoting disability equality
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no direct/indirect discrimination,
harrassment or victimisation
Promoting equal opps
Promoting disability equality: “it’s better
to have no walls than have ladders to
get over the walls”
Inclusive curriculum design and delivery:
pre-empting and reducing the need for
reasonable adjustments for individual
students.
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Example: 7 questions on inclusive curriculum
design (Higher Education Authority, “Inclusive Curriculum Design in HE”)
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Is there a variety of assessment
opportunities used throughout
programme/module?
Can the need for compensatory or
alternative assessment for specific
students be reduced by alterations to the
methods used to assess all students?
Does the assessment give opportunities to
develop graduate skills to aid
employability?
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7 questions (continued)
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How are students prepared for
assessments?
Are there marking criteria which is clear
(free from jargon)? How are the criteria
shared with students?
What feedback opportunities are there?
Is this targeted at the individual or group?
How timely is the feedback?
How inclusive are the feedback methods
used?
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General Awareness
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Multi-sensory teaching benefits all
Sensitivity – handouts in pigeon holes or
via e-mail (not in front of others)
Don’t be afraid to ask questions
Data Protection Act – anything written
to or from the ESO is kept in the student
files
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Good Practice – Preparation
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Handouts/copies of OHPs in advance,
on buff-coloured paper, in 16pt+ print, in
alternative formats – clear font (e.g.
Century Gothic, Verdana)
Not just handouts, all correspondence
Ask the student what support they have
had in the past
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Good Practice – Lectures
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Allow lectures to be recorded/
note-taker in room
TV/video subtitles and use large screen
OHPs not too busy, use colours but have titles
in same colour
When skipping through OHPs or lecture
notes, say the slide/page number aloud
Use numbers for the lines – read numbers
when referring to lines and use gestures to
reinforce (e.g. use fingers to count)
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Good Practice - Lectures
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Repeat questions/answers from the students
Extra room/corridor available for group/paired
discussion (for hearing-impaired, social phobics)
Encourage shared reading or study
buddies/groups
Be aware of darkening rooms when watching
videos or showing slides – put a spotlight on the
speaker
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Good Practice - Seminars
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Horse-shoe shaped seating arrangement
Sensitivity e.g. extra time for oral answers
Record comments and ideas on
flipchart/board
Face the students then repeat what you
have written on the flipchart/board
Remember to use names during group
discussions
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Good Practice – Fieldwork
“Inclusive field trip design will envisage a variety
of potential participants, and accommodate
as many varied needs as possible without
compromising the educational standards”
(University of Strathclyde, 2000)
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Core logging
Video recordings/Virtual fieldwork
Alternative areas of fieldwork site to investigate
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Good Practice –
Laboratory Work
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Health and Safety is paramount
Adjustable height workbenches
Be aware of allergies/asthma
Be aware of extra noise/echo
Alternative activities/Virtual lab
Special equipment e.g. talking thermometers,
beakers with raised markings, clamps to hold
items, illuminated magnifiers
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Good Practice –
Computer-based Teaching
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Any screen work in large, clear font
Good lighting and minimal glare
Be aware of special software (e.g.
screen-reading for blind students)
Adjustable height work stations
Special keyboards and mouse
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Good Practice - Assessment
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Extended deadlines - not good in the longrun (bunching up, need to encourage timekeeping/planning), but need to be flexible
according to individual need
Alternative assessment
Read the students your essay feedback
Exams - extra time/computer/separate
room/amanuensis (scribe)/rest breaks
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Contact the ESO if…
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A disabled student needs to know where to
go for support or advice
You need advice on a particular student
You need advice on a disability
You need advice regarding inclusive teaching
methods and practices
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ESO Team contact details
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Senior Educational Support Officer: Alex Stanton (FW153/
ext. 3393)
Assistant Educational Support Officer: Debra Atkin (FW151/
ext. 3966)
Susan Jewitt – Student Support Workers Administrator
(FW151/ ext. 4634)
Pippa Moore – Study Skills Tutor SpLDs (FW147 / ext. 4289)
Emily Titterell – Study Skills Administrator and Access Advisor
(FW151/ ext. 4634)
Helen Shore – Study Skills Tutor (Generic Study Skills)
(FW145/ext.4382)
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Questions and Answers
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