1. INTRODUCTION
In the context of its aim to value all students and treat them equitably and fairly, and
as part of its aim to achieve a more diverse student body, the University as part of its
guidelines to students’ states:
The University of Kent is committed to the promotion of diversity and inclusivity
within the university community, and this commitment is underpinned in the
University of Kent’s Institutional Plan for 2012 -2015
The Institutional Plan seeks to achieve this by encouraging diversity, promoting
equality of opportunity, treating everyone with respect and dignity and encouraging,
recognising and celebrating success.
The University is working to embed diversity and inclusivity in all of its activities,
including the strategies and policies that support the Institutional Plan. The
University has in place a Dignity at Study Policy, to emphasis its commitment to
ensuring that students are treated with dignity and respect, and the Student Disability
Policy complements this.
The University of Kent is committed to promoting access for disabled people. A
further commitment is to work towards supporting and enabling students with
physical disabilities, sensory impairments, specific learning difficulties, autistic
spectrum disorders, mental health difficulties and medical conditions which may
have an impact on day-to-day activities, to take part in all aspects of the University's
academic and social programmes.
To this end, the University will:
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Encourage applications to study at the University from people with
disabilities
Judge applicants with disabilities solely on the basis of their academic
potential
Invite applicants with a disability to contact the University to discuss their
specific needs and how these can be met
Offer additional provision to ensure that disabled people are not
disadvantaged in comparison with others at the application stage
Collect and analyse student data on disability for the purposes of
monitoring and ensuring appropriate allocation of support and resource
Work towards the earliest possible identification of support requirements
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Offer information to each applicant with disabilities who requires study
related support from the Disabled Students’ Allowance and advice to those
who may not be eligible
Work towards an accessible curriculum
Provide adapted examination arrangements for eligible students
Provide educational support services such as note-taking, study skills
tutoring and mentoring.
Remain committed to ensuring that academic schools are active in
supporting students with disabilities by providing reasonable adjustments
and alternative arrangements
Continue to make improvements to the physical and learning environment
so that students with disabilities will be able to play a full part in University
life
Continue to increase the provision for disabled students in the University's
campus-based residential accommodation
Endeavour to provide accommodation for carers, subject to funding being
available from the student or their funding bodies
Take steps to encourage students with progressive conditions, or who
become disabled during their time at the University, to continue in their
chosen course of study
Provide the appropriate level of disability awareness needed to foster an
inclusive community, and endeavour to ensure appropriate training for
those working directly with disabled students
Seek to provide support to students who do not qualify or are temporarily
not in receipt of funding for their support
Endeavour to ensure that health and safety procedures are inclusive
Take active steps to consider students' feedback and the development of
good practice in the support of disabled students
Regularly review this policy
2. PURPOSE
The overall purpose of the policy is to ensure that the University is committed to
providing access to and enabling students with physical disabilities, sensory
impairments, learning difficulties, autistic spectrum disorders, mental health
difficulties and medical conditions to take part in all aspects of the University's
academic and social programmes. The policy aims to comply with the requirements
of the Equality Act 2010, and the wider expectations of the University's Equality
Diversity and Inclusivity Policy.
3. SCOPE
This policy applies to all applicants and existing students of the University, and
applies to all University campuses and European Study Centres
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4. LEGISLATION
4.1 Equality Act 2010
You are disabled under the terms of the Equality Act 2010 if you have a physical or
mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your
ability to do normal daily activities.
The Act makes it unlawful for providers of Post 16 education and related services to
discriminate in:
The admissions and enrolment of students
The terms on which admissions and enrolment offers are made
By refusing or deliberately omitting to accept an application for admission or
enrolment
The provision of academic references
The provision of services provided wholly or mainly for students or those
enrolled on courses - including:
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Curriculum design
Teaching including classes, lectures, seminars. practical sessions
Learning facilities such as lecture theatres, seminar rooms,
laboratories, studios, dark rooms
Examinations and assessments
Field trips and study abroad programmes
Research degrees and facilities
Independent learning opportunities such as e-learning and distance
learning
Learning equipment and materials
Libraries, learning centres and information centres and their resources
Information and communication technologies
Graduation and certificate ceremonies
Welfare and health services
Short courses
Leisure, child care and catering facilities or accommodation
4.2 Discrimination may occur in the following ways:
Direct discrimination occurs where, because of disability, a person receives worse
treatment than someone who does not have a disability. This provision is intended
to stop people being denied a service, or receiving a worse service, because of
prejudice.
Indirect disability discrimination happens when there is a rule, a policy or even a
practice that applies to everyone but which particularly disadvantages people with a
particular disability compared with people who do not have that disability, and it
cannot be shown to be justified as being intended to meet a legitimate objective in a
fair, balanced and reasonable way.
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Discrimination by association
This is direct discrimination against someone because they associate with another
person who possesses a protected characteristic.
Perception discrimination
This is direct discrimination against an individual because others think they possess
a particular protected characteristic. It applies even if the person does not actually
possess that characteristic.
4.3 Duty to make reasonable adjustments
The Act makes it a statutory duty for a responsible body to make reasonable
adjustments. This is an anticipatory duty owed to disabled people and students at
large. It is not simply a duty to individuals. The Act states that responsible bodies
should not wait until a disabled person applies to a course or tries to use a Service
before thinking about what reasonable adjustments they could make. Instead they
should continually be anticipating the requirements of disabled people or students
and the adjustments they could be making for them, such as I) regular staff
development and ii) reviews of practice. Failure to anticipate the need for an
adjustment may mean it is too late to comply with the duty to make the adjustment
when it is required.
4.4 Student Services
The Act states that it is unlawful for educational institutions to discriminate against
disabled students in the provision of ‘student services’. ‘Student services’ are not just
guidance and welfare services, but cover "any services that an institution provides or
offers to provide wholly or mainly for students attending or undertaking courses."
Some of these areas were previously covered by earlier Acts of Parliament, but
aspects relating to teaching and learning are covered for the first time.
5. RESPONSIBILITIES
5.1 Employer
The Senate and Senior Management of the University are responsible for the
monitoring and review of this and related policies and through delegation to the
Student Experience Committee and / or the Inclusivity Strategy Group
5.2 Heads of Academic Schools and Heads of Professional Services
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The Director of Student Services is responsible for the development,
implementation and monitoring of this policy.
Heads of Schools and Heads of Professional Services have the following
responsibilities:
implementation of the policy
ensuring that managers and staff are aware of, and follow the policy
consideration of relevant adjustments
attending appropriate training courses and ensuring that staff attend
ensuring Academic School Disability Statements are written, and made
available to students and staff
5.3 Employees and Agents
The law establishes that the University is responsible for anything done by their
employees in the course of their employment and its agents, whether or not the
employer or agent is aware of the legislation.
All staff of the University are expected to be aware of this policy and to treat those
with disabilities with dignity and respect and in accordance with these provisions.
Regular training and awareness briefings are offered through the Learning and
Development Programme, and all staff should aim to attend.
6. DISCLOSURE AND CONFIDENTIALITY
All applicants are encouraged to disclose their disabilities so that appropriate support
can be made available to them. All information and documentation regarding an
applicant or student’s condition will be used exclusively for the purpose of planning
and implementing an appropriate support provision by Student Support and
Wellbeing in order that the disabled person may gain the maximum benefit from the
educational opportunity at the University. Information relating to an applicant or
student’s support requirements will be shared with university staff and contracted
support workers directly involved in the planning or the delivery of the person’s
support provision.
Student Support and Wellbeing identifies and assesses support needs, and works
closely with each student, medical practitioners and/or assessors and academic
schools representatives, so that a student’s support needs can be met at an early
stage. Members of staff should be advised to pass on information related to
disclosure to both the academic School representatives and to Student Support and
Wellbeing. If the student or applicant prefers his/her disclosure not to be passed to
Student Support and Wellbeing, the student would need to be reminded that this
may affect the level of institutional support available to him/her and a proper entry
record should be kept about this happening.
All student and applicant information is protected under the Data Protection Act
1998. Student Support and Wellbeing is entrusted to the custody of the evidencing
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documentation regarding the applicants and students conditions. Both electronic and
paper files will be kept on every student who registers with Student Support and
Wellbeing. Paper files contain all reports or documentation submitted by the
student/applicant, staff case notes and any other appropriate items, such as relevant
correspondence, Disabled Students’ Allowance information, etc. Student Support
and Wellbeing also uses the Student Database to hold and process student
information, which is kept in conformity with the Data Protection Act. Information and
documentation submitted or redirected to Student Support and Wellbeing will be
treated as confidential. Strict measures to protect its content from unnecessary
disclosure to other members of staff not directly involved with the support of his/her
needs will be observed at all times. This duty may only be over-ridden by health and
safety considerations related to the person or to others.
Information about individual conditions or support provisions will not be disclosed to,
or discussed with, any individual outside the University- including a parent or
guardian without the written consent of the applicant or student. This also applies to
member of staff not directly involved in the provision of support of the person.
All files are confidential to Student Support and Wellbeing and are accessible only to
staff within the department. Files are kept for six years and then confidentially
destroyed. Students and applicants are entitled to see their paper files in order to
check their accuracy by arranging an appointment with the Head of Student Support
and Wellbeing. Students or applicants may also see any personal data held on the
database in accordance with University policy.
7. RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION
All applicants must be judged solely on the basis of academic potential. Applicants
with a disability will be asked to give information about their disability and should be
invited to discuss their specific circumstances and how these can be met.
Applicants with a disability may need special support or extra help at this stage and
this is provided by Student Support and Wellbeing, working closely with the Medical
Centre, the Accommodation Office, Estates Office, the Recruitment and Admissions
Office and the Academic Schools. The University will, through Student Support and
Wellbeing make contact with all applicants who declare a disability, to ascertain a
preliminary assessment of needs and offer special support at that stage. If applicants
with disabilities require individual support during the selection stage, then that is
provided in consultation with the Recruitment and Admissions Office.
8. FACILITIES
The University has a range of facilities available to support students, which include:
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A team of specialist tutors
A team of support workers such as Note- takers, Readers, Mobility enablers,
amanuenses, personal assistants
Rooms for study skills tuition
Portable equipment for loan to students that do not qualify for the DSA.
A campus access guide
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A resource centre for information and advice, including a web site
http://www.kent.ac.uk/studentsupport and a special contact e-mail address:
accessibility@kent.ac.uk
Provision for students who require adapted rooms or who have serious
medical conditions to live in on-campus accommodation.
Special car parking bays are reserved for students who have access
difficulties.
A number of teaching rooms and seminar rooms have been specially adapted
for use by students with disabilities.
9. POLICY IMPLEMENTATION
The University has a Student Experience Committee and Inclusivity Strategy Group
to cover most of the issues regarding disabled students.
10. COMPLAINTS AND FEEDBACK
The Director of Student Services welcomes suggestions for improvements from
students. Any complaints about the services offered by Student Support and
Wellbeing should, in the first instance, be raised with the member of staff offering
that service. If the complainant is dissatisfied with the result of the response given by
the member of staff to whom the complaint was made, then a written complaint
should be lodged with the Student Conduct and Complaints Officer within ten days.
The complaint will be dealt with by the Director of Student Services.
The Complaints Procedure and the Dignity at Study Policy can be found at
www.kent.ac.uk/regulations/general.html
11. MONITORING AND EVALUATION
Users have the opportunity to comment on the quality of the service they have
received through evaluation questionnaires. A summary will be presented annually to
the Student Equality Diversity and Inclusivity Operations Group.
12. OTHER INFORMATION AVAILABLE
Further information is available on the Student Support and Wellbeing sections of the
Student Services website:
www.kent.ac.uk/studentsupport
13. FURTHER HELP AND GUIDANCE - PLEASE CONTACT:
Student Support and Wellbeing 01227 823158
Email: accessibility@kent.ac.uk
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WLC/GG/BL 23.01.15
GG 09.04.15
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