ABSTRACT

As wider access to higher education becomes a top priority for governments in the UK and around the world, this ground-breaking piece of work raises the challenging questions that policy-makers, vice-chancellors and government officials are reluctant to ask.

A highly qualified team of authors have closely analyzed rates of participation and the experiences of disabled students in higher education over a two year period. They compare the responses of eight different universities to the new anti-discriminatory practice, contrasting their social profiles, academic missions, support systems for disabled students and approaches for the implementation of change. Change comes under particular scrutiny, with a close examination of each university’s interpretation of ‘reasonable adjustments’, and the extent to which they have modified their campuses and teaching accordingly. Student case studies are used throughout to illustrate the real impact of institutional responses to the legislation.

Disabled Students in Higher Education will make fascinating reading for students of education, social policy, politics, and disability studies, and for those working towards accredited university teacher status.

chapter chapter 1|20 pages

Setting the scene

Disabled students and multiple policy innovations in higher education

chapter chapter 3|18 pages

Policy and provision for disabled students in higher education

The current state of play

chapter chapter 7|16 pages

Support for students with mental health difficulties in higher education

The students perspective

chapter chapter 8|18 pages

Disabled students in higher education

Negotiating identity

chapter chapter 9|10 pages

Conclusion

Connecting the threads