1. What is defined as a ‘disability’ under the Disability Discrimination Legislation?

The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) says that a disability is a “physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on [the] ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities”. The legislation covers:

• mobility impairments
• sensory impairments
• specific learning difficulties e.g. dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, AD(H)D
• unseen disabilities e.g. asthma, epilepsy, heart conditions, diabetes
• mental health difficulties
• Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Cancer – from the point of diagnosis
• HIV/AIDS – from the point of diagnosis
• Multiple Sclerosis (MS) – from the point of diagnosis
• Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME)
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (C.F.S)
• Any other condition which meets the DDA criterion above

2. Encouragement of disclosure on application for work placements or study abroad opportunities

Students may not have previously disclosed a disability to the University, or if they have, may be reluctant to disclose to potential employers or other Universities. It is good practice for all course and publicity materials to encourage students to disclose on application for work placements or study abroad opportunities and to emphasise the positive effects, in terms of reasonable adjustments, which can accrue from disclosure.

Some however may not disclose because of previous experience of negative attitudes/responses, some because they feel it is irrelevant, others because they do not know that they can be identified as "disabled" under the legislation. For those who do not have fitness to practice requirements, disclosure is a personal choice.

There are however issues risk and integrity which come into play and staff may find themselves in a dilemma if they feel that reasonable adjustments would offer the student better, or more appropriate, arrangements through which to maximise their experience of the placement and performance of the duties entailed. A further difficulty is that staff could face legal action by the employer if there is an adverse impact on their organisation due to an undisclosed disability.

3. Who is responsible for organising accessibility/support for students on placement or study elsewhere?

The University is responsible for ensuring that the student is enabled to undertake the placement. The placement provider or host university is responsible for supporting access and making reasonable adjustments.

Placement tutors have the responsibility for liaising with the placement provider regarding access/support needs with advice from the Disability Co-ordinator as required. The University has a responsibility to actively respond to any adverse reports the student may make about services, attitudes or facilities in the host University or workplace.

4. Disabled Students Allowances (DSAs)

DSAs fund equipment and services to assist disabled students in their academic work. Where the student's course entails field trips, work placements or study abroad, then this is taken in account when making the assessment of study needs.

Students on a full year paid placement are not eligible for DSA during that year. They must apply for assistance from Access to Work.

5. Access to Work

Information and application is available via JobCentrePlus. Access to Work provide workplace assessments, advice and funding (up to 80% of costs) e.g. assistance with work-related transport, sign language interpreter, new equipment or adaptation of existing equipment. This can be a long process, so application (which must be made by the individual student) should be made as early as possible in advance of the commencement date.

6. DOS Resources

Staff:

Overview of Student Services in United States Universities:  www.uea.ac.uk/services/students/ssabroad (to be developed to cover all partner institutions)

7. Information sources

General

• Understanding the Disability Discrimination Act: A guide for colleges, universities and adult community learning providers in Great Britain:
• www.skill.org.uk/uploads/Understanding%20the%20DDA.doc
• Access to Work: http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/Employers/advisoryservices/diversity/Dev_015798.xml.html
• EmployAbility: a not-for-profit organisation assisting people with all disabilities into employment http://www.employ-ability.org.uk/
• Bridging the Gap: a guide to Disabled Students' Allowances in higher education http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/EducationAndTraining/HigherEducation/DG_10034898
• Providing Work Placements for Disabled Students: A good practice guide for further and higher education institutions DfES
• www.lifelonglearning.co.uk/placements/placeme1.pdf
• Teachability: Creating accessible placements, study abroad and field trips for disabled students http://www.teachability.strath.ac.uk/chapter_5/furtherresources5.html
• Toolkits for success: managing off-campus learning for students with disabilities http://www.disabilitytoolkits.ac.uk/academics/
• DART Loughborough University: General advice for work placements http://dart.lboro.ac.uk/dart-cgi/printgeneral.pl?advtype=General&resource_type_id=4&barrier_id=0&disability_id=0&context_id=10
• South West Academic Network for Disability Support (SWANDS) project: http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/assets/SWA/Sendadoc.pdf
• A guide to accessibility services in Higher Education Institutions across Europe www.heagnet.org/
• Southern Higher Education Consortium (SHEC) Discussion Papers: placements http://www.soton.ac.uk/~shec/placementsdiscussionpaper.htm
• Making Reasonable Adjustments with Disabled Students in Higher Education: Staff Development Materials, Case Studies and Exercises http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/academicsupport/adjustments/Making%20Reasonable%20Adjustments.pdf
• Social work placement guidelines:
• www.hull.ac.uk/pedds/documents/FINALBestPracticeGuideMasterdocJune2005_000.pdf
• Higher Education Academy: Engineering subject centre, 'Working with Disabled Students' http://www.engsc.ac.uk/er/dis/index.asp
• HEA: Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies, 'Disability and residence abroad' http://www.llas.ac.uk/resources/gpg/2241
• General medical council: Gateways to the professions
• Chartered society of physiotherapy guidance - Supporting disabled physiotherapy students on clinical placement: not available for online viewing
• Geography Discipline Network (GDN): Inclusive Curriculum Project (resources for supporting disabled students studying geography, earth and environmental sciences') http://www2.glos.ac.uk/gdn/icp/index.htm

8. UEA code of practice: placement learning Oct 2008: Section 8: Disabled Students

8.1 The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) (IV) (revised in 2005) (or SENDA) requires Higher Education Institutions to ensure that students are not discriminated against for reasons relating to their disability, whilst on a placement arranged by the University. Where appropriate, the University shall offer sources of information about placements in relation to disability issues and provide an opportunity for students to discuss their support needs.

8.2 Where the placement is a formal requirement of the programme, the

School/Faculty shall consider ways of ensuring that the learning opportunities offered by placements are made available to disabled students by:

• seeking placements in accessible contexts and providing reasonable adjustments where these do not compromise the satisfactory achievement of learning outcomes/professional competencies;
• working with the Dean of Students’ Office, and the host institutions/ placement providers/ employers to ensure reasonable adjustment and accessibility where possible;
• providing support before, during and after placements that takes account of their needs;
• providing support before, during and after placements that takes account of the placement provider's needs;
• discussing with the student the benefits of disclosure to the placement area and seeking permission to disclose.

Where a placement is an optional but desirable element of the programme, the School/Faculty should consider making similar arrangements to support access for disabled students.

The staff in Schools/Faculties who have involvement in student placements should be aware of personal (for the student) and legal (for the University) issues surrounding disclosure of information about a student‟s disability to a placement provider. The student may require support in deciding whether or how to disclose a disability, and the University may have a legal obligation to pass on (or not pass on) this information. Advice on this issue may be sought from the relevant professional body, the University's Data Protection Officer, Occupational Health and/or the Dean of Students’ Office

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