Code of practice on disabilities
Policy
The School of Law works within and builds upon the University Disability and Equality Scheme:
(See http://www.bristol.ac.uk/equalityanddiversity/disability/des/indexhtml)
As a School of Law we aim to base our approach on a social model of disability. This focuses our attention upon working with individual students to find ways of addressing any disadvantages or restrictions that our current arrangements impose, wherever practicable to do so.
Disability is the name for the institutionalised disadvantages faced by people with physical/ sensory impairment, dyslexia or mental health issues. We welcome applications from students with disabilities. Each student is unique. Our commitment is to respond to their individual needs as best we can. Where current systems and structures give rise to barriers for students, we will address the cause of those issues wherever possible.
We aim to adopt an educational model rather than a deficit model to address the needs of individuals, in an environment in which:
· those students with a disability who have access or support needs feel welcomed and supported within the School of Law
· wherever possible, teaching, learning and assessment procedures are responsive to the needs of all students
· staff feel supported and encouraged in their attempts to develop an inclusive learning environment.
We will also consider making reasonable adjustments wherever practicable to
support students with obligations for dependents with disabilities.
This document is also available in large print audio-tape or on disk, and can be printed on different coloured paper for ease of access. Please contact the School Disability Adviser, Judy Laing (), if you require this.
We welcome and encourage advice and suggestions from staff, students, applicants and anyone else interested in promoting accessible education.
1. Introduction
The School of Law encourages applications from disabled[1] students and seeks to ensure that their participation in the academic and social life of the University is as full and successful as that of any other students.
Students are encouraged to disclose any disability to the School at the earliest opportunity so that any reasonable adjustments can be implemented to support them. This information will be dealt with in accordance with the University’s confidentiality policy for staff dealing with disabled students.[2] Students are responsible for informing the School of any change in circumstance during the course of their studies which may necessitate a review of the adjustments that are in place.
2. Equality Risk Assessments
The School aims to review our policies and practices to ensure that they are not discriminating and that they are making a positive contribution to equality of opportunity, within the equality risk assessment framework[3], to develop a more inclusive culture where diversity is valued and respected. To this end, we will seek to:
· Review the mechanisms and structures of programmes - teaching methods, administration, recruitment and assessment procedures to remove barriers;
· Respond to individual requirements where it is reasonable and practicable to do so.
Our practices need to be continually reviewed to ensure our programmes can be delivered to any student, whatever their support requirements. For academic staff this in itself poses a significant staff development issue. However, priority will be given to tackling those issues affecting current students and those offered places for the coming academic session.
3. Sources of information and advice
The Access Unit for Deaf and Disabled Students co-ordinates the University’s support for deaf students and students with disabilities.
The Equality and Diversity Manager leads on policy development and advises staff on translating disability legislation into working practice. The Diversity Trainer can provide bespoke training to staff on a variety of diversity-related issues, including disability equality.
Within the School of Law, the Disability Adviser, Judy Laing
- acts as a channel for information about disability in general
- links with other services, such as the Access Unit for Deaf and Disabled Students
- advises colleagues about making their department more accessible.
Students and applicants may go directly to the Access Unit for advice, can work directly with admissions and other staff or may, if they wish, use the Disability Adviser to help access support services or identify issues and solutions.
4. Admissions
Our admissions procedures and materials should be accessible to all, and provide sufficient information for potential students to make informed decisions about coming to Bristol University. The Law School Admissions Policy seeks to identify those candidates who have shown they are best able to benefit from the particular education we offer. A wide range of factors are considered, including the context in which the applicant’s current achievements have been obtained. Those applicants who have had to tackle societal barriers arising from disability will be given credit for that.
We strongly encourage potential students to disclose any disabilities at an early stage so that we can work together from the outset to determine the reasonable adjustments that can be put in place to support them. This will not be used to distinguish between applicants except to give credit for any additional barriers the student has faced in achieving their current academic level, but will be used to help plan to meet any needs, within the parameters of ‘reasonableness’, which result from that disability.
5. Providing information to students
Students need as much information as possible at the earliest opportunity to align their expectations with what we can realistically provide.
Students disclosing a disability will be contacted well before their programme starts to find out whether they have any access or support requirements that need to be planned for. They will be informed about the School policy and the kinds of support available, both within the School and at the Access Unit for Deaf and Disabled Students.
It is imperative that applicants get in contact with the Access Unit for Deaf and Disabled Students well before their programme starts, particularly to gain advice about claiming the Disabled Students Allowance. The Access Unit for Deaf and Disabled Students’ student pack is issued to all students of whom they have been informed.
6. Assessing needs
Each student is entitled to have their needs assessed by the Access Unit for Deaf and Disabled Students. An individual Learning Support Plan will then be developed and shared with the Law School.
Using that information the Law School Disability Adviser and the student will identify individual arrangements. This should be considered as a mutually supportive learning process rather than a ‘learning contract’ and will be updated and developed as the student tries things out and learns through the experience.
Wherever possible, the Law School will respond flexibly to issues which arise e.g. switching teaching to rooms which are more accessible or timetabling students in a manner which meets their needs. Where teaching takes place outside of the Law School we will inform the department whose room we use of the issues as soon as possible, providing the student has given consent to share this information and seek to find appropriate solutions.
Students with particular computing requirements should contact the Law School Computer Officer as well as the Access Unit well in advance to ensure facilities are in place as far as possible before they arrive.
Students who may have particular library requirements should contact the Library Disability Co-ordinator to discuss individual needs and how they can be met. For example, in appropriate cases the library may be able to arrange extended loan periods or the provision of coloured overlay sheets to assist with reading.
7. Identifying disabilities and non-disclosure
The University’s Access Unit for Deaf and Disabled students is automatically informed of applicants with disabilities applying through UCAS, who have chosen to disclose their disability to UCAS.
Law School staff dealing with postgraduate applications, or who become aware of disabilities not revealed by UCAS will inform the Access Unit for Deaf and Disabled Students of the contact details of any person with a disability to whom an offer is made.
The School aims to ensure that, as far as possible, appropriate support is offered to disabled students to meet their needs and to enhance their education. Students are encouraged to disclose any disability to the School, either pre or post admission, to help us to make the necessary adjustments to support their education.
Students are offered a further opportunity to disclose any disabilities at registration. Nonetheless some students decide not to disclose a disability – or only become aware of one during the course of study. Whilst the School of Law aims to ensure our courses are accessible to all, some disabilities can only be addressed once disclosed, for example the University has a policy of giving additional time to complete written examinations for people with dyslexia. This additional time can only be offered once a student discloses they have dyslexia and such adjustments will not be considered retrospectively.
The responsibility for identifying disabilities lies with the student. If the Law School spots something which may be ascribed to a disability we will suggest a student seeks specialist advice e.g. a disparity between oral and written work which may be indicative of dyslexia, we will advise the student to seek a professional assessment – but the primary responsibility lies with the student. The mid-sessional examinations part way through the first year offer an important indicator of progress. Students should consider the causes of any mark they consider disappointing and should seek advice. The onus is on the student to be a positive learner and seek appropriate advice.
8. Confidentiality
A student may not want information about any difficulties that they are experiencing disclosed to anyone or may chose to share that information with one member of staff. The School of Law works within the University policy on Confidentiality:
See http://www.bristol.ac.uk/equalityanddiversity/documents/cpds.doc.
Students have a right to require that the existence or nature of a disability is treated as confidential, however this may impact on our ability to implement the necessary reasonable adjustments.
Staff can be placed in a potentially difficult position if they have concerns about keeping information confidential and/or are unsure of their legal position and any legal responsibilities. Advice can be sought from the University Data Protection Officer or Equality and Diversity Manager.
When a student discloses a disability to a member of staff, that member of staff cannot pass the information on unless the student consents. The member of staff will discuss with the student the question of who else should be told, the reasons why others might need the information, and the consequences of giving or withholding consent to the sharing of the information. The student will then be asked to complete a form identifying to whom the information may be disclosed. Normally students will be advised to place this information on their student file, available to all staff who have a need to know, but information can be held in more restricted circumstances.
Where information is shared or recorded the terminology will be agreed with the student.
9. Absence
Attendance is a requirement for law programmes. Programme Directors will work flexibly with individual students to accommodate absence where a student anticipates that there may be occasions where this is necessary due to disability or medical treatment. Where medical evidence supports such cases, poor attendance will not be penalised.
10. If a student feels insufficiently supported
If a student feels insufficiently supported, the student should approach the School Disability Adviser in the first instance. If the complaint is about the School Disability Adviser the student should contact the Director of Graduate Studies. If that does not produce a result satisfactory to the student, the student should seek advice from the University Access Unit.
11. Assessment
Assessment needs to be seen to be fair and academically rigorous. Where possible, modes of assessment which disadvantage some will be avoided, but in some cases, adjustments will need to be determined and administered on an individual basis.
The Access Unit has a study skills service that can assist and personal and subject tutors may be able to offer practical advice, which may include reading sample work to offer advice in appropriate cases.
The Unit Handout issued at the start of a unit sets out the mode of assessment. Students who wish to seek alternative assessment and examination arrangements, such as extensions to deadlines, deferrals, additional periods of time in examinations, alternative locations for examinations, individual invigilation, large print papers, use of equipment, use of a scribe or other examination arrangements, need to do so as early in the year as possible. Applications for alternative arrangements can be made via the Law School Student Support Manager, Vijay Chandy (). Requests will be responded to swiftly and flexibly. Alternative arrangements will be applied consistently to like categories of student, and will be designed so as to protect the rigour and comparability of the assessment
If a disability is not disclosed before the examination or assessment, the University will not take it into account retrospectively. The School will operate in accordance with the University Code of Practice for the Assessment of Students on Taught Programmes, and will seek to support disabled students through the implementation of Annex 5: Guidance on Disability Equality and Assessment.[4]
12. Extensions and workload management
The Law School penalises students who submit summative assessment coursework late, but grants extensions or deferrals when good cause is shown, whatever that might be. Whilst no assumption is made that workload management will be an issue for a student with disabilities, appropriate support in workload management specifically in relation to any disabilities will be provided if requested. In particular requests for extensions will be treated sympathetically. The request for an extension must be submitted to the School Examinations Officer prior to the deadline for the coursework – where an issue can be foreseen this should be discussed and determined at the start of the academic year.
Extensions/ deferrals in relation to formative assessment or concerns about workload should be discussed with the person’s tutor in the unit concerned, or the personal tutor in the first instance if the concern spreads across several subjects.