![]() ![]() ![]() 38).įor many years, Gibson has argued that positive change cannot happen without consultation and working with disabled students (Gibson, 2016). Comments included feeling ‘left behind’, ‘alienated’ and ‘forgotten’ (DSUK, 2022, p. Furthermore, Disabled Students UK’s recent national report Going Back Is Not a Choice – which surveyed 326 respondents from 69 HE providers across the UK – found that only 23.1 per cent of disabled students received the support they needed over the pandemic, with many feeling deprioritised. The Higher Education Policy Institute’s report (HEPI, 2020), for instance, found that disabled students have experienced inconsistency and frustration, with 25 per cent of their respondents rating the accessibility of their course as 1/5 or 2/5. While the study sample is small and it can be argued that perhaps those who had negative experiences were more inclined to complete the survey, our findings are in line with recent national studies. None of the participants felt that staff prioritised their access arrangements, and none felt that there has been consistency in staff approaches to enable access. Most of the participants experienced accessibility difficulties.In total, 43 per cent of the participants stated they experienced discrimination or negative bias, and 57 per cent agreed they experienced ableism. Most of the participants had experienced discrimination.For instance, only 21 per cent of the participants agreed their university welcomed disabled students, and 14 per cent agreed they felt a sense of belonging on their course. Most of the participants did not feel a sense of belonging in HE.In 2020, we carried out a study using an online survey with Disabled Students UK that investigated 14 disabled students’ experiences of studying in HE during the pandemic. There is also evidence of much regression in terms of disabled students’ positive education experience and academic achievement (Nolan, 2022).ĭisabled students’ experiences during the pandemic The Covid-19 pandemic has further exacerbated difficulties that disabled students experience in HE with worsening inequalities including life expectancy, income, employment, relationships, education and progression (DSUK, 2020). ![]() ‘It is essential that disabled students experience inclusive practice during their higher education studies.’ However, recent studies show there is not enough awareness of the complexities surrounding inclusion and how inclusion objectives should be implemented in practice (Márquez & Melero Aguilar, 2020). It is essential that disabled students experience inclusive practice during their HE studies. It is well documented that disabled people face inequalities in many aspects of life, including education, qualifications attainment (DSC, 2021) and employment (HEC, 2020). The neoliberal reframing of ‘inclusion’ via WP policy did not consider embedded and complex histories of exclusion, inequality and misrecognition (Gibson, 2016). Some argue that WP has resulted in a social justice imaginary (Gale & Hodge, 2014), suggesting it was always about the growth of HE and that the capitalist economy has overridden any social justice aims that WP policy and practice claimed it would achieve. Importantly, even with this increase, disabled students remain underrepresented in HE (OfS, 2018). However, these statistics may not mean an increase of disabled students entering HE but rather indicate more disabled students are deciding to declare their disability. It could, therefore, be argued that WP is working. Statistics on students declaring a disability on entering HE has increased recent 2019/2020 statistics show a 47 per cent increase since 2014/2015, with a significant increase of students reporting mental health conditions (Hubble & Bolton, 2021). It has led to increased efforts in supporting disabled students during their HE experiences, including aiming for students to develop a sense of belonging, experience inclusive practice and achieve in their studies. Its original and continued core aim has been to improve higher education (HE) participation of traditionally underrepresented groups, including disabled people (Gibson, 2016 Lewis & Johnston, 2002). ![]() Widening participation (WP) has been a dominant discourse in education policy for more than 20 years. ![]()
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