TO BE PUBLISHED March 2025
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This conference will focus on priorities and next steps for supporting students with disabilities in higher education, improving their student experience and graduate outcomes.
It will be an opportunity for stakeholders and policymakers to discuss key considerations for the Disability in Higher Education Advisory Panel announced by the Office for Students, as it reviews how disabled people are currently supported in HE and formulates guidelines on priorities for improving experience and outcomes.
Delegates will consider potential reform to the provision of non-medical help funded through the Disabled Students’ Allowance, following DfE’s call for evidence on Improving non-medical support for disabled students in higher education. They will examine implications of recent changes introduced by the Student Loans Company, such as the new DSA application process, the involvement of the private sector in delivering needs assessments and assistive technology, and concerns over communication and cohesive provision.
Sessions will examine strategies for best practice and enhancing support systems, ensuring equity and financial sustainability of provision, and improving disabled students’ engagement in the HE community. Progress since Disabled Students UK’s Access Insights 2023 report will also be assessed, in light of findings that only a third of disabled students had the support they needed to access their education on equal terms with non-disabled students.
There will also be a focus on next steps for the Disabled Student Commitment, including approaches and responsibilities for HEIs and local authorities, and how barriers to wider take-up of the commitment can be addressed.
Further areas for discussion include preparing students for life after HE, looking at priorities for improving recruitment and careers advice, provisions for ongoing study, and opportunities for progression into high-skilled employment and leadership positions. We expect discussion on coordination of policy in this area with the Government’s establishment of Skills England, the recently published Get Britain Working white paper, and the forthcoming Lifelong Learning Entitlement. Delegates will explore the way forward for breaking down barriers to employment and bridging skills shortages.
We are pleased to be able to include a keynote session with Katherine Bayliss, Team Leader, Disabled Students’ Allowance, DfE.
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates.
