Disability equality scheme - Annual report 2008

1. Introduction
2. Actions achieved or progressed since December 2007
3. Student action points
4. Staff action points

Introduction

This annual report has been produced in line with the annual reporting requirement of the Disability Equality Duty. The University remains committed, at the highest level, to the promotion of disability equality and to the avoidance of disability discrimination in the University community.

Actions achieved or progressed since December 2007

Disability awareness training

A Disability Road Show for staff and students was held in April 2008. This gave staff and students an opportunity to learn more about the Disability Equality Scheme as well as the support available for staff and students who have a disability. Information on how to provide feedback and get involved in the consultation process was also disseminated.

A number of training events have taken place or been organised for this Academic Session - these include general training for Library staff, Admissions Officers, postgraduate tutors, Sports Centre staff and secretarial staff. As well as that, we have put in place some specific training for new academic staff on the SENDA legislation and are implementing training on dyslexia for academic staff.

Staff, student and public involvement

We have had an ongoing programme of consultation in various forms and at different times including consulting with and reviewing the School Disability Co-ordinator role and getting feedback from disabled students on the services the University provides for them. This will continue throughout this academic session with a short life working group to ensure inclusive and consistent progress for items on the Plan.

Disability equality policy

• Updated and reviewed by June - will be reviewed again next June

University committees

The December 2008 target date has been met with disability and other equality issues being incorporated into the agendas of all University Committees in this session under the guidance of the Equality Monitoring Group.

Physical access to the estate

This is led by the Disability Action Group which meets four times a year.

• Progress continues in addressing physical access to the university’s estate including provision of ramps, lifts, disabled toilets, signage and induction loops.
• Disability access is also a key priority for all new builds and work continues on the new Medical science building.
• Various refurbishments have improved access to several main buildings e.g. the Purdie Lecture Theatre and main foyer has a new accessible entrance as well as disabled toilet provision.
• New buildings such as the Medical Science building have had full consultation over Access issues.
• Accessibility Surveys constantly being updated in a rolling programme.
• Accessible signage policy was approved and implemented and will be reviewed by the DAG committee in May 2009.

Website

With the creation of a new University website, the information on disability related matters for staff and students was redesigned and went online in September 2008.

• The University will continue to update and improve the online disability information so it remains up to date.

Forms

• Guidelines on how to produce accessible forms, external material and publicity will be produced by September 2009.
• These guidelines will be piloted by a University department before being rolled out across the University by December 2009.

Central services

Action plans have been developed and submitted by Careers, the Library, Admissions, Residential Business Services and Student Services.

• For Phase 1, Action Plans will be developed for Registry, Estates, and IT Services by December 2008.
• For Phase 2, remaining University central services will be asked to develop an Action Plan by December 2009.

Inclusive IT

• Ongoing.

Student action points

DIF - Disability Information Flow

The e-vision system was successfully rolled out across the University for September 2007. A feedback meeting attended by users and providers was organised in May 2008. The feedback collected from this meeting will be used to refine and improve the e-vision system for academic year 2008/2009.

Alternative Format Suite (AFS)

• This has been delayed, however with the set up of the short life working group which will incorporate the Library where the AFS is situated, this should be progress effectively in 2008.

Academia and SENDA

• Reviewed content and training programme to be held for new members of academic staff in 2008/2009.

Disability Co-ordinators

The review of the Disability Co-ordinators role with a new job description was completed by May 2008. All Heads of Schools received a copy of the job description to assist them when allocating the role. Disability Co-ordinators are also required to complete a half-day training course which will introduce the Disability Co-ordinator role and provide general disability awareness training. Regular meetings with departmental Disability Co-ordinators were established. These meetings provide the Disability Team and Disability Co-ordinators with an opportunity to discuss any disability related issues and exchange ideas on good practice.

Inhouse assessment

Inhouse assessment service continues to provide assessments for students with Dyslexia. As part of this a monitoring and feedback system continues in an ongoing basis. The viability of extending the inhouse assessment service for students with mental health difficulties will be looked at and a decision made by September 2009.

Feedback

An electronic feedback was emailed to students with disabilities in April 2008. Response rate was just under 20 per cent. The feedback collected through these surveys will be used to improve the University's Disability service.

• Due to the high response rate an electronic feedback survey will be emailed to students annually.
• The University will continue to look at innovative methods of engaging with students with disabilities and collecting valuable feedback.

University feedback

• Ongoing.

Statistics

• A review of the statistics that the University collects will be conducted by December 2009.

Curriculum

• Ongoing.

Exams

• Regular review meetings held after the two main exam diets.

Staff action points

General

Progress with the Disability Equality Scheme has been hampered somewhat by the need to establish a Gender Equality Scheme and, although achieving deadline dates has been undeniably difficult, good progress has been made.

Although not included in the original disability action plan, the University has recently revised and updated its Harassment and Bullying Policy which covers both staff and students. This policy impacts on all areas of equality and puts in place robust procedures for dealing, in this context, with harassment as a result of disability.

Harassment contacts have been re-established with training taking place in July 2008. The harassment network will be re-launched to ensure all staff are aware of the support mechanisms available.

Information and statistics

One of the main actions points from the staff perspective and probably the most difficult to achieve is giving staff confidence to inform the University if they have or develop a disability.

A Disability questionnaire was issued to all staff in the summer of 2008. Only 32 forms were returned out of 2112 members of staff. Staff were asked to return the questionnaire only if they had a disability and to indicate who, if anyone, had been informed of the disability and the level of support they had been given. An analysis of the data will be undertaken in order that a guidance booklet for staff and managers will be produced to ensure that there is a clear understanding of disability and the support that the University can offer.

External resources

• This is ongoing, some interesting information has been gathered regarding the resources available to organisations that have staff with disabilities, but this still has to be collated into a useful resource. This will be done in consultation with Occupational Health as a lot of knowledge already exists within the Occupational Health unit.

Organisational culture

• Ongoing.

Recruitment and selection

• This review is still to be done, although the University is confident that it has the appropriate training and procedures in place to avoid disability discrimination.

Annual recruitment statistics are produced and it is clear from them that disability discrimination does not occur. However, as part of the wider review of the recruitment service and the guidance notes issued to Conveners, disability will be reviewed to ensure practical information and best practice information and guidance is provided.

Support for disabled staff

• Currently, our attendance management processes are being reviewed and improved, and as part of this review, good practice guidance will be provided which will include support mechanisms for staff who develop or have a disability.

See Information and Statistics section above.

Professor Ronald A Piper
Vice-Principal for Governance & Planning