Accession or Exclusion? University and the Disabled Student: A Case Study of Policy and Practice

Students who are disabled are under‐represented in higher education. One reason for this may be that education is not covered by the Disability Discrimination Act (1995) and disability statements to government made by individual institutions are more for information than an expression of mission or committed action. The growing empowerment of disabled people themselves has radically shifted thinking about the disabled in society and in this paper student views on provision in one large UK University are collected. Questionnaire and interview data highlight the existing shortcomings in terms of physical access but also in terms of disability awareness among those whose job it is to provide effective university education for all. The findings are broadly in line with researches elsewhere. The paper urges that further research be undertaken and that all universities urgently examine their own situation.