Supporting students with disabilities using a ‘student support card’ scheme

Context and setting People with disabilities are under-represented in higher education and, in particular, at medical school. Medical students with disabilities account for about 3% of the cohort, whereas nearly 20% of the adult population have a disability. Recognition of this inequality, as well as the growing number of students declaring a disability, has prompted a drive to make the medical profession more representative of the wider community. This has led to the publication of guidance for medical schools advising them how they should encourage disabled students. The Disability Discrimination Act (1995) (http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1995) informs medical schools that they have a responsibility to make ‘reasonable adjustment’ to prevent disabled students from being ‘significantly disadvantaged’ in their education. Why the idea was necessary It can still be difficult for students with a disability to request reasonable adjustment, especially when on clinical placements or in individual teaching sessions, and there is concern that their learning opportunities may be compromised. The medical course provides a particular challenge for disabled students because of the frequent change of placement together with the sheer number of different teachers. In order to make it easier for students to request reasonable adjustment, it was considered necessary to develop a formal system whereby the request would come from the school, not from the student. Two London medical schools, UCL Medical School, together with Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, introduced a ‘student support card’ scheme in 2006 and 2007, respectively. What was done Under this scheme a disabled student is issued with a laminated card similar in size to a credit card. The wording on the card is agreed with the student so that he or she does not have to go into unnecessary detail about his or her condition. This has the advantage of ensuring use of the card is totally under the control of the student, who is free to decide when to use it. The cards are issued by the faculty tutor or dean for students to address a specific difficulty encountered by the student during the course as a result of his or her disability. The card reads as follows: …………………………..is a medical student at …………School of Medicine. He/she has a disability which means that …………. I should be most grateful if you could help him/her by……………………….. Signed……………………….Faculty Tutor/Dean for Students. This card is valid until……. Any queries concerning this should be directed to…………Faculty Tutor/Dean for Students. For example, a student with a hearing problem may have a card which requests that the lecturer faces the front of the class when speaking. Evaluation of results and impact Feedback from students using the cards has been very positive. Students report a greater likelihood that they will actually request reasonable adjustment and that the adjustment is made without need for further explanation. The card is seen as a useful tool for empowering disabled students to take more control of their learning. The scheme is extremely flexible and is also being used to address short-term conditions, such as pregnancy.