Reports & Findings
Here you will find a list of research published by Disabled Students UK into the experiences of disabled students within the UK, as well as other key findings from the Higher Education sector.
Key Research Published by DSUK
The 2024 Access Insights Report
Disabled Students UK, 2024
The 2024 Access Insights Report has been created by our research team from the findings of the Annual Disabled Student Survey. Over 1200 disabled students from over 100 Higher Education Providers share their experiences in with Disabled Students UK each year making it the largest survey of its kind.
Improving the experience of disabled PhD students in STEM
Disabled Students UK & Pete Quinn Consulting Ltd, 2023
A new report investigates the experiences of disabled postgraduate research (PGR) students, a previously understudied group that has increased in size by more than 50% in the last 5 years, today making up 20% of PGR home students. The report, which focuses especially on STEM students working in the life sciences, was created in collaboration between Disabled Students UK, Pete Quinn Consulting and the BBSRC funded Oxford Interdisciplinary Bioscience Doctoral Training Partnership.
Going Back is Not a Choice
Disabled Students UK, 2022
A year into the pandemic, Disabled Students UK sent out a survey asking disabled students about their experiences of Higher Education during this period. We gathered the voices of more than 300 students – painting a picture of a tumultuous time. We asked students: “What lessons do you hope that your university learns from the pandemic to become more accessible moving forward?” . From those answers we created the report Going Back is Not a Choice – Accessibility Lessons for Higher Education.
Major Findings in the sector
“Disabled Students’ Commission Report”
Disabled Students’ Commission, 2022
“Arriving At Thriving: Learning from disabled students to ensure access for all”
Policy Connect and the Higher Education Commission, 2020
This report follows a six-month inquiry, chaired by Lord David Blunkett; Kathryn Mitchell, Vice Chancellor of the University of Derby; and Lord Philip Norton, Chair of the Higher Education Commission. The inquiry listened closely to students, with evidence gathered from over 500 disabled students, from senior figures at a number of higher education providers, and charity representatives across the country.The report demonstrates clear room for improvement within higher education, and lays out 12 recommendations for government and the sector to ensure the experiences of disabled students can be improved.
“Review of Support for Disabled Students in Higher Education in England”
View the report
The Institute for Employment Studies and Researching Equity, Access and Participation, 2019
“This report presents findings from the first phase of a two-part study to review the levels of support for disabled students across the higher education (HE) sector in 2016/17 and the progress made by providers towards an inclusive social model of support.” “The study involved an online survey of 137 providers in receipt of Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) additional funding to develop inclusive teaching approaches to support disabled students; and in-depth case studies with 13 providers which gathered detailed insights and feedback from 59 individuals in various roles (including both staff and student representatives).”
Brief from Office For Students
“We need to give “special consideration” some special consideration”
Independent Adjudicator Felicity Mitchell via WonkHE, 2020
“How should universities handle requests for “special consideration”. Independent Adjudicator Felicity Mitchell on a new best practice consultation.”
More findings & Insights
Disabled Students UK
- 2023 Access Insights report
- (2020) Impact of the Pandemic on Disabled Students and Recommended Measures
Disabled Student Network Reports
- (2020) Disability Discrimination faced by UCL students and Recommended Measures UCL Disabled Students’ Network
- (2018) Substantial disadvantage – Reviewing the Implementation of Disabled Students’ Academic Adjustments at the University of Cambridge Cambridge University’s Student Union
Other
- (2022) A checklist for making disability inclusion a reality in higher education
- (2022) New norms in higher education that can help disabled students long-term
- (2022) Disabled students need earlier support to reach university, says UCAS
- (2021) The CMA cautioned companies supplying goods and services to disabled university students, following concerns that there may have been price-fixing.
- (2020) Report on under-resourcing of DRC Disabled Students’ Campaign, 2019-2020 – CambridgeSU
- (2019) Call for universities to improve support for disabled students – gov.uk
- (2017) Models of support for students with disabilities
Analysis
- (2019) Beyond the bare minimum: Are universities and colleges doing enough for disabled students? – OfS
- (2019) Who is missing? A critical analysis of disabled students’ subjectivity in an ableist university culture
- (2019) The University of Bristol: The insider view: tackling disabling practices in higher education institutions
- (2007) Barriers to learning: a systematic study of the experience of disabled students in one university
Student Experience
- (2022) Vision speaks to the Disabled Network and DSO Freya Atkins about the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on students with a disability.
- (2022) ‘Britain’s education system is failing disabled children and teenagers’ – The Mirror
- (2022) Just 29% of students in England with disabilities receiving DSA allowance – Guardian
- (2022) Disabled students overcharged for accessible rooms – Varsity
- (2022) Disabled students and staff face discrimination at leading university, as documents reveal bullying is ‘rife’ – Independent
- (2020) Disabled Students Urge Universities To Make Online Learning More Accessible – Huffington Post
- (2020) MPs and peers hear of ‘heart-breaking’ discrimination facing disabled students – DNS
- (2020) Access all areas? An overview of life for disabled students in HE – University Business
- (2020) Lockdown moved all teaching online, but disabled students have asked for that for years – The Tab
- (2019) Disabled students dropping out amid ‘inadequate’ support, charities and unions warn – Independent
- (2019) Lack of support in universities drives deaf students to consider leaving degrees – Independent
- (2019) Disabled Students’ Allowances: Over half of eligible students miss out – BBC
Individuals
- (2022) King’s College London: Disabled student fighting for better access to campus
- (2022) Warwick Uni: denied a dyslexic student extra time as it would give them an ‘unfair advantage’
- (2022) Student fighting cancer says uni deadline refusal ‘like a death sentence’
- (2022) Chester: ‘How is this fair?’ – Disabled student could miss graduation
- (2022) University of Bristol: Court Finds Discrimination Caused Tragic Death of Disabled Student
- (2022) Disabled law student to sue Scots university after ‘five years of hell’ – Times Higher Education, DailyRecord
- (2021) University of Sheffield: apologises to blind student over lack of support – BBC
- (2020) Disabled Student Launches Legal Case For Right To Claim Universal Credit
Staff
- (2022) Research shows how tens of thousands of disabled staff are ‘managed out’ of jobs
- (2022) Three-quarters of disabled staff at Sheffield university experience discrimination
- (2021) Disability Resource Centre ‘at breaking point’ according to Cambridge SU report – The Tab
- (2021) ‘Largely overlooked’: Law Society posts guidance about disabled staff
- (2020) Ableism in Academia Theorising experiences of disabilities and chronic illnesses in higher education – UCL Press
- (2022) Disabled students and staff face discrimination at leading university, as documents reveal bullying is ‘rife’ – Independent
- (2020) Research reveals that focus on ‘individual excellence’ in academia isolates disabled staff
Articles citing DSUK
- (2022) Disabled students are being let down by universities – The Metro
- (2022) Over half of disabled students considered leaving full-time education during the pandemic, study finds – Independent
- (2022) Disabled students and staff face discrimination at leading university, as documents reveal bullying is ‘rife’ – Independent
- (2022) Let’s not toss away our hard-won digital teaching expertise – Times Higher Education
- (2020) Disabled Students Urge Universities To Make Online Learning More Accessible – The Huffington Post