UK Universities given guidance to support disabled students.

New guidance has been issued to universities detailing the steps higher education providers must take to comply with equality laws concerning disability.

This guidance follows a High Court ruling in February, which found that the University of Bristol had contributed to Natasha’s death by failing to make reasonable adjustments for her needs.

The guidance outlines several key requirements for universities:

• Offer alternative assessment methods tailored to the needs of disabled students.

• Be prepared to implement reasonable adjustments at any stage, even if a student lacks a formal diagnosis, provided they may have a condition that meets the definition of a disability.

• Ensure academic staff make reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities, even if they haven’t accessed support through the Disability Service.

• Train student-facing staff on their obligations under the Equality Act 2010, including how to recognize and respond to mental health crises.

• Proactively identify and support students who may be struggling, even if they haven’t sought help themselves.

In my recent experience working with universities, many Disability Services are under-resourced and struggling to meet the growing demand from the increasing number of students diagnosed with disabilities. This has led to a noticeable trend of institutions turning to third-party providers for support, such as specialist mentoring and educational psychology assessment services. I expect this trend to continue, with universities needing to prioritize resourcing and funding to ensure their support services can adequately address the challenges faced by disabled students.