Effective strategies to engage and involve disabled students as partners
Higher education institutions are increasingly recognising the importance of student engagement across a range of issues. Many institutions are embracing the opportunities to engage students as partners in their higher education, going beyond legal obligations and realising the wider benefits to the whole institution. Engaging with disabled students is of particular importance in shaping an institution’s facilities, services and curriculum and assessment design – not only in meeting the entitlements of disabled students, but those of all students.
This guidance provides a practical focus on potential strategies and approaches that can be adopted by higher education institutions seeking to develop more effective ways of engaging and involving disabled students across a range of institutional functions.
Produced by ECU and the Higher Education Academy, it draws on the strategies and experiences of seven higher education institutions from England and Wales.
Areas covered by the guidance include:
- The case for furthering student involvement
- Benefits and risks of involving disabled students
- Methods of engaging disabled students
- Engaging a range of institutional functions including:
- Pre-entry, admissions, marketing and publicity
- Curriculum and assessment design, validation and delivery
- Professional student services
- Estates
- Institutional governance, assurance and management
- Developing effective approaches
- Challenges to furthering the involvement of disabled students
You can also download case studies of effective practice successfully implemented in the sector.
