With 7.8 per cent of its staff declaring a disability, the University of Brighton has one of the highest staff disability declaration rates in the country. The university is committed to an open and inclusive culture in which disabled staff feel supported, and regularly consults disabled staff to monitor practice. This usually receives a 60-70 per cent response rate.
Issues that emerge from the consultation are either addressed directly with the individual concerned, or passed on to the relevant department. For example, issues about the physical accessibility of the grounds are passed onto the estate and facilities management department, which has a senior member of staff with expertise on accessibility issues.
A few years ago, the HEI received feedback from three different staff in one school, who all said they weren’t satisfied that their needs relating to their impairments were fully being met. This led to further investigation into the reasons for this and the budgetary issues involved. The issue was addressed, and subsequent consultations have shown that no further issues have arisen in this school.