Disability e-news Faculty of Health Article/01/ Faculty s Disability Provision Commended in Recent Audit In a recent review undertaken by Mott MacDonald, the work of the Disability Tutor and the new Disability Database co-created by Tara Fitzpatrick, Disability Co-ordinator and Nick Gee, Disability Tutor was awarded a commendation. The Managing Reviewer spent part of a day with the Disability Tutor to learn about strategies and processes being applied through this new role and to look at case studies of students who had benefitted from support offered through Nick and Tara s roles within the Department of Practice Learning.
Article/02/ Equal Opportunities Top of Faculty Agenda The Faculty of Health Equal Opportunities Committee meets on a regular basis to discuss policy and process to enable students and ensure fairness for all learners at Birmingham City University. The Committee, led by Professor Ian Blair, Dean of the Faculty of Health focuses on analysing and evaluating strategies and mechanisms in place for supporting students to learn and achieve their full potential by being part of an institution that takes inclusive practice very seriously. The Committee and Sub Committee are currently looking to recruit a student representative to inform process and to offer the student perspective. If you are interested in becoming a student member of this committee, please contact Janet Cunningham, PA to the Dean of the Faculty of Health by email at janet.cunningham@bcu.ac.uk
Article/03/ Disability Database provides key to success in supporting disabled students The Faculty of Health Disability Database which was launched in December last year is now well established and over 300 Academic staff have access. This database houses details of all students who have declared a disability and been assessed by Disability Services. Once a student gives their consent for enabling information to be shared amongst teaching staff the database is updated with their details automatically. The database provides a secure one-stop shop where teaching staff can see at a glance the reasonable adjustments each student is entitled to under the Disability Discrimination Act. Students are advised that self disclosure to and discussion with your course staff can help to further streamline the support process and enable both students and staff to work together to meet the learning outcomes of our courses. If you are an academic member of staff and have not yet got access to the database, or would like to find out more, please contact disability.tutor@bcu.ac.uk
Article/04/ Faculty of Health working in partnership with British Dyslexia Association The Faculty of Health is embarking on a project run by the Disability Tutor to strive towards meeting the standards of excellence endorsed by the British Dyslexia Association. The Disability Tutor and the British Dyslexia Association s Quality Manager are working together to look at processes and strategies that are adopted in the faculty to enable dyslexic learners to engage fully and excel with their programmes of study. This scoping exercise and the enhancements it generates will form the basis of the Faculty s bid to be recognised as a Dyslexia Friendly Faculty and to become accredited as such with the British Dyslexia Association. If you are dyslexic and would like to know more about how you can act as a student consultant to this project, please contact disability.tutor@bcu.ac.uk
Article/05/ New moves towards Assistive Technologies Over the next couple of months the Faculty will be working in partnership with a market leading assistive technology supplier to offer a comprehensive assistive IT support package for students and staff. This process will take the form of demonstrations to academic and support staff, and will be followed by a student test of the technology. If you would like to volunteer to take part in the student test, and see this assistive technology first and give us your opinions, then please contact disability.tutor@bcu.ac.uk to sign up to the list of student participants.
Article/06/ Focus on.. Placements Some frequently asked questions answered. I ve heard of a Placement Action Plan what s that? A Placement Action Plan (PAP) is a strategic plan that summarises reasonable adjustments that a student will need to receive from a placement area. These plans are written by the Disability Tutor following a meeting with the student. The adjustments that are needed and the strategies that the student will apply to their placement learning are detailed in the plan and this is then implemented in the placement area by Mentors and Practice Placement Managers with the support of the Disability Tutor. If you are a disabled student and you feel you would benefit from a Placement Action Plan please contact disability.tutor@bcu.ac.uk to make an appointment. Do I have to disclose my disability to my placement area? No, you do not have to disclose your disability to your placement area, but we would always recommend that you do in order that you can receive the support and any reasonable adjustments you need to make the most of your learning experience and to develop a good working relationship with your mentors.
Article/06/ Continued But I am entitled to the adjustments anyway aren t I? Yes, all disabled students are covered by the Disability Discrimination Act and the need for reasonable adjustments that it sets out. However, a placement area can only act upon the information that they are given regarding each students individual needs and requirements, so it is important that you discuss your needs with practice colleagues at the earliest opportunity to maximise the potential of these adjustments. It is important to note that students cannot disclose a disability as material error in the event that they fail a placement due to lack of reasonable adjustments in place if the placement area had not been made aware of the students disability. Will a Disability Practitioner come and see me in placement? The Disability Tutor is able to come and meet with students and their mentors in the practice area should you wish, or should you feel this is necessary. If you would like to be visited in placement by the Disability Tutor please contact disability.tutor@bcu.ac.uk or call Tara Fitzpatrick on 0121 331 6071 with your off-duty/shift times to arrange an appointment. Do I have to meet all the proficiencies/occupational Standards? Yes, all students must meet the professional standards laid down by the regulatory body of that profession. If you are struggling or encountering challenges with certain aspects of these standards or proficiencies, you are advised to discuss with your mentor and Personal Tutor and Disability Tutor.
Article/07/ 5 minute interview In each issue Disability e-news will be interviewing a person heavily involved with practice in the disability, health or social care arena. In this issue we talk to Nick Gee, the Faculty of Health Disability Tutor at Birmingham City University to catch up with what he has in the pipeline for students in the faculty. What brought you to work with disabled students? As a Children s Nurse by background and a member of many voluntary organisations I have always been close to the issues disability raises in our society. As a champion of people achieving in their lives I was drawn to this role. My name derives from the Greek Victory of the People so maybe that has something to do with it, perhaps.
Article/07/Continued What misconceptions are you trying to quash as regards disability? That disability is physical and is often still mistaken with inability. Society needs to get away from the obligatory wheelchair symbol of disability. For me, the important part is ability what a person can do. Everyone has such a wealth of great things to offer to society, and they just need to be encouraged to take a suitable and rewarding route through life. It s not about thinking outside the box, it s about acknowledging that the box doesn t really exist in the way people often perceive it does. Your role is new to the Faculty, is this challenging? Yes, challenging in a good way. Now is a very exciting time to be a part of disability provision and change, not just in the Higher Education Sector, but in all professions and with the introduction of the new Equality Act later this year the time to enact change and ensure provision has never been more important. What are you doing in the Faculty to meet these legal requirements? I am working hard to ensure that all staff are aware of the ethos that disability support must be embedded in practice, and not bolted on to it. I act in an advisory capacity for all stakeholders in the faculty including students, staff and practice partners outside the University. New initiatives have been implemented such as the disability database and we are working on introducing new assistive technology, best practice standards for staff and students and aligning our practice with professional bodies and organisations such as our current partnership with the British Dyslexia Association.
Article/07/Continued If a student or member of staff wants support how do they get hold of you? Email me via disability.tutor@bcu.ac.uk or call me on 0121 202 4531. If an appointment is needed, Tara Fitzpatrick will make an appointment for you. Tara can also be contacted via this email address or by telephone on 0121 331 6071. What advice would you give to a disabled person undertaking one of the Faculty s courses, or who is thinking of doing so? Undertaking a programme of Higher Education is a challenging and rewarding thing to do, but all students and staff, whether disabled or not need to appreciate that shared power of the many forges greater success. There is so much a person can achieve in this faculty. We offer many courses that meet the diverse needs of our learners and we are always keen to counsel students to undertake the course that is academically and professionally right for them. Get in touch with the people that can offer you the support to achieve on the programme, from admission right through to completing your studies. Our staff are dedicated to providing support for students and to ensure programme aims are met.