Supporting students with disability in the workplace

"This Guide is primarily intended for social work practice teachers, although it may also be useful for university tutors and others who are involved in the provision of practice placements for students on Diploma in Social Work programmes."

CSP. 2004 Guidance: Supporting physiotherapy students on clinical placement Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, London.

This document is specifically concerned with action that should be taken to ensure that students with disabilities have equality of opportunity to benefit from their work based clinical placements.

Department for Education and Skills. 2002 Providing Work Placements for Disabled Students: A good practice guide for further and higher education institutions [Ref: DfES/0024/2002]. Nottingham [PDF].

Work placements offer students an opportunity for vocational learning and personal development. For students with disabilities and/or learning difficulties this opportunity can be a key to the world of work from which they might otherwise be excluded. Work placements are increasingly becoming integrated into courses and the awarding bodies for most vocational courses require a work placement as part of the programme.

Hoddell J, Chapman V 200.1 L&T Research Project University College Worcester[Word].

Phase 1: Focus groups interviews were conducted with students, college tutors and clinical placement mentor/assessors in order to establish whether or not – in the perceptions of the various stakeholders - a good match is achieved between the delivery of the curriculum and the learners’ needs on the nursing programme of study.

Phase 2: Students from the February cohort, 2001, were invited to participate in a computerised diagnostic screening assessment, 78% of students participated. ... Following identification, students were advised/counselled by the Project Officer regarding opportunities for further more detailed dyslexia assessment.

Pardo P, Tomlinson D. 2002 Implementing academic accomodations in field/practical settings Disability Resource Centre, University of Calgary [PDF].

Much of the literature in this area explores academic accommodations in classroom environments. Significantly less attention has been paid to the implementation of academic accommodations in field/practicum settings. While it is evident that issues related to classroom accommodations are far from being resolved, a new set of concerns arise around accommodations as students with a disability enter professional faculties.

Sapey B, Turner R, Orton S. 2004 Access to Practice: Overcoming the barriers to practice learning for disabled social work students SWAPItsn.

"This helpful guide provides practical advice on the implications of the Disability Discrimination Act for all those involved with the education and training of social workers. It shows how a positive practice can be developed that is line with both the spirit and the letter of the legislation. Such an approach should be seen as an integral component of the commitment to diversity and equality which lie at the heart of social work education and social work practice and which are embedded in the new regulations governing the degree in social work."

Waters B. (no date) Assessment Challenges in Occupational Therapy Practice Placement University of Southampton. A PDF of a presentation.

Univeristy of Surrey. 1993 Providing Work Placements for Students with Disabilities: Guidance Notes.

"The legal responsibility for ensuring discrimination does not take place rests with the institution. Institutions may delegate the function of organising placements but they cannot delegate the legal responsibilities. In some cases students may have a contract of employment during the placement. In these cases their employers will also have legal responsibilities towards them under the employment sections of the DDA. However, the University's responsibility is not diminished by this, and the University must continue to ensure that discrimination does not take place."

Articles, books and book chapters

Useful UK Organisations

British Dyslexia Association
98 London Road
Reading
Berkshire, RG1 5AU
Student Helpline 0173 466 8271
(Open 10.00-12.30 & 14.00-16.45 weekdays)

Dyslexia Institute
133 Gresham Road
Stains
Middlesex, TW18 2AJ

Skill - the National Bureau for Students with Disabilities
336 Brixiton Road
London, SW9 7AA
Tel & Minicom: 0171 978 9890
(1.30pm - 4.30pm Monday to Friday)
Fax: 0171 274 7840
(For general information about students with disabilities)

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Useful web sites

Toolkits for success: Managing Off-Campus learning for students with disabilities http://www.disabilitytoolkits.ac.uk/

The Disability Toolkit will provide information and advice about work experience for disabled students. It will include sections for students, employers and their academic supervisors [under development, but worth a look].

SWANDS project: http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/pages/view.asp?page=3243

The South West Academic Network for Disability Support (SWANDS) was a HEFCE funded project of nine HEIs in the South West, co-ordinated and managed by the Disability Assist Services at the University of Plymouth.

Of particular interest: Section 9: Placement learning [PDF].

Work Placements and Disabled Students
October 2001
Information specific to University College. Worcester.http://www.techdis.ac.uk/archive/cowork/development/materials/placement/worcester.htm

Also see: Legal and Social Policy issues.

Also see: World Wide Web Links.

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