Seems like we are all waiting for some test cases! But John, I think
your admissions tutor is forgetting that magic word "reasonable". For
example, suppose that a wheelchair-user applies for a course where the
teaching rooms housing specialist equipment are inaccessible. It might
be legitimate for an HEI to say that they could not meet access
requiremnts because of expense and the time factor required to create
access. Assumming that there was a suitably resourced plan to create
wheelchair access across the HEI, this, I would imagine, be a
defensible reason for refusing admission.

However, if admission was refused because, for example there were no
lab facilities with benches with adjustable heights etc then this
might well be deemed to be discriminatory as the cost of creating
access would surely be reasoanble for any HEI?

Sounds as if your admisissions tutor is not comunicating the
information s/he gained from the seminar very well or else s/he picked
up the wrong end of the stick.

ATB

Claire


Quoting John Conway <[log in to unmask]>:

> I too would welcome this kind of advice. i'm worried that mixed
> messages
> are being sent out. Our admissions tutor claims to have been to
> seminars
> where it was made clear that if we couldn't [currently] meet the
> needs - as
> we imagine them to be - of an applicant, we can legitimately advise
> the
> student that it would be best for them to go elsewhere.
>
> To my mind that breaches the "anticipatory" duty as well as the duty
> not to
> discriminate.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Clare Davies
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Sent: 28/03/03 16:49
> Subject: DDA Part 4 and Admissions
>
> I have been asked to brief our Admissions Committee about the
> implications
> of DDA Part 4, so would appreciate examples of good practice from
> other
> HEIs.
>
> I would particularly welcome guidance on:
>
> a) can an applicant be rejected on the basis that their
> disability-related
> needs cannot be met by 'reasonable adjustments'? If not, how would
> this
> situation be dealt with?
>
> b) disseminating information about individual disabled students and
> their
> needs, eg informing relevant tutors about new disabled students.
>
> many thanks,
> Clare Davies
>
>



Claire Wickham
Director - Access Unit (Short Courses and Oureach)
Union Building
Queen's Road
Clifton
Bristol
BS8 1LN

Tel: 0117 954 5705 / 5710
Textphone: 0117 954 5715
Fax: 0117 954 5714

e-mail: [log in to unmask]