Hello,
Just to clarify, the work I have described did not involve
questionnaires nor did it just involve students who the organisation
identified as disabled. We were seriously concerned about having an open
and frank discussion about disability practices (the bad and the good)
in higher education. The VLE was open to all students. We were working
collectively to 'explore' disability widely, then it became apparent
that there was a need to 'expose' the injustices (which HEIs like to
deny and its members do not recognise) and then we felt the need to
'contest' these actions collectively. As I have suggested the work did
seek to discuss the good as well as bad but unfortunately people tended
to find more bad things to talk about than good. Good tended to focus on
individuals, well-meaning etc. but the bad was far more about systemic
organisational discrimination. The good people who are forced to operate
bad practices and procedures.
It's hard not to appear combative when working with people who are
really struggling to stay in university, not because of their ability
but, because of organisational and attitudinal discrimination. Expose,
I'm afraid, is a word that has come up time and time again, not by me
but by colleagues who are sick of their institutions attempting to hide
the bad practices under the carpet.
Sorry Amanda - I really appreciate your comments and I am not meaning to
direct this combatively at you! :) However regardless of how it was
intended, I do feel it IS appropriate to talk of 'exposing' and
'contesting'.
What would it mean to 'play'?
adele
-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff.
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Amanda Kent
Sent: 03 April 2007 15:13
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Disability Equality Duty - Involving Disabled People and
Gathering Information from Users
Dear Maragret and Adele,
It is often difficult to speak out or express an opinion about an
organsiation, especially when you are relatively lowdown in any
heirarchy of power/authority (real or imagined). It would be interesting
to know what the response rate is for non-disabled students with regard
to surveys and feedback that is potentailly critical of institutional
practice.
In my own experience I would say it's the disabling attitudes that are
hardest to describe and pin-point. Sometimes it means describing
behaviours of people who may be in senior positions. The hardest bit
though is finding the right language -it can be difficult, if not
impossible, to tease out what would be considered 'personal', what
might be considered a reasonable response to any student, and what might
just be down to the fact that the filler-in of the survey misunderstood
the situation or comment in the first place.
Social networking on the internet is a very interesting activity in
terms of writing but also in terms of identity. If a contributor is
anonymous or uses a persona or an avatar then are they still the same
person who inhabits the 'real-time-space' world of the HEI?
Use of word like 'expose' and 'contest' - quite combative and
potentially threatening? (although i recognise the language of the
academy there)....what about 'explore' , 'discover' or 'play'???
Amanda Kent
DSA Assessor (sometimes ;-) )
On Tue, 3 Apr 2007 14:29:57 +0100, Margaret McKay <m.mckay@RSC-SW-
SCOTLAND.AC.UK> wrote:
>Hi Adele
>
>Interesting theory, you mean students were reluctant to speak honestly
>about their experiences because of perceived repercussions on them as
>individuals?
>
> I suppose this is why the option to articulate thoughts, concerns and
>experiences in a more organic (and anonomised) way via web 2.0
>technologies such as community Blogs etc, might allow students to feel
>they can say what they feel and would allow an institution to be clear
>about the true experiences of their disabled users.
>
>Thanks for your feedback!
>
>Margaret McKay
>eLearning Advisor: Accessibility & Inclusion JISC Regional Support
>Centre - Scotland South & West
>
>Tel: 0141 585 0022/0023
>Fax: 0141 585 0020
>
>Textphone or Typetalk users:
>18001 0141 585 0022/0023
>
>
>[log in to unmask]
>www.rsc-sw-scotland.ac.uk <http://www.rsc-sw-scotland.ac.uk/>
>
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>________________________________
>
>From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff.
>[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Adele Laing {PG}
>Sent: 03 April 2007 12:47
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Disability Equality Duty - Involving Disabled People and
>Gathering Information from Users
>
>
>
>Hello Margaret,
>
>
>
>Sorry this is a bit late! I am currently finishing off my PhD thesis
>reporting praxis using VLE's as a mechanism for supporting the
>institutional members to explore, expose and contest disabling
>practices and procedures in Higher Education. I am currently working on
>a second development (including other mechanisms of social networking)
>which, as you identify, in light of legislative changed can provide
>material to feed into the DES and promote more profound organizational
change.
>
>
>
>Interestingly the way the problem is posed suggests that the problem to
>be addressed is the confidence deficit of students, however the work I
>have been involved in was informed by the concerns of a steering group
>of University students who suggested that people would be hesitant to
>speak out, not because they lacked confidence or skills, rather because
>of the dangerous nature of the organizations and the potential
>repercussions this might have for themselves.
>
>
>
>
>
> Best wishes,
>
>
>
>Adele
>
>
>________________________________
>
>From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff.
>[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Margaret McKay
>Sent: 26 March 2007 16:01
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Disability Equality Duty - Involving Disabled People and
>Gathering Information from Users
>
>
>Thanks Claire,
>
>Yes I have contacted Sian and been in discussion with her. She was a
>great help!
>
>
>
>Margaret McKay
>eLearning Advisor: Accessibility & Inclusion JISC Regional Support
>Centre - Scotland South & West
>
>Tel: 0141 585 0022/0023
>Fax: 0141 585 0020
>
>Textphone or Typetalk users:
>18001 0141 585 0022/0023
>
>
>[log in to unmask]
>www.rsc-sw-scotland.ac.uk <http://www.rsc-sw-scotland.ac.uk/>
>
>Privileged/Confidential Information may be contained in this message.
>If you are not the addressee indicated in this message (or responsible
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>or deliver this message to anyone and any action taken or omitted to be
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>________________________________
>
>From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff.
>[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Claire Wickham
>Sent: 26 March 2007 15:52
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Disability Equality Duty - Involving Disabled People and
>Gathering Information from Users
>
>
>Hi,
>
>have you contacted Sian Davies who is leading the Disability Equality
>in FE Project and who has collected examples of good practie?
>
>[log in to unmask]
>
>http://www.unison.org.uk/disabled/index.asp
>
>ATB
>
>Claire
>
>
>Claire Wickham
>Senior Disability Officer
>Disability Resource Centre
>University of the West of England
>Frenchay Campus
>Coldharbour Lane
>Bristol BS16 1QY
>
>Tel: 0117 328 3737
>Textphone: 0117 32 83644
>Fax: 0117 32 82935
>
>Please note that this e-mail was written using speech input and may
>contain some small voice recognition errors.
>
>
>________________________________
>
>From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff.
>[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Margaret McKay
>Sent: 26 March 2007 15:04
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Disability Equality Duty - Involving Disabled People and
>Gathering Information from Users
>
>
>I am very interested in looking at how educational institutions have
>used, or are thinking of using technology in innovative ways in
>engaging with disabled staff and students in order to generate feedback
>about policies, procedures and practices that impact on their everyday
>environment.
>
>In my experience, some students (in particular younger learners or
>those not used to college/university life) for example, may not feel
>confident in attending focus groups or meetings, they might not feel
>that they want to speak up in committees but might quite comfortably
>express their view on a social network where they have anonymity and
>freedom to express themselves.
>
>I am interested in hearing from anyone who has experience of use of
>VLE's, wikis or other social networking approaches to engage with
>disabled users about their experiences at college/university as part of
>their DED.
>
>Can you help or do you know of any examples of where this approach has
>been adopted?
>
>Many thanks
>
>Margaret McKay
>eLearning Advisor: Accessibility & Inclusion JISC Regional Support
>Centre - Scotland South & West
>
>Tel: 0141 585 0022/0023
>Fax: 0141 585 0020
>
>Textphone or Typetalk users:
>18001 0141 585 0022/0023
>
>
>[log in to unmask]
>www.rsc-sw-scotland.ac.uk <http://www.rsc-sw-scotland.ac.uk/>
>
>Privileged/Confidential Information may be contained in this message.
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