Hello All,
This discussion is particular interesting to me as I am always looking out
for effective ways to encourage the participation of disabled students.
As the initial e-mail suggests, services are often seen as a shortcut to
disabled students, receiving requests to pass on a message or organise
groups on someone else's behalf. Having experienced this on several
occasions, often with very short notice, I have settled on a few
strategies:
I suggest to people that they advertise using standard communication
methods (eg internal websites, Students' Union website/magazine,
noticeboards, display stands, etc). In doing this, I have become aware
that some people don't think they should publicly draw attention to
disability, even to promote research and consultation opportunities.
This surprises me, as I think it is very useful and encourage it as a
way forward - it promotes disability equality aswell as the individual
project.
If the request provides a significant opportunity for students to
potentially influence decision making, I may also promote it through our
online news, posters within our Study Assistance service and
noticeboards, screensavers, plasma screens, e-mails to key staff
contacts to encourage wider promotion, etc. I would never give out the
names of registered students, and our declaration numbers are too big to
do blanket e-mails. However, I have started a small mailing list of
students who would like to be made aware of opportunities such as
research or wider participation activities. This list is only small in
starting, but has so far linked students to internal consultations
aswell as national consultations such as HEFCE policy reviews. I am
looking to build it into our various communications with prospective and
current students so that it can grow.
For less significant requests, we have occasionally permitted students
to leave surveys or flyers in our Study Assistance Helpdesk area.
Finally, I would like to link into our range of course more to build in
more pro-active work to encourage research in areas we would find
helpful.
I think that Brigid's idea of having something on their internal portal
page is a good one, and I would be interested in other people's experiences
and ideas also.
Kind regards,
Andrea.
Andrea Peoples
Disability Co-ordinator
Southampton Solent University
The University recognises the social model of disability, which establishes
that everyone is equal and demonstrates that it is society which erects
barriers that prevent disabled people participating and restricts their
opportunities.
Emma Rowlett
<[log in to unmask]
COM> To
Sent by: [log in to unmask]
"Discussion list cc
for disabled
students and Subject
their support Re: What to do when you get this
staff." request: I want to do a piece of
<DIS-FORUM@JISCMA research which requires me to
IL.AC.UK> involved disabled students - will
the Disability Service help me and
give me the names of students with
05/02/2009 11:53 particularly disabilities?
Please respond to
"Discussion list
for disabled
students and
their support
staff."
<DIS-FORUM@JISCMA
IL.AC.UK>
It's very difficult as someone who researches disability to get
disabled people, and particularly students, involved. I've recently
carried out research at four UK universities, but several others were
approached and either turned me down or I didn't get any response from
students.
I understand how difficult it must be for disability services to
handle such requests, but it is also very important that good quality,
and I hesitate to say this but 'emancipatory' research, is carried
out. Perhaps you could make some distinction about who is doing the
research? I.e. if it's a undergraduate you just put the info on the
website, but if it's a big piece of research council funded research
then you take it more seriously? This is just a suggestion though!
As someone who is considering seeking to secure more funding for
researching disability in HE I feel it would be a shame if students
didn't want to get involved or simply didn't hear about the research
in the first place.
Having said all that I think your blurb is a reasonable way of
handling this issue,
Emma
On 05/02/2009, Julie Bosanko <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>
> Thanks Brigid that's very useful.
>
>
>
> Julie
>
>
>
> Julie Bosanko
>
> HE Student Support
>
> 01872 267148
>
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff.
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Callaghan,
> Brigid
> Sent: 05 February 2009 11:27
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: What to do when you get this request: I want to do a piece of
> research which requires me to involved disabled students - will the
> Disability Service help me and give me the names of students with
> particularly disabilities?
>
>
>
>
>
> Hello all,
>
>
>
> Since we often get the request which is the subject title of this email,
we
> have reached a decision on how to approach it and I have come up with
> wording we are going to use to email out to people in response and to put
on
> our disability web pages. I know others have debated this – so if you
want
> to use it – here it is – feel free to adapt of course to suit your needs.
>
>
>
> The Disability Service receives many requests from students and external
> bodies wishing to conduct disability related research. Often we are asked
if
> we can contact disabled students on the researcher's behalf to ask if
they
> would be willing to participate in the research project. Whilst the
> Disability Service is fully supportive of ongoing research and
development
> in the field of disability awareness, we cannot pass on student's names
or
> contact details to such enquirers as this contravenes data protection and
> our confidentiality policy. Nor do we feel it is fair to constantly
'target'
> disabled students to ask them participate in research. This has long been
a
> dilemma, as the Disability Service is keen to support research whilst
> balancing the interests of our disabled students. This being the case, we
> have taken the decision to request that researcher's write a short brief
> about their research project and explain which groups of disabled
students
> they are interested in reaching. We will then advertise this on the
front
> page of our Disability web pages for a limited time period of one month.
You
> must provide contact details so that if students are interested, they can
> contact you directly themselves. Remember you must keep your proposal
brief-
> three of four lines only. We will not liaise between interested
students
> and researchers as workload and time limitations is another reason why we
> cannot become too heavily involved in requests of this nature. Also
> remember, as with all students, disabled students will be more likely to
> respond to requests to participate in research and or questionnaires if
they
> are given an incentive!
>
>
>
>
>
> ***********************************************************
> Brigid Callaghan
> Disability Adviser
> Student Services
> University of Bolton
> Deane Rd
> Bolton
> BL3 5AB
> [log in to unmask]
> To make an appointment: 01204 903733.
> Direct line: 01204 903803
> Minicom: 01204 903490
>
> Please do not print off this email unless absolutely necessary - save the
> planet.
> ***********************************************************
>
>
--
Emma Jane Rowlett (née Wright)
School of Sociology and Social Policy
University of Nottingham
[log in to unmask]
www.accessingmaterials.org.uk
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