Dear All,

I have a set of questions at the policy level about the experiences and 
practices on the coverage of the student's union services by the university 
and college disability advisory offices.

The DDA(1995) Part III includes the students' union services, unlike the 
educational services offered by the higher education institutions.

In many institutions, these unions may have different administrative 
structures with their own General Manager and the elected officers acting as 
the union trustees.

These unions may offer a wide range of services including representative, 
advisory, entertainments, training services among others.  For this purpose, 
they are funded publicly and are given opportunity to raise more cash by 
trading activities.

There has been some concern for some time in the press and the student 
movement as voiced in teh NUS annual and equal opportunity conferences each 
year that these unions may not have been governed efficiently and therefore 
not be able to  manage change in the characteristics of the student 
population in higher education, and as a result all students from the 
marginalised groups, such as students with disabilities, mature students, 
women students with children, LGB students, overseas students, postgraduate 
students may not have benefited from these services in an efficient way 
altough the public funding includes them.

The recent code of practice enacted under the DDA Part III and becomes 
effective on 1 October 1999 requires the unions too to make adjustments for 
the service provision for students with disabilities.

The first question is do the disability offices in the higher education 
institutions have any role to play in this service provision for students 
with disabilities by their unions.

The second question is do these unions comply with the law and the good 
practice and policies in the universities and colleges to provide  services 
for these students and when they make development plans, do they make 
considerations for this compliance with the law and good practice, which 
maybe evidenced through the feedback received frm these students.

The third question is do the disability offices advise these students on the 
services provided by the unions?  And if it is so, what is the interface 
between the disabiity offices and the unions' welfare advisory offices.

The fourth question is do the unions provide representative services for 
students with disabilities in higher education in some way such as the 
nomination of students with disabilities as a students representative rather 
than by a student without disability at the university and union committees 
where policy and resource allocation-related issues are decided.

The final question is do the unions provide the social services for these 
students such as the societies, clubs, self-help groups customised for these 
students?

Any help and advice would be appreciated.
_______________________
Ozcan KONUR
The list owner, the interdisciplinary disability and higher education policy 
list, http://www.mailbase.ac.uk/lists/dis-he-policy (please join and 
advocate it)
The university address: City University Rehabilitation Resource Centre, 
Northampton Square London EC1V 0HB, The United Kingdom
The e-mail address:[log in to unmask]
The web address: http://www.city.ac.uk/~cx639/index.htm (please visit, 
bookmark,link and advocate)
The postal communication address: 17 Elham House Pembury Estate Hackney 
London E5 8LT, The United Kingdom
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