I hope it does not cause problems for my colleagues but I have to admit that without the support of the Student Services, Learning Differences Centre, Mentoring Service and Assistive Technology Service as well as CELT at the University of Southampton, there is no way our JISC funded LexDis project could have happened! The students participating have been amazing in the way they have offered strategies to help others discover how they can work more easily with online teaching and learning resources. I am just so grateful for the contact between the services and the students. http://www.lexdis.org
It has also led to a JISC TechDis project on the accessibility of Web 2.0 type applications used by many students. http://www.web2access.org.uk
So I agree with Emma and with the drive for 'evidence based practice' there should be an increase in research to help practitioners, (as occurs in the National Health System) but we really do appreciate that this causes extra work for departments.
Best wishes E.A.
Mrs E.A. Draffan
Learning Societies Lab,
ECS, University of Southampton,
Tel +44 (0)23 8059 7246
http://www.lexdis.org
-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Emma Rowlett
Sent: 05 February 2009 11:53
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: 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?
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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