Having read this thread of discussion with great interest as a person with
personal, professional and academic interest in the related issues, but
currently focusing on the provision of services for students with
disabilities in higher education, I would like to comment on Nicholas's last
message, extending his discsussion to higher education.
It is clear from his message that there is still discrimination in the
employment of people with disabilities in real world even though there is
some kind of anti-dicrimination law, in forms of such as underemployment,
barriers to promotion etc. which are indeed wel ldocumented by research all
over the world.
However, i would like to bring to teh attention of teh list members that
there is no such legislation even on teh paper for higher education (and
also for further education) to include these areas under the DDA. Recent
discussion paper by the DRTF, Disability Rights TAsk Force, (
http://www.disability.gov.uk/drtf/ ) on the higher education recommends for
the inclusion of higher education under the DDA, but to my best knowledge,
it has many let-out clauses like reasonableness, availability of reources
etc. unlike its equivalent legislation in the US.
Current statistics shows that in the UK, studnets with disbailities are
underrepresented in higher education, and the higher education institutions
only have duties for preparing disability statements under the Further and
Higher Education Act (1992) and they are eligible to bid for special
disability intiaitives from the funding councils for the service provison.
The similar negligence is seen also in the research policy agendas of the
governmental and non-governmental organisations where the higher educaiotn
disability related research issues lie at the bottom of their priorities
It would be helpful if the Disability-research discussion list members help
in raising the profile of disability and higher education related issues in
teh discussion and research agenda considering the institutional chnage in
this area such as debate about including the higher education under the DDA.
______________________________________________________________________________
Ozcan KONUR
City University Rehabilitation Resource Centre
Northampton Square London EC1V 0HB
The e-mail address:[log in to unmask]
The web address: http://www.city.ac.uk/~cx639/index.htm (still incomplete!)
The postal communication address:
17 Elham House Pembury Estate Hackney London E5 8LT
______________________________________________________________________________
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