Search

Many undergraduate students attending UK universities have a chronic illness or disability. Support for disabled students has increased in recent years through government funding and university disability services. This research examined experiences of disabled undergraduate students in academic and extra-curricular areas of student life and experience of university disability support. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 undergraduate students. Thematic analysis identified four main themes: symptoms impacting on university life, academic issues, extra-curricular activities and experience of university support. Extensive and varied challenges were experienced in relation to all areas of student life. Some disabled students felt well supported but others felt much more support was needed. Some students had limited or no engagement in extra-curricular activities. Some progress appears to have been made in the last twenty years in supporting disabled undergraduate students but more support is needed. Disability support should be extended beyond academic work to include extra-curricular activities. Points of interest: Disabled undergraduate students at university in the UK experience significant challenges which affect their academic work, social activities, sports and career development activities. This research found that some disabled undergraduate students felt well supported by university disability support but others felt much more support was needed. Some disabled undergraduate students do not take part in any social activities, sports or career development activities. University disability support for academic work should be developed so that all disabled students feel well supported. University disability support should be increased to include support for social activities, sports and career development activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obtaining reasonable adjustment(s) (RAs) legally requires disabled people to disclose their impairment(s) to their employer, the provision of which can be crucial to them performing the essential duties of their job. Yet, employers report a key barrier to employing disabled people is their lack of willingness to disclose their impairment(s). This article examines the lived experiences of disabled people's employment endeavours identifying why this may be occurring. Disabled interviewees communicated that previous experiences with employers strongly influences their employment objectives, and willingness to disclose. The participants' shared ethnographic experiences of employment demonstrate that RAs can be the predominant factor in their remaining employed and that prior encounters with employers have made them aware that employers are often unwilling to approve the RAs necessary for them to seek employment, to obtain employment, to perform their duties, to fairly compete with co-workers, to preserve their health, and/or to maintain employment. Employers often claim they have few disabled employees because current employees will not disclose their impairment(s) and they face barriers to locating and hiring disabled people who want to work. Employers are often unknowledgeable about disability and don't make genuine efforts to employ disabled people. The research found that how disabled people are treated when asking an employer for reasonable adjustments impacts if they will request them in the future and influences their future employment goals. The research concludes that reasonable adjustments will remain a key barrier to disability employment if unknowledgeable employers remain those solely empowered to decide upon their provision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 disrupted all aspects of society, and student transitions to higher education were not protected from this impact. The pandemic extended health, economic, social, and educational inequalities across the UK, and we experienced considerable impact across the learning ecosystem. As we aim to support all learners into, through and beyond the university experience, it is essential to look at applicants’ intentions to study through this contextual lens, and to consider the impact of the pandemic and the cost of living crisis alongside other key learning and life experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The coronavirus pandemic, in particular the introduction of masks, presented a huge challenge for the UK's D/deaf community, many of whom rely on visual cues in lipreading and sign language. This particularly affected D/deaf healthcare professionals (HCPs), who faced significant communication challenges at work due to the lack of transparent masks or other reasonable adjustments. Aims To determine the impact that a lack of transparent masks and reasonable adjustments had on communication, confidence at work and well-being among D/deaf HCPs during the coronavirus pandemic. Methods A survey was sent to all members of the 'UK Deaf Healthcare Professionals Group' on Facebook, the 'Healthcare Professionals with Hearing Loss' listserver and promoted on Social Media. Results Eighty-three responses were received. Nine (11%) individuals had access to transparent masks. Over three-quarters of respondents reported feeling anxious and fearful of making a mistake due to communication difficulties. Fourteen (17%) were removed from clinical roles due to a lack of reasonable adjustments. One-third felt they would need to consider an alternative career if improvements were not made. Seventy-eight per cent felt the communication needs of D/deaf HCPs had not been met during the pandemic. Conclusions D/deaf HCPs felt left behind, isolated and frustrated by a lack of transparent masks and reasonable adjustments to meet their communication needs. Loss of experienced, qualified HCPs has a significant economic and workforce impact, particularly during a pandemic. Urgent action is needed to ensure D/deaf HCPs are provided with the workplace support required under the Equality Act (2010). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When it comes to the employment of the disabled, the first thing that comes to mind is the policies such as employing the disabled people in paid employment and the quota method used to facilitate this. However, in order for the quota system to function properly, the requirements of the quota system, the realization and supervision of the qualifications of the workplaces that will be included in the quota application are all critically important. Although the quota system is a common method, it alone is insufficient to solve the employment problem of the disabled. In fact, with the transition to the social model for the disabled, countries such as the USA and the UK have removed the mandatory quota applications and focused on other alternatives. In this context, disabled entrepreneurship shines out as a good alternative in the recent years in terms of employment of disabled people and increasing the disabled employment. In order for this method to be successful, first of all, advantageous and disadvantageous methods of entrepreneurship should be determined and policies that support entrepreneurship and designed according to the special needs of the disabled should be produced in line with the realities of the disabled. The main purpose of this study is to determine the advantages and disadvantages of disabled entrepreneurship in terms of disabled employment and disabled entrepreneurship as an alternative to the quota method in the perspective of the employment of the disabled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper responds to a range of theory and industry reporting, to provide an informed narrative which explores the current state of accessibility at UK festivals for people who are Deaf or disabled and the potential implications of developments in ICT for enhancing design, marketing, operations and performances across all phases of festival delivery, in order to improve inclusivity and accessibility. To this end, the paper addresses the following question: What do representatives of the UK live music industry perceive as barriers to accessibility and exemplars of current best practice for music festival attendees who are Deaf or disabled? What do representatives of the UK live music industry consider as the role of ICT to increase accessibility for music festival attendees who are Deaf or disabled? Design/methodology/approach: Primary research focused on supply-side considerations with a sample group of 10 UK live music industry professionals. The scope of the research was limited geographically to England and by artform to open-air music festivals, venues which host some music festival provision and a Sector Support Organisation. Open questions elucidated qualitative information around; awareness of accessibility and inclusivity initiatives; potential for co-creation; non-digital improvements; current technological influences; and potential digital futures for accessible "live" experiences. A conceptual framework was constructed and semi-structured face-to-face interviews were carried out with six respondents, and four respondents completed a structured, self-administered e-mail questionnaire. Findings: Findings include: ICT can facilitate enhanced dialogue with existing and potential audience members who are Deaf or disabled to both; reduce existing social exclusion (Duffy et al., 2019) and improve the visitor experience for all attendees. All respondents agreed that physical enhancements are important and some mentioned communications and customer care. Respondents reported increasingly ambitious usages of ICT at music festivals, which may support suggestions of a virtual experience trend (Robertson et al., 2015). Online ticketing systems have potential to grant equal functionality to people who are Deaf or disabled, as recommended by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (2015). Respondents broadly welcomed the potential for positive impacts of ICT on increasingly accessible live experiences at music festivals which retained a sense of authenticity and "liveness". Challenges around "as live" ICT-derived experiences were identified including risks of creating second-class experiences for Deaf and disabled attendees. Research limitations/implications: The limitations of this case study include the small sample size and limited scope. Practical implications: Promoters should: consider further developing the co-creation of accessibility initiatives, utilising ICT to both deliver improvements and engage with potential audience members who are Deaf or disabled. Seek to pro-actively recruit staff members who are Deaf or disabled and significantly increase their programming of performers who are Deaf or disabled. Consider reviewing their ticketing processes for music festivals, to identify accessibility challenges for audience members and implement appropriate ICT-based solutions. Consider maximising accessibility benefits for audience members who are Deaf or disabled from existing ICT provision on site and explore additional bespoke ICT solutions at music festivals. Social implications: Adopting the best practices described across the festival sector may improve inclusivity for disabled people at music festivals and other events. Event management educators should consider reviewing provision to ensure that best practice is embedded around accessibility for audience members who are Deaf or disabled. Additional public funding should be provided to drive ICT-derived improvements to accessibility for audience members who are Deaf or disabled at smaller-scale music festivals. Further research should be considered around inclusive approaches to digital experiences within a music festival environment for audience members who are Deaf or disabled and tensions between accessibility and notions of "liveness". Originality/value: The "snapshot" of digital aspects of accessibility at UK festivals within this research is of particular value due to paucity of other research in this area, and it's narrative from varied industry professionals. The paper makes recommendations to promoters, academics and public funders, to attempt to advance inclusion (or at least to mitigate current exclusion) and identify directions for future research into accessible digital experiences at music festivals for people who are Deaf or disabled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People in the early modern period had long been fascinated by 'monstrous births' as portents, prodigies and scientific marvels, but during the eighteenth century attention began to turn to the 'problem' of children growing up with physical or sensory impairments. During the second half of the century, against the backdrop of increasing professional interest in child health, the sentimentalisation of childhood and growing concerns about the costs of a dependent 'useless' population, 'imperfect' children became publicly visible as targets for medical, philanthropic and pedagogical intervention. Using newspapers, child rearing and medical texts, this article examines causes of, and responses to, childhood impairment. While impaired children were often viewed as a 'burden', growing confidence in methods for restoring them to 'utility' began to set apart children with impairments from other people with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disabled asylum seekers have been found to often experience extreme deprivation. Possible causes and solutions are explored, drawing on the experiences of disabled asylum seekers themselves as well as on a series of interviews with people working in the asylum and immigration sector. It is suggested that action is required to reduce immediate suffering, but that systemic change is needed to address the causes of this deprivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through the summer of 2012, two opposing sets of images dominated the British press. Welfare benefits reform met the Paralympics, the former casting disabled people as scroungers, the latter as superhumans. Seemingly independent yet intertwined, the images create a collective picture in the mind of what it is to be disabled. This collective imagining shapes and reinforces government policy on austerity cuts and benefits reform, with profound influence upon the everyday lives of disabled people. Caught between the two conflicting image sets, disabled people's real lives are rendered invisible, even as they feel the full force of the images. This visual inquiry examines how the dominance of such images might practically be contested by creating counter images which reveal a very different and more truthful imagining of what it might be to be disabled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2007, the 'Aiming High' programme set out to improve outcomes for children with disabilities in the UK. There continues to be a plethora of legislation, acts, guidance and changes in practice but is there any evidence of real change for children with a disability? This article aims to discuss whether the current Children and Families Bill will be the legislation that finally does make a significant difference and facilitate improved interagency working, quicker care plans and simplified and safe transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review the management of the (accessible) social housing stock as a means to achieve a cost effective solution to meeting the needs of an ageing population. The paper examines the costs and effectiveness of an accessible housing register (AHR) as the primary means social landlords have to utilise accessible housing stock efficiently. Design/methodology/approach – The paper examines the cost effectiveness of the most advanced AHR in the UK. The data for the study was collected in 2009 (costs/expenditure quoted relate to that year) and is derived from a combination of interrogating computerised allocation records and the collection of information on costs through interviews with local authority staff. Findings – The concept of an AHR can involve substantial set up costs. The financial analysis to assess their cost effectiveness proves complex but suggests that an efficient full register could be more than justified in these terms if it led to a reduction in costs, through the removal of the need for a relatively small number of adaptations in the first years of a tenancy. Originality/value – This is the first study that assesses the financial case for AHRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Forestry Faculty of Kastamonu University is the property of Kastamonu University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background The limitations of reliable and accessible UK national and local quantitative data on the prevalence of childhood disability and the characteristics and circumstances of disabled children and their households have been recognized for some time. This paper reports the findings from a study that scoped and quality-assessed existing quantitative UK national and regional data sets on disabled children and their families. Methods A comprehensive search of relevant data sources with information on disabled children was undertaken. Data sources were evaluated with reference to: disability definitions and questions; potential to generate nationally representative prevalence estimates of disabled children; study design; population coverage; sampling issues; social and demographic data; appropriateness for identifying childhood as opposed to adult disability. Results Thirty-seven data sources with information on childhood disability were identified, of which 30 met the inclusion criteria: nine cross-sectional surveys, nine longitudinal and panel studies, seven administrative data sets, four specific condition databases and one was another type. Definitions and questions varied across data sources. Long-standing illness and limiting long-standing illness were the most consistently used definitions. Repeated cross-sectional surveys were found to be most appropriate for estimating overall prevalence but, with the exception of the Population Census, sample sizes were too small to study prevalence and characteristics by some population sub-groups such, including age by year, minority ethnic status and socio-economic position. Few data sources included questions appropriate for identifying childhood as opposed to adult disability or collected information from disabled children themselves. Conclusions Our findings summarize the currently available quantitative data sources on childhood disability and highlight the limitations. We make recommendations for the future development of more robust childhood disability data and issues requiring further research. To assist policy makers and service providers to make use of current data sources we have produced a brief online guide based on our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The easy exchange of rich information between often geographically dispersed parties is an important precursor of successful tourism transactions. Internet-based technologies, in particular the World Wide Web, offer possibilities to both buyers and sellers to exchange information without the constraints of geography and time diminishing its richness. The disabled, representing a significant part of any marketplace, may, however, have difficulties accessing the content of the Web and therefore sharing the benefits of rich information exchange. This is the principal concern of ‘Web content accessibility’. Focusing on the tourism sector, in particular UK-based hotels, this paper examines the accessibility of their websites. However, recognising that it is not just access to information that is important for the disabled, but also the quality of that information, the paper also examines the extent to which the information contained on websites serves their particular needs. Utilising the accessibility testing software ‘Bobby’, disappointingly low levels of Web content accessibility were found amongst the sample of websites. Against a framework of information needs developed from criteria provided by disability organisations, the sample also revealed disappointingly low levels of specific (relevant) information for the disabled. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The changing British society with new commitments to educational inclusion for disabled people should mean increased individual freedom of choice and greater chance of participation. However, juggling this with the continuing emphasis on education for the economy brings the danger of new forms of social exclusion of those who do have different needs and require additional support to take advantage of opportunities and make informed decisions about their professional futures. This contradiction encourages the deteriorating academic and career-oriented foresight of special schools and the inclusion of all disabled students in mainstream education, without providing enough support to cater for the diversity and differentiation it generates. This paper adds to this debate by reporting on the work in progress of a project funded by the European Social Fund, concerning the educational experiences of a group of young disabled people still in full-time mainstream or special education. It presents some personal accounts of the young people's perceptions of how their educational environment influences their personal aspirations for future careers and post-school choices. This research strives to give a voice to young disabled people, informing policy concerned with young people, education and transitions to work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been much debate concerning the pros and cons of special and mainstream education for young people with a disability. This paper adds data to this debate by reporting the educational experiences of 20 high-achievers with congenital disabilities who live in the United Kingdom and were born between 1950 and 1970. It presents personal accounts of the high-achievers’ perceptions of how their education, which was either purely in special schools, in mainstream schools or a combination of both, had influenced their transition to adulthood. While those who attended special school considered it to provide a supportive environment that permitted the cultivation of their personalities without the constraints of non-disabled barriers, many others thought it prevented them as disabled children from interacting with non-disabled peers, thus inhibiting social integration between the disabled and non-disabled world. This was the main perceived advantage of mainstream education although problems of physical access meant that some choices were out of reach. The findings highlight how both special and mainstream education can be compatible with career success of individual disabled people. The paper implies that a combination of the two systems may be needed to facilitate disabled students to develop psychologically, socially and cognitively at the rate of their non-disabled peers, and proposes that link schools and partial integration could contribute to the achievement of such goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patient outcomes for hedgehog ( Erinaceus europaeus ) casualties are not limited to release versus euthanasia; some hedgehogs have conditions that do not preclude their ability to survive in captivity with human intervention. This research explored the welfare implications and ethical issues of keeping disabled hedgehogs in permanent captivity. Currently, there is very little in the literature and the subject is highly emotive and controversial. A questionnaire was used to assess welfare and these data contrasted with the normal behaviors, environment, and diet of free-living hedgehogs. The most convincing argument for keeping wild animals in captivity is species conservation; however, hedgehogs are not currently listed as endangered. Sixty-six datasets were obtained, representing 194 hedgehogs kept in permanent captivity. Results were mixed, i.e., many respondents providing suitable habitat features (for example, grass and soil 83.3% of respondents, shrubs and/or hedges 69.7% of respondents) observing "positive" behaviors such as foraging for natural foods (69.7% of respondents), and observing appropriate behavioral responses to humans; and some areas for concern, i.e., habitat size (22.7% of respondents reported habitats <10m 2 ), presence of badgers (only 48.5% of respondents reported no badgers in the area), evidence of aggressive behavior (22.7% of respondents had observed non-food-related aggression between hedgehogs) and seven hedgehogs having sustained bite wounds whilst in captivity. The authors are cautious about drawing any definitive conclusions from this research, though it would appear that some of the hedgehogs in the survey had welfare comparable to their free-living counterparts.