Higher Education and Disability

When I think about higher education and disability, I think about something the inspirational Professor Stephen Hawking once said. He advised people with disabilities to “concentrate on things your disability doesn’t prevent you doing well, and don’t regret the things it interferes with”. These are

The Open University aims to enable all our students, including those with disabilities or health conditions, to realise their ambitions and fulfil their potential through engaging in higher education. Our vision is to reach more people with life-changing learning that meets their needs. We are open

Contextualised admission is a hot topic in Scottish higher education at the moment: how can we ensure that university admissions processes take account not just of the qualifications potential student has acquired, but their background, their experience, their skills, and – perhaps most importantly

The proportion of new undergraduates with a declared disability at The Open University in Scotland rose from 14% in 2012/13 to 19% in 2016/17 and, for continuing undergraduates, from 17% in 2012/13 to 23% in 2016/17. That means that in 2016/17, 21% – one in five – of our now almost 16,000 students i

Perhaps one reason for the high proportion of students with disabilities studying at The Open University in Scotland is that we bring university to the student – rather than requiring them to go to university. That can be a challenge for lots of reasons, including for those with, for example, anxiet

Maybe another reason is that at the OU we have almost 50 years of experience of supporting students who have a lot going on in their lives: be that work, family or other caring responsibilities, disabilities or health conditions. Our associate lecturers and support teams are experienced in helping p

Our experience demonstrates that dreaming, believing and engaging in higher education can lead individuals to achieve remarkable outcomes. An outstanding example is Sheila, from Motherwell, who graduated last year. An accident at work means she now uses a wheelchair and she has experienced anxiety a

We know a lot of good work is happening across the sector – but none of us can afford to be complacent.  At The Open University across the UK we are committed to reducing the completion gap that currently exists between students with a disability and the whole student population.

Disability is a protected characteristic under equalities legislation, but I would argue that as higher education providers we have a moral obligation to ensure that anyone with the potential to benefit from higher education can do so. As a number of OU students prepare to compete for Scotland in th

Shona Littlejohn is Depute Director, Student Experience and Widening Access, at The Open University in Scotland.