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Bulletin

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Issue 5, October 2003

News from the partnerships & projects

The following items offer brief details of activity and requests for support from some of the Strand two HEFCE/DELNI funded disability projects currently being delivered by HEIs

The National Centre for Tactile Diagrams (NCTD) provides training and consultancy services for HEI staff, and produces tactile graphics to help universities support their blind and visually impaired students, funded by HEFCE/DELNI.

As part of this project we are sending “Tactile Graphics Handbooks” to all disability offices and LTSN Centres, including sample tactile graphics showing what can be achieved in tactile form, and good practice guidelines for how to use them with students.

We are also researching the feasibility of the production of a set of core tactile graphics for Psychology, and would welcome involvement from blind Psychology students, lecturers and disability officers.

For more information please contact: The National Centre for Tactile Diagrams, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, Herts, AL10 9AB. Tel: 01707 286 348 Email: Web:

University of Hull - Professional Education and Disability Support

The PEdDS Project (Professional Education and Disability Support Project) is exploring the barriers and opportunities for disabled students undertaking placements as part of their professional training.

Consultations are underway with key stakeholders in social work education - Students, Practice Teachers, Placement Coordinators and Disability Support staff to find out what barriers and opportunities exist and also to inform the development of a Best Practice Guide.

Further information about the project can be found on the project website or contact the project manager

Loughborough University – DART(Disabilities: Academic Resource Tool) Project

Focusing on engineering and the built environment, the primary objective of this project is to develop a web-based Awareness – Audit – Action – Assurance (4A) diagnostic tool for use at various levels within Institutions, to address the quality of provision offered to students with disabilities.

For further information, or to express an interest in becoming involved in this project, please contact: Alan Maddocks (Project Manager), email: or visit the project website at

University of Durham – Accessibility in Learning Environments

The ALERT project (Accessibility in Learning Environments and Related Technologies) based within the Learning Technologies Team of the IT Service of the University of Durham aims to improve the accessibility of online learning in specific subject areas. In particular, the project will identify methods of supporting disabled students to enable them to achieve the pedagogical objectives of their modules through the use of an online learning environment (the Blackboard driven Durham University Online (duo).

For more information please visit the website - or contact Dr Barbara Newland, Project Manager -

University College Worcester – Development of an Inclusivity Toolkit

During July and August, staff at University College Worcester working in conjunction with the QAA on their Benchmarking project, have been producing an Inclusivity Toolkit.

The web-based Toolkit is aimed at academic staff all over the UK, and offers strategies for developing an inclusive curriculum.

Feedback on the pilot is currently being sought and in October, the team will present the Toolkit to the English LTSN Subject Centre and seek their views.

For more information please visit the project website or contact Helen Carlisle (Project Manager), , 01905 855527

Staffordshire University - Laboratory and Practice Based Learning in Sport, Health & Exercise Sciences

Staffordshire University is seeking to involve disabled students in a project about supporting laboratory and practice based learning in Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences.

If you think you know students who might be interested in participating and would like a student invitation pack(s), or you would like further information on the project please contact: Laura Morgan, Project Worker, School of Health, Staffordshire University, Blackheath Lane, Stafford, ST18 0AD. Tel: 01785 353651 Fax: 01785 353673 email:

University of Plymouth -The SPACE project

The Space (Staff-Student Partnership for Assessment, Change and Evaluation) based in Disability Assist Services at the University of Plymouth, is currently developing an inclusive approach to assessment through the development of an alternative assessment toolkit.

Alternative assessment methods are being drawn from the contrasting assessment cultures of the seven different discipline areas of the Arts, Business, Education, Humanities, Human Science, Science and Technology.

The Project Team welcome any comments and expressions of interest and can be contacted through the Project Coordinator, Melanie Parker on 01752 232284 or at

Aimhigher: P4P launched in the West Midlands

On Friday 4 July 120 delegates attended the launch of Aimhigher: Aimhigher: P4P Wolverhampton Science Park. It provided an opportunity to hear important messages in keynote speeches.

The foreword to the booklet ‘Aimhigher: P4P West Midlands’ given to delegates states that ‘The P4P plan seeks to mobilise and manage a wide range of creative energy and experience in order to shift the culture of disaffection, develop the learning society and raise regional aspiration around progression to higher education.’ Whilst concerns, were voiced about the challenges and uncertainties that lie ahead, considerable evidence of the ‘creative energy’ and the ‘experience’ of practitioners in the region was demonstrated through their general enthusiasm for current developments in the region and expressed in the informal networking as well as the more formal discussions taking place in the workshops and plenary sessions.

The morning workshops focussed on the details of the West Midlands’ six sub regional plans whilst the afternoon sessions featured a number of themes relevant to the seven regional priorities.

Copies of speakers’ presentations, workshop handouts etc are available from Kathleen Rose,

Aimhigher: P4P North West

Induction Day, 25th September 2003, Lancaster University

The North West region held a very useful Induction Day for Aimhigher: P4P, chaired by Rhiannon Evans of Edge Hill College of HE. Prof. Geoff Layer gave an overview of the national background to P4P, after which the sub-regional leads presented a brief résumé of their sub-regional plans and Keith Percy of Lancaster University gave a synopsis of the Summer Schools provision for the North West.

Afternoon workshops discussed work based learning, progression routes, commissioning projects and accessing the voluntary and community sector.

The session concluded with a plenary and thoughts on future developments in the light of Aimhigher Integration.

Policy news

The initial action/implementation plan for the integration of Aimhigher and Aimhigher: P4P has now been published.

The National Partnership Board will meet for the first time on 1 October and will provide a steer to the joint HEFCE/LSC/DfES Transition Task Group on the proposals for the unified Aimhigher programme. Following this meeting, in October, an update on the progress of the implementation will be issued, as well as further details regarding the November workshops for planners from both initiatives and the membership of the regional and sub-regional, groups.

Team News

The website, produced jointly between Action on Access and the National Disability Team is available at:

The site contains:

  • useful lists of regional contacts
  • the monthly electronic bulletins
  • a downloadable version of our joint newsletter (available from September)
  • links useful to practitioners in the fields of disability and widening participation.

Please email any comments and suggestions to

The first edition of Inclusion, the newsletter produced jointly between Action on Access and the National Disability Team should be available later this month. If you were on either of the teams previous mailing lists for newsletters, or have already emailed a request, you will receive a copy by post.

The first issue will include articles on:

  • Work-Based Learning
  • Evaluation
  • Aimhigher
  • Skills for Access
  • Disability Discrimination Act – one year on
  • The role and remit of the teams and their strategic alliance

The newsletter will also be available to download from the website at:

NDT re-launch website

The NDT website is due to be re-launched at the beginning of October. The team have been working with an external web design company to reformulate the site. Features will include a frequently asked questions section, integration of the resources database with the HEFCE mapping exercise database and an online chat facility for staff involved in the HEFCE/DELNI funded programme 2003-2005 Improving provision for disabled students. Further announcements regarding the website launch will also be made via this joint monthly electronic bulletin and the joint website

Events

The 'Confitea plus 6' Bangkok conference September 2003

In 1997 Unesco convened in Hamburg its Fifth International Conference on Adult Education. This conference was preceded by four earlier Unesco World Conferences (Elsinore 1949 Montreal 1960, Tokyo 1972, Paris 1985)

This month a 'plus six' mid-term review of progress since 1997 took place in Bangkok, six years on.

The idea of the mid-term review was not only to monitor and evaluate but also to prepare for a new benchmark and to push for progress, looking forward to the 6th International Conference around 2009.

There was a strong UK contingent, dominated by several NIACE participants (NIACE is the adult learning partner within the AoA team) and their voice was well heard. of The view from the midterm review was that there has been serious backsliding since 1997 and a remarginalisation of adult learning in favour of earlier and formal education.

While the Bangkok conference focus naturally tended to be on basic education, literacy and skills, the new ageing demography was a widely voiced concern. Yet the tendency of Governments to make a one-eyed choice between youth and adult education was widespread. The robustly criticized 18/30 higher education policy priority of our own Government, and its replication for example in the rules and silences now promised for OFFA, means that we, sadly, are not alone. Sadly, but on the other hand, international voices will also be addressing this kind of myopia which appears to be a global disease.

Further and Higher Education: Today's Issues

Tuesday 7 October 2003, 9am - 4:45pm

Murrayfield Stadium Conference Centre, Edinburgh

A conference organised by Thorntons WS in association with the Times Higher Education Supplement

Keynote speaker: Deputy First Minister Jim Wallace, MSP, Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning

Conference themes

  • The student as the consumer
  • Independent review of student complaints
  • The employment law minefield
  • Undertaking capital projects
  • The shape of FE to come
  • The Disability Discrimination Act

To register your place email your details to for more information contact

Thinking and Planning Tertiary

13 October, Tower Thistle Hotel, London

For further information please contact Gurjit Kaur on 0116 204 2833 or see

Readers of the Bulletin may wish to direct their students to the following event(s):

GRADES (Gender, Religion, Age, Disability, Ethnicity, Sexuality) – The Graduate Diversity Fair

Wednesday 22 October – 10.30 – 4.00pm
Riley Smith Hall, University of Leeds, LS1 1UH

Friday 7 November – 10.30 – 4.00pm
The Camden Centre, Judd Street, London, WC1H 9JE

Wednesday 12 November – 10.30 – 4.00pm
The Great Hall, University of Birmingham, B15 3SZ

These events are relevant to final year students or recent graduates. Students can register at:

Work-Based Learning in Aimhigher: P4P

Action on Access, in conjunction with the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), is planning three cross-regional events in November 2003 on Work-Based Learning (WBL) in Aimhigher: Partnerships for Progression (Aimhigher: P4P).

  • 6 November in Bradford, Hilton International Hotel.
  • 19 November in London, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, 27 Sussex Place, London, NW1 4RG
  • 26 November, Bishops Hull House in Taunton

Further details and booking form are available at:

Design for Diversity, 6 November, Derby

Email to get onto the mailing list for further details or call Jeanne Booth on 0115 9110071 (m. 07939 405507).

Student Success: What works?

The Action on Access annual national conference will take place on Wednesday 17 December at Brittania Street Conference Centre, NATFHE, London. Further details and booking form will shortly be available at:

Publications

Journal of Access, Policy and Practice, editor Mary Stuart, NIACE, 1st edition due October 2003

Auxiliary aids and services in higher education – guidance notes

The Scottish Disability Team have recently published guidance notes relating to the provision of auxiliary aids and services in higher education. The guidance notes have been devised to assist HEIs meet their new duties under Part 4 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. The notes offer case study examples of practice to help institutions understand and manage their obligations to make reasonable adjustments in relation to the provision of auxiliary aids and services.

For further information please email

Requests for information

Call for contributions to research activity

The National Disability Team (NDT), in conjunction with Skill: National Bureau for Students with Disabilities has been asked to undertake a scoping study on behalf of the HEFCE and LSC. The research will investigate the progression of disabled students and will involve a literature study of existing resources and studies of outreach, aspiration raising and transition of disabled students from FE to HE.

The study aims to:

  • identify existing provision, resources and studies relating to issues concerned with outreach, aspiration raising and transition.
  • collate major lessons related to disabled people in the context of current policy and practice
  • make recommendations to the funding councils to inform future policy

The NDT request relevant information, including any research, reports and examples of practice that would support this work. The first stage of the research, focussed on outreach and aspiration raising, will be completed by the end of October 2003. Therefore any immediate support that you can provide on these issues would be particularly welcomed.

The overall outcome will be a report to the HEFCE and the LSC in February 2004 that will be published.

Please can you forward information electronically to Jaki Lilly () using ‘Disability scoping study’ as the subject heading or by post to Dr Jaki Lilly, University Centre for Learning and Teaching (UCLT), Room 317 Sawyers Building, APU Rivermead Campus, Bishop Hall Lane, Chelmsford, CM1 1SQ.

BULLETIN – if you have received this indirectly and would like to be added to our mailing list, please email with the subject line “Bulletin mailing”

INCLUSION – Action on Access and the National Disability Team will be producing a twice-yearly newsletter – Inclusion. If you were on the mailing list for update on INCLUSION or the NDT Newsletter then you will automatically receive the new joint publication. To be added to the mailing list please email with the subject line “Inclusion mailing”