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Disabled Students’ Commission welcomes John Blake

03 Mar 2022 | Advance HE New Director for Fair Access and Participation at OfS joins the DSC.

The Disabled Students’ Commission welcomes John Blake, new Director for Fair Access and Participation at the Office for Students (OfS) as its newest commissioner.

John’s role at OfS is to ensure universities and colleges are doing all they can to support learners from all backgrounds, especially the most disadvantaged, to access and succeed in higher education.

The Disabled Students’ Commission (DSC) is an independent and strategic group set up to advise, inform and influence higher education providers and sector bodies in England to improve support for disabled students.

Chair of the Commission, Geoff Layer, said, “The DSC is delighted to welcome John Blake as its newest commissioner.

“John brings excellent experience and a different perspective into the Commission and we know how committed he is to this agenda, not only as a commissioner, but within his role as Director of Fair Access and Participation.

“We look forward to working with him in transforming the disabled student journey through higher education.”

Ensuring all students get the education they deserve is at the heart of the fair access and participation brief, and central to the OfS’s role.

"We know that disabled students too often feel left out of discussions around access, and that they are asked to accept a more difficult path through higher education. This is an outcome that we must absolutely reject.

"The Commission’s work in both listening to and supporting disabled students to move through university with success and dignity is an enormous responsibility, and one which I delighted to be part of.

"The Commission has already achieved excellent progress in making higher education more accessible to those with disabilities, as well as ensuring that their voices are magnified within the community. It is a privilege to have been appointed, and I am excited to get to work."

John Blake, Director for Fair Access and Participation at the Office for Students

The DSC will continue its momentum in 2022 looking at all stages of the student lifecycle up to supporting disabled graduates into employment. The Commission will conduct a deep-dive into the perceived Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) stages and process in respect of access to higher education for disabled students and work in partnership on projects with QAA and UCAS, among others. There are also speaking opportunities at various conferences and events throughout the year including the Advance HE EDI Conference, 16-17 March.

Advance HE has responsibility for providing secretariat support, as well as overseeing the management, coordination and dissemination of research and other DSC outcomes. 

Find out more about John Blake and the Disabled Students’ Commission

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