The Disabled Student Commitment’s (DSC) open event on 27 May convened senior leaders responsible for supporting disabled students to hear directly from the regulator and DSC member institutions about the emerging Statement of Expectations (SoE) on disability and mental health. The event explored how the DSC can act as a blueprint for responding to the SoE, and together we celebrated the 41 higher education providers (HEPs) that had signed up at the time of the event and are taking action.
One month on from the event, we explore the reflections shared and map out where further clarity might be needed as the SoE begins to take shape.
Scope of the Statement of Expectations
A prominent theme was the interaction between the SoE, the DSC and other relevant charters, as well as the scope of the expectations in relation to mental health, suicide prevention and neurodivergence. Attendees expressed concern around:
- the intersection of the SoE with regulatory requirements and legislation, where an additional framework could further complicate rather than clarify expectations and,
- aligning this work with the cadence of activity related to the approval of Access and Participation Plans.
Despite these concerns, the SoE is being seen as a refreshed opportunity to better join up disability and mental health support. Current approaches are often fragmented across disability services, mental health provision and academic processes, leading to inefficiency and an inconsistent student experience. The sector will be looking for reassurance that the SoE will not dilute institutional focus further but instead bring these areas together under a more effective, whole-institution approach.
Clarification of roles and responsibilities will be vital, particularly where disability and mental health support converge through inclusive and anticipatory design but may still require distinct responses. Without sufficient guidance and training, differences in interpretation and implementation of the SoE could risk reinforcing the very inconsistency and fragmentation it is intended to address.
Sector diversity and contextual backdrop
The diversity and wider context of the higher education sector was also a recurring consideration, shaping institutions’ ability to fully engage with the ongoing SoE consultation process and its implementation. This included:
- the differing delivery models and resourcing contexts of small and specialist providers compared to larger HEPs
- the unique challenges of supporting disabled students on clinical programmes, placements and professional or regulated courses
- proposed reforms to assistive software funding, which may impact the introduction, feasibility and pace of the SoE, particularly in terms of institutional responsibility for and capacity to provide specialist support
Looking ahead: from SoE to impact
The emerging SoE is viewed as a positive step, embedding sector-wide intent to address longstanding barriers faced by disabled students. However, some attendees questioned whether HEPs will meaningfully engage without more formal regulation, as well as be willing to try new and innovative approaches. There is a risk of HEPs working towards a minimum baseline rather than seeking enhancement above the baseline.
Evaluation activity that captures the full picture will be central to understanding impact and engagement. We know that focusing on outcomes alone can mask the extent of the challenges facing disabled students, whose experiences of higher education remain disproportionately poorer than those of non-disabled peers.
Greater clarity around monitoring success of the SoE, whether through complaints data or other student data, will be welcomed. This will help to ensure that the standards HEPs strive to meet are evidence-informed, consistently applied in practice, thus driving continuous improvement across the sector, including for different groups of disabled students.
Publications of DSC action plans
Finally, the event welcomed the opportunity to hear from our three member institutions who have published their DSC action plans, London South Bank University, the University of Greenwich and the University of Brighton.
These HEPs spoke of their success in making disability inclusion a shared institutional responsibility that is referenced within wider, institutional strategy. In particular, the mapping of institution-wide activity in meaningful collaboration with their disabled students has ensured that the structures in place can be readily aligned to meeting the principles of the SoE when it is published.
Driving meaningful progress
The DSC open event captured the sector’s appetite and excitement to drive meaningful progress in supporting disabled students, particularly through a more joined-up approach to disability inclusion and mental health. As the SoE develops through its consultation process, there is a clear opportunity to strengthen and align the good practice already taking place and embedding this within institutional strategy. The Disabled Student Commitment stands ready as a framework that can support and catalyse this process.