Disclosure
Placement considerations and adjustments
Disabled student online guides
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Placement responsibilities
Under the Act, it is still the responsibility of the institution providing the qualification to ensure the work placements are fully accessible and non discriminatory towards the disabled students they are sending to them. The institution or ‘responsible body’ is under obligation to ensure that any reported discrimination does not continue or reoccur once brought to their attention.
It is also an obligation under the QAA Code of Practice that disabled students have access to academic and vocational placements at the appropriate point in their course. They have to ensure that the specific learning opportunities and available to all students including disabled ones where they are a formal requirement of the programme.
(An audit and guidance tool for accessible practice within the framework of teaching the learning, SWANDS, 1992 – 2002)
Disclosure
Currently for nursing programmes, it is up to the student to disclose their disability to placement area as it is not done by the university as a matter of course. Faculty Student Advisors encourage them to but they would only pass on the information to Placement Learning Unit (PLU) staff so that they can use it accordingly when allocating the student to a particular placement. This might be different for other disciplines such as Social Work. When a Placement Allocation Officer becomes aware of the placement requirements of a students with a particular disability. Their aim is to identify a suitable placement as early as possible. It is up to the student to ensure that their placement mentor and/or Practice Educators has as much relevant information as appropriate.
The Faculty operates a supportive culture of disclosure for the students to help them understand that if they declared a disability them the necessary adjustments could be made that would help and not hinder their studies. If the student indicates a disability before they start on the course, depending on the nature and severity of the impairment, they might be invited into an Assess Panel meeting which includes members of PLU staff to discuss their placement needs.
It is usually helpful of the student meets with their mentor ahead of placement to discuss teaching and learning needs / Identify and overcome possible barriers. The mentor will then be able to to provide key materials in advance where appropriate
(An audit and guidance tool for accessible practice within the framework of teaching the learning, SWANDS, 1992 – 2002)
Placement considerations and adjustments
Before sending a student with an impairment onto placement, a staff member will consider, ideally alongside students themselves, the differences between the new context and environment and the more usual, and often more structured, context of study. Sometimes, the use of equipment, arrangements or personal assistance could, with a little planning, transfer to a different context.
It is often the case that many students do not know what adjustments they will need when on placement as they have never been in that environment and each one differs. All requirements would have to be discussed the appropriate staff.
Software supportive to dyslexic students could be used in a workplace to enable a student to produce written work of a satisfactory standard. It will sometimes be necessary to identify additional items of equipment for specific purposes.
Some equipment or educational support may not be so easily transferable. Taping lectures may be acceptable in a way that taping interviews with clients in a setting requiring confidentiality may not be. Some non medical, personal help, such as communication support for lectures, could be regarded as obtrusive in some one to one work involving clients.
Travel, physical access and length of working day may be relevant considerations for students who have impairments affecting mobility or stamina. For some students, the option of carrying out a placement or over a longer period, or on a part-time basis could be helpful, and reflection on the large numbers of people in employment who, for many different reasons, work part-time, might recommend this option.
Students with impairments are positive assets on courses, where a reminder of the diversity of human experience is important. It can be instructive to be reminded of substantial gains for all students from organising placements in such a way that students with impairments are safely included, and not to think exclusively about problems.
(adapted from Teachability Project - University of Strathclyde 2000 – 2005)
With Health and Social Care programmes, careful consideration needs to be given to exactly what adjustments can be made in order not to undermine academic standards but still provide flexibility and accessibility.
(An audit and guidance tool for accessible practice within the framework of teaching the learning, SWANDS, 1992 – 2002)
Disabled student online guides
A useful link to help understand the issues surrounding dyslexia when on placement is available.
A really useful Best Practise Guide has been published by the University of Hull which focuses on the disables social work students on placement but had relevant information for all HSC disciplines.
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