University of Salford have released detailsabout how and why they are changing their approach to accessible course
delivery. ALL students will now have access to PowerPoint slides before
lectures, fair warning of timetable changes and preparation time for class
discussion. No more Individual Support Plans.
Every university is being challenged in the
name of DSA modernisation which aims to rebalance the responsibilities and the
costs of inclusive and accessible higher education.
In the frequently asked questions, the
University states that DSA is being removed for students with specific learning
difficulties; that is not the case (at least not if we assume the information
in the public domain is correct). The Equality Analysis states that those with
mild dyslexia are deemed to be outside the scope of DSA funded support, those
with moderate to severe levels of specific learning difficulty will be able to
claim DSA. Furthermore, in a clause added in December 14 the “impact of the
learning environment” has been added as a factor in “complexity’ thus providing
an argument for ‘mild’ dyslexia being ‘moderate to severe’ in a complex
learning environment.
