1. Transitions into HE for young people with vision impairment
Rachel Hewett
VICTAR, University of Birmingham
Sue Keil, RNIB
Zayed University Study Tour – 26TH May 2016

2. RNIB Evidence and Service Impact
Researchers and professionals in education, health and social care
Evidence base to inform and influence professional practice, national and local policy and provision of statutory services
Information and resources
3 age phases: children and young people (CYPF), working age, and older people
CYPF team – early development, statutory education, transition to FE, HE and employment

3. Visual Impairment Centre for Teaching and Research (VICTAR)
Department of Disability, Inclusion and Special Needs, School of Education, UoB
Two research & teaching centres
VICTAR
ACER (Autism Centre for Education and Research)
Largest UK provider of Mandatory Qualification for Teachers of Children with Visual Impairment
Masters/PhD students

4. VICTAR: Staff

5. Background to the project
Five-year longitudinal study
Phase one funded by RNIB
Phase two funded by Nuffield Foundation
Phase three funded by Thomas Pocklington Trust
Tracking the experience of over 80 young people with vision impairment through post-14 transition through to the labour market

6. Background to the project
INDEPENDENT LIVING
ENABLERS
LABOUR MARKET – EMPLOYMENT VS NEET
COMPULSORY EDUCATION
????
FULFILLING POTENTIAL
BARRIERS

7. Theoretical Framework: Bioecological model of development

8. Ecological Transitions

9. Population of young people with vision impairment
0.2% (2 per 1,000) have vision impairment
0.05% (5 per 10,000) are blind
UK estimate 17-25: 15,000
3,780 of whom are blind
England estimate 17-25: 12,645
3,160 of whom are blind

10. Range of needs Diverse population:
About 50% have no other disabilities
About 20% have an additional need or needs
About 30% have severe and complex disabilities
About 5% use braille
LISEND: low incidence, high impact

11. Education of YP with VI in UK
Most children and young people with vision impairment are educated in mainstream provision
around 60% at secondary school age
Most of the remainder are in special schools for pupils with learning, physical or other types of disability
Around 36% at secondary school age
Minority in specialist schools for pupils with vision impairment
fewer than 4% at secondary school age

12. Specialist support While at school, support is provided by:
Qualified Teacher of VI
Mobility/Habilitation Officer
Teaching Assistant (TA)
Most QTVIs and mobility officers employed by local government education VI service
Most TAs are employed by schools
Only a few VI services support students in FE
VI services not involved in HE

13. Additional curriculum
Role of specialists is to deliver the ‘additional curriculum’:
Independent living skills
Mobility
Access to literacy - braille, magnifiers, assistive technology
Social skills training - social interaction, self advocacy skills
Academic curriculum often takes priority over delivery of the additional curriculum

14. Longitudinal Study
82 participants recruited through local authority sensory support services. At the time they were aged Now they are aged
We have collected data on their experiences twice a year
Themes explored include: details of their vision impairment; educational experiences; access to exams; accessing information; use of technology; independence skills; self-advocacy skills; disability related benefits

15. Participants

16. Participants continued

17. Findings YP aged between 13 and 17
Majority enjoyed their studies, achieved national average at GCSE
Positive views about their transition and the support they receive
Embraced being able to study more independently
Broadly optimistic about their future plans (which for over half involved going to university).

18. Experiences and choices of transitionHE
50%
GCSEs FE
90%
10%
40%
LABOUR MARKET

19. Experiences and choices of transitionHE
50%
GCSEs
100% FE
90%
10%
40%
50%
GAP YEARS
LABOUR MARKET / NEET

20. What levels of independence and preparation?
MAINSTREAM TECHNOLOGY
ACCESS TO INFORMATION
INDEPENDENCE/ PREPARATION
SELF ADVOCACY
KNOWLEDGE/
UNDERSTANDING OF VI
INDEPENDENT LIVING

21. Experiences of transitioning into Higher Education: Data collected
Interviews > participants who transitioned into HE at key time points
Initial application
Application for Disabled Student Allowance
Initial transition
End of first year
Case study work with 6 participants & key people providing support
Family
Disability Support Officers
Welfare tutors

22. HE: Research Questions
1. To what extent does HE in the UK currently offer an inclusive learning experience for students with VI?
2. How well equipped are HE providers in the UK at present to develop their teaching and learning to enable a more inclusive experience for students with VI?
3. Are students with VI entering HE equipped with the necessary skills to embrace such changes?

23. Bioecological Model for HE

24. MACROSYSTEM
POLICIES
SOCIETAL PERCEPTIONS
FUNDING

25. MACROSYSTEM: Policies
Equality Act (2010)
Designed to protect disabled people from unfair treatment and to create a more equal society
Reasonable adjustments – e.g. written materials in accessible format
Anticipatory duty – must anticipate what adjustments a disabled person may require
Under the Equality Act (2010) all education providers are required to ensure that disabled people's access requirements are met. Ideally, the person to contact should be named in their literature or on their website. You should speak to this person and find out what support you can expect. Also under the Equality Act colleges and Higher Education institutions are required to provide publicity and all other materials in a range of accessible formats (large print, Braille, etc). These institutions have an 'anticipatory' duty under the legislation and they should be able to provide materials in an appropriate format without difficulty. The student should find out what the college or university provides in terms of other facilities such as computers with screen reading and/or magnification software. The environment should also be accessible and the student should be able to get around safely. 

26. MACROSYSTEM: Funding Disabled Students Allowance (DSA)
Allowances towards the extra course costs students can face as a direct result of their disabilities
Items of specialist equipment – screen readers, computer magnification software, braille note takers.
Non-medical helper's (NMH)allowance – library support or the use of a reader during examinations.
General allowance – enlarged examination papers, course materials.
Travel costs - for additional travel costs related to the disability
Changes to DSA – HEIs to provide much of the NMH currently funded under DSA

27. MACROSYSTEM: Societal perceptions
British Social Attitudes Survey 2009: ‘benevolent prejudice’
Life Opportunities Survey 2010: disabled respondents - barriers to participation in education and employment reasons related to “health condition, disability or impairment” also lack of accessible information and attitudes of others
RNIB ‘My Voice’ survey 2015: public attitudes and awareness towards sight loss is poor
British Social Attitudes survey shows mix of medical and social model explanations for disabled people’s lack of participation – both from disabled and non disabled people

28. MACROSYSTEM: FINDINGS
Equality Act
25% of participants unaware of Equality Act
Positive: examples of reasonable adjustments which help young people – e.g. lecture material in advance
“In practice, probably not all that well, on paper, fairly good. I think the thing is, it’s the problem with the Equality Act in general isn’t it, reasonable adjustments is a bit of a loose term, and is very subjective. So they have probably done everything that they possibly could to do what they think is a reasonable adjustment.”

29. MACROSYSTEM: FINDINGS
Policies
“…it’s based on the medical model of disability, rather than the social model of disability as well, so for some students that’s a struggle as well, they don’t want to be providing evidence and all that sort of stuff, but you have to do it to get the support that you require.”
Proposed changes to DSA in keeping with social model of disability
Societal attitudes
Perceptions of disability support officers, lecturers and other students impacting on YP

30. MACROSYSTEM
EXOSYSTEM
FUNDING
INCLUSIONPOLICIES

31. EXOSYSTEM Approaches to inclusion
Positive: Advice widely circulated on making reasonable adjustments
Negative: Limited staff resource to support inclusion policies
“You talk to most staff and they would say ‘yeah, yeah, of course we want to support’, but they are busy, and they don’t like to be told that they have to do a lot of extra work” (Welfare tutor, elite-institution)

32. EXOSYSTEM Moving towards more inclusive practices
Inclusion needs to be at the core
“I think it would be the Pro-Vice Chancellor setting up a team of people, to ensure that the university is fully accessible to anybody, whatever their disability…Everything that is done, is done with accessibility in mind.” (DS officer, Pre-1992 university)

33. MACROSYSTEM EXOSYSTEM MICROSYSTEM DEPT. & LECTURES SUPPORT STAFF DSA
PEERS
CURRICULUM & ASSESSMENT
DSO
UCAS
SUPPLIERS
INFRASTRUCTURE

34. MICRO AND MESOSYSTEM Application process
Positive: young people using assistive technology to complete application forms
Negative: accessibility challenges for blind applicants
“It’s not a very accessible. All the forms and stuff we get sent out in print. That was a bit frustrating. We didn’t get copies of anything, and I wasn’t able to fill it out myself, so I had to have someone else do it for me or with me, so that was frustrating…” (Blind, Screen-reader user)

35. MICRO AND MESOSYSTEM Disabled Student Allowance
Positive: valued by young people – many said couldn’t complete courses without it.
Negative:
Limitations on funding and unreliable equipment
“It had ups and downs. Most of the downs, you could link very directly to technical issues I had, laptop failure… I had technical issues in all three terms. The first term it was concerning and worrying. The second time it was ‘oh no, not again’, but I think the second term was the more problematic one as it left me with days where I didn’t have a laptop…” (Braille and screen-reader user)

36. MICRO AND MESOSYSTEM External agencies
Positive: agency and HE provider working together to identify suitable support assistant
Positive: forward planning – e.g. mobility support arranged far in advance
“…I learned how to get to uni, how to get around uni, how to get into town, how to get to Sainsbury’s, a few places in the first week. So that was, I am glad I am did that, because it meant that when everyone else arrived I was able to move around, and I think the worst thing you can do is leave it and not get training until after everyone arrives, because otherwise it relies on other people.” (Guide Dog and long cane user)
Negative: not receiving equipment in time
Negative: mobility support not arranged until too late

37. MICRO AND MESOSYSTEM Disability Support Office
Positive: taking initiative and making early contact
Negative: limited understanding of VI
“Terribly, terribly. I think the reason why they had so much trouble providing things for me is because they didn’t understand my visual impairment in the first place.” (Partially Sighted, Pre-1992 institution) 

38. MICRO AND MESOSYSTEM Implementation of support plans
Positive: many cases covered by standard institution reasonable adjustments
Negative: lack of training to facilitate
Negative: tensions between disability support staff and lecturers
“The inclusion plan would make reference to [participant’s] condition, and it would say that these are the reasonable adjustments that staff must make, but they largely related to provision of materials, so there wasn’t like a guidance on, because it’s quite visual, so there wasn’t any guidance on how to rethink your lectures. Pedagogically it’s quite a big thing to rethink that.” (Lecturer, Post-1992 university)

39. MICRO AND MESOSYSTEM Accessible curriculum and assessment
Positive: describing diagrams in lectures, writing descriptions of visual content on lecture notes and demonstrating equipment in one-to-one sessions > anticipatory adjustments
“No, it makes a big difference as well, because it makes you feel more included in what’s going on, but it makes you feel more sort of welcome, and gives me more of an incentive to… bother I guess” (Blind, Post-1992 institution)
Negative: not having lecture material in accessible formats; no adjustments to visual elements; and fast paced lectures, inaccessible exams. Overcoming inaccessible curriculum through compensations e.g. extensions

40. MICRO AND MESOSYSTEM Infrastructure
Positive: students facilitated by standard methods of curriculum delivery – e.g. lecture notes in advance of lectures, accessible e-libraries
“It just meant that I could… when we were sat in the lecture if I couldn’t get close to the front, I didn’t have to be sat close to the front, I could sit wherever I liked and could keep up with what was being said. That was quite beneficial […] A lot of people took laptops to lectures as well, so it wasn’t like in school where you are the only one, it’s just normal at uni” (Partially Sighted, Post-1992 institution).
Negative: inaccessible virtual learning environments

41. MACROSYSTEM
LEARNER
EXOSYSTEM
MICROSYSTEM

42. THE LEARNER Preparation for HE > limited specialist guidance
Need for mutual accommodation > learning together
First year time for growth
“I was much happier because I knew my way around better, and myself and my library assistant had a routine going for getting books done on time, and getting things managed in that way. I think as well, I understood what I needed a lot better. So at the beginning of the year I met with all my new tutors and went to talk to them about what I needed and stuff like that” (Blind, Post-1992 institution)

43. THE LEARNER Mutual accommodations Self advocacy
“I am not a specialist with visual impairment at all, so my knowledge and understanding of what she needs is very limiting. From a general point of view as a disability advisor, I could also do what’s needed, but she was able to tell us exactly what, so it was very good.” (DS officer, Pre-1992 institution)
Independent access to information
Mobility skills
Independent living skills

44. CONCLUSIONS
Do UK HE Institutions offer an inclusive learning experience?
Three principles: participation, achievement, value (Anderson, 2014)
Participation: lack of anticipatory adjustments – e.g. VLE not accessible, not providing reading lists and timetables in sufficient time
Achievement: participants completing courses, however sometimes taking longer, or disappointed with final grades.
Value: Positive: majority treated in same way as peers. Negative: staff ‘scared’ of support students with VI, staff restricted by resources allocated, sometimes felt unvalued by peers

45. CONCLUSIONS
How prepared are HE institutions for developing an inclusive learning experience?
Institution reasonable adjustment policies covered basic adjustments required by many participants
Lack of specialist knowledge of how to make accommodations for students with VI
Some participants felt that the DS officers struggled to understand the restrictions caused by their VI.
Support plans provide only basic guidance on the adjustments which lecturers are expected to make to enable participation.
Limited resources restrict lecturers in making accommodations

46. CONCLUSIONS
How prepared are learners with VI for the transition into HE?
Current support system for students with disabilities relies on the individual entering HE with independence skills in place, e.g.
Skills to be able to work independently (range of skills)
Skills to self-advocate (explain modifications, make challenges)
Important to make mutual accommodations

47. INCLUSIVE EDUCATION ALL STUDENTS
Research highlights importance of anticipatory adjustments
Reasonable adjustments can provide the adjustments required by many young people
However, when more complex needs accommodations being made on individual basis
Lack of specialist knowledge, particularly with regards to teaching pedagogy
Barriers faced by YP due to lack of preparation, e.g. limited knowledge of the equipment available; not being equipped to advocate for equipment; not having received formal training to use specialist equipment and not having had the experience of incorporating such equipment into their working practice.

48. What are we doing with the findings?
Training
e.g. incorporating findings into MQ programme
Influencing policy
e.g. meeting with DfE, DSA consultation
Influencing practice
e.g. working with Action for Blind People to develop transitions programme
Developing resources
e.g. guidance for transition into HE

49. Starting University guidance
DSA and other funding
Negotiating Support
Choosing a university
Study advice
Life at university
Moving to university

50. Further information Project website:
VICTAR website:

51. Further information
RNIB educational professionals pages:
RNIB young people’s pages:
RNIB education research pages:

52. References
British Social Attitudes Survey on Disability:
Life Opportunities Survey:
RNIB ‘My Voice’ survey:

53. Contacts:
Professor Graeme Douglas (Principle Investigator, VICTAR):
Rachel Hewett (Co-Investigator, VICTAR)
@rachelhewettuob
Sue Keil (Co-Investigator, RNIB CYPF team)