1. Challenges faced by young people with vision impairment participating in Higher Education
Rachel Hewett, Birmingham Fellow, Vision Impairment Centre for Teaching and Research (VICTAR), University of Birmingham, UK

2. Vision Impairment Centre for Teaching and Research
Part of Department of Disability Inclusion and Special Needs, School of Education, University of Birmingham, UK
Teaching: providers of mandatory qualification for specialist TVI across UK
Research: education, employment, sub-Saharan Africa

3. Overview of presentation
UK context
The Longitudinal Transitions Study – young people with vision impairment
Findings
Conclusions

4. 1. UK Context: recent history
UK Equality Act 2010
States that education providers should make appropriate adjustments for students with disabilities to ensure that they are not at a disadvantage when compared to their non-disabled peers.
Requires providers to make reasonable adjustments
HE providers should, to the best of their ability, consider in advance the barriers that a student is likely to face and make anticipatory adjustments for them.

5. 1. UK Context: recent history
Disabled Student Allowance
Funds specialist equipment, non-medical support, transport
Previously based around medical model of support – adjustments on an individual basis
Reformed in 2016 – emphasis changed to HE providers
Promoting movement in sector towards a social model of support
Figure 2: Categories of support for Disabled Student Allowance – 2015/16
Category of support
Examples of what each support category covers for students with VI
Maximum allowance
Specialist equipment
Laptops with screen readers, low vision aids, electronic refreshable braille devices
£5,212 for the whole course
Non-medical helper
Note-takers, mobility training, assistance in practical sessions
£20,725 a year
General
Photocopying allowance, printer cartridges, printer paper
£1,741 a year

6. Individual reasonable adjustments
DSA
Individual reasonable adjustments
Inclusive learning environment
Figure 1: A model for supporting disabled students in HE, reproduced from DfE (2017)

7. The challenge to institutions moving forward
Individual reasonable adjustments
Role of the learner
Inclusive design

8. 2. Longitudinal Transitions Project
Post-16 transition experience of YP with vision impairment
Background: In 2010 we recruited 82 young people:
aged years (now 21-24)
supported by service for their vision impairment
‘Independently complete a questionnaire’
60 participants are still involved
Interviewed approx. twice a year
plus case studies in relation to different ‘pathways’
Findings can be found:

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

10. Data collected on HE
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
Pre-dated HE reforms

11. Our research questions
What were the experiences of these young people in HE?
How prepared were the YP for HE?
How prepared were the HE institutions to receive them?
How independent a learning experience did the YP have?
This presentation: focusing specifically on experiences relating to technology

12. Findings Four key challenges faced specifically relating to technology
Failings by HE institutions to provide an inclusive learning experience
Inaccessible infrastructure
Inaccessible course materials
Lack of preparation of the student
Lack of knowledge of technology available
Lack of skills to be able to use technology effectively

13. Failings by HE institutions to provide an inclusive learning experience

14. Inaccessible infrastructure
Accessible infrastructure can facilitate students with VI work independently
Key enabler – access to lectures notes in advance of lectures
“I think they made them when they started, which was putting the PowerPoints online before the lectures so that we could access them, and just small stuff like that…The one thing that I did like was that they did it for everyone, not just me, so I didn’t feel like I was being singled out.”
Key barrier – inaccessible Virtual Learning Environments
“And I had an issue with picking my modules for next year, because the module selection process wasn’t accessible, so I had a delay in being able to do it because I needed sighted assistance.”
Key barrier – inaccessible library catalogues

15. Inaccessible course materials
Content whilst electronic, not accessible. E.g.
Lecture notes not produced following heading structure
Inaccessible PDFs, lack of alt-text descriptions, audio descriptions
“…they gave me the wrong [format] paper in picture PDF form. And I had a bit of a meltdown because I was so nervous.”
Problems in accessing textbooks and papers – lack of 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.”

16. Lack of preparation of the student

17. Lack of knowledge of technology available
Young people not using technology in school
“There’s a lot of things that I wasn’t aware of at the time. I was very surprised with what they can actually provide, and the detail they actually go into, I had no idea there was software programme that can read out stuff to you, if you highlighted things. I was very surprised with what was there really.”
Lack of knowledge of assessors
“It was clear she hadn’t worked with a blind person before, and it was clear that…because she said it herself, basically ‘I don’t know what I am doing, you have got to tell me what you need’, … I was like ‘actually, I think that’s your job!’”
Unable to advocate for needs
“…it was a bit difficult to predict what would actually be useful, and what wouldn’t be in the short time that we were discussing”

18. Lack of skills to be able to use technology effectively
Limited training in using AT during school
“When I had my training from DSA, I found I kind of realised quite a lot, but at the same time, I didn’t know very much if you know what I mean!... The trainer was like ‘do you know how to do this?’ and I was like ‘yeah, yeah’ and then she would go ‘oh, so you know how to do that?’, and I was like ‘noooo!’
Unprepared for conducting internet research
“Yeah, some blind students do use it, but I tried to use it before even coming to [institution] and it was just horrible, so I just gave up on it, and they just give me things if I need to look at stuff. I need to have MS Word files as much as possible, that type of thing.”

19. Conclusions Key messages:
Assistive technology providers: AT is key for students with VI in Higher Education – need information to be able to advocate for needs and apply to working practice
Higher Education staff: whilst AT is an important intervention, it is insufficient if underlying accessibility not in place
School educators: young people with VI need to be prepared for using technology beyond the school setting. This includes knowledge and understanding to enable the student to advocate for needs and the skills to use equipment effectively.

21. Contact details
Rachel VICTAR website: VICTAR blog:

22. References
Hewett, Rachel, Sue Keil, and Graeme Douglas. 2015a. “Experiences of blind and partially sighted young people as they make the transition into Higher Education”. Birmingham, UK: University of Birmingham. Available at: tudinal-transitions-study/index.aspx
Hewett, Rachel, Graeme Douglas, Mike McLinden, and Sue Keil “Developing an inclusive learning environment for students in higher education: progressive mutual accommodation and learning experiences in the United Kingdom.” European Journal of Special Needs Education. 32 (1): doi:
Gov.UK “Inclusive Teaching and Learning in Higher Education as a route to Excellence.” Department for Education. Available at: in-higher-education Accessed on 3rd April 2017.