UK reform of disabled students’ allowance will make university a non-viable option | Policy Review
In March, Cambridge University Press published The Dyslexia Debate, co-authored by Julian Elliott, professor of education at Britain’s Durham University. The report proposes that the term dyslexia should be abandoned as it lacks scientific rigour and educational value, writes Hannah Paterson.
This was followed by a written statement just before Easter from David Willets, minister for universities, announcing government plans to “modernise” the Disabled Students Allowance – grants given to disabled students in England to help meet extra study costs incurred because of their disabilities.
From September 2015, it will only pay for support for students with complex disabilities and move the responsibility of supporting students with “mild” disabilities to institutions, without providing any extra funding.
The loss of funding for specialist information technology equipment and non-medical help, combined with a restrictive redefinition of disability, threaten to make university a non-viable option for many disabled students who already face important financial difficulties.
