Disability Statement November 2009
(including Disability Access Statement 2009)
General Policy
The following three paragraphs apply to all sections of this statement:
In accordance with its mission statement, the College seeks to provide access to education to those with the ability to benefit from it, in a manner sensitive to issues of justice, equal opportunities, educational disadvantage and underprivilege. The College's current courses, facilities and admissions procedures are described in its Prospectus and Charter.
The additional facilities and support provided for disabled students, over and above those provided for all students, change from year to year, according to the known disabilities and needs of students actually in the College at the time. We endeavour to create a ‘package’ of support which is tailored to meet the student’s individual needs.
The College aims to provide appropriate additional support for disabled students where this is reasonably practicable, taking into account the additional funding available from LSC for such purposes. The College is more likely to be able to provide support where students identify their disabilities and special needs at an early date, e.g. at Open Evening and in writing with the application. Every effort will be made to meet the needs of disabled students whose needs are identified at the admissions stage and to make adequate provision for students whose disabilities only become evident during their course at the College. The responsibility of students with disabilities to disclose them and to avail themselves of the support provided rests ultimately with the student.
Admission arrangements
Disabled students are considered for admission in accordance with the published policy, on the same terms as other students. Disabled students are asked to identify their disabilities on their application forms in order that the College can assess needs and the College's ability to make reasonable adjustments, where necessary, to accommodate them.
All prospective students are invited to attend an Open Evening to look around the College and talk informally with teaching staff. Prospective students with disabilities, who wish to make a further visit (for example, to check access to particular facilities or meet specialist staff not available on the Open Evening), may make arrangements through the College Reception.
The application process for all students includes an interview (usually several months before admission) with a senior member of the College staff. At this interview, disabled students should discuss on an individual basis their particular needs and the additional support or other special arrangements that may be available to them. The College may ask a student to attend a second interview in order to allow an assessment of need to be carried out by a specialist.
Educational facilities
Disabled students have access to courses and facilities on the same terms as all other students.
Examination arrangements
Where appropriate, the College applies to the relevant Examination Board for special examination arrangements to be made for disabled students, but the final decision in each case rests with the Board. Students for whom special arrangements have been approved by the Examination Board are normally allowed similar arrangements in the corresponding internal examinations.
Where special arrangements are to be sought because of a student's learning difficulty, the College can arrange a psychological assessment where this is necessary. Students may be asked to provide reports of earlier assessments to give further support to the application. Where special arrangements are to be sought for other reasons (e.g. long-term medical conditions) students may be asked to provide evidence such as a letter from a doctor.
Students who believe they need special examination arrangements for any reason should identify this need on their application forms, or as soon as possible thereafter.
Counselling and welfare
Disabled students have access to the same counselling and welfare services as all other students.
Access to premises
The college has invested heavily in improving access to its buildings and facilities for students with impaired mobility. Access is possible to all of the curriculum and services provided by the college.
The College will try to arrange its timetable of classes, within the limits imposed by the premises generally and by specialist subject needs, so that disabled students have easy access to their chosen courses. This is more likely to be possible if students identify their disabilities and choice of courses at an early date.
No special home-to-college transport facilities are currently provided for disabled students, but the College will consider any request for such facilities made in good time and work in tandem with the Local Authority to try to secure the appropriate assistance with transport. Students with limited mobility who travel by car are normally permitted to use the staff car park (close to the College buildings) if they so wish; applications should be made to the College Reception.
Website Accessibility
Please see the accessibility help page for details of the extent of the website's accessibility.
Related Information
This statement should be read together with the College Prospectus and the College Charter, copies of which are available from the College Reception. They include statements of the College's current policy given in good faith and within the limits of the facilities available and some items may change from time to time. Students wishing to place particular reliance on anything in this Statement, in the Prospectus or in the Charter should make it clear to the College in writing when applying for a place.
The College has a Learning Support Manager responsible for co-ordinating provision for students with learning difficulties or disabilities supported by a large department of staff working to make provision to meet individual needs. Specific enquiries may be addressed through the College Reception.
Complaints
Students who believe the College is not providing the facilities or support indicated above, or set out in their individual learning agreement, should first discuss the matter with their personal tutor. If the matter cannot be resolved to the students' satisfaction, they may make a formal complaint following the procedure set out in the College Charter.
This statement will be reviewed annually by the Governors' Personnel committee.
The Governors' Personnel Committee reviewed and approved this policy at its meeting on 12 November 2009
Disability Access Statement 2009
A survey of the new College premises was undertaken by the Learning Support Assistant with responsibility for wheelchair users and the Learning Support Manager during November 2009, with assistance from the Premises Manager. The purpose of the assessment was to assess the extent to which they are physically accessible to staff, students and visitors with impaired mobility. In particular, accessibility for wheelchair users and those with sight impairment has been considered, as well as those with other ambulatory impairments. The perspective considered has been to allow users of these buildings to achieve independence of mobility as far as is practicable.
Access to rooms as a whole has been considered; the internal arrangements of furniture in many rooms can be altered to meet the needs of the users as well as the nature of the activity being held in the room. There a multi-height position workstation in the open access IT Suite in E Building and in the Learning Support Area in B Building. Specialist rooms may require further specialist adaptation to meet the needs of specific staff or student users, though these would best be designed to meet the need of the specific user. An automatic opening device is to be fitted to the side entrance to the Café Max to allow ease of access to wheelchair users.
External Access
The main entrance door to B Building will be automatic and operate on a door sensor (currently this is awaiting re-attachment). Currently the Reception staff operate the doors manually for wheel chair users. There are automatic doors to C Building and E Building but not to the temporary building, G Building; wheelchair users are not timetabled in this building. The rear entrance to B Building has a small step, though this is not intended to be the main entrance to this building once the door access controls to the Reception entrance have been commissioned (currently envisioned as March/April 2010).
Access to A Building is via a ramped pathway at the rear of the building. This is linked to a pathway adjacent to the West Wing of B Building and when the landscaping is complete, will link directly to the disabled parking area and allow access to the external dining area. Access to A Building via this ramp will be by an automatic opening device to allow independent access by the user.
Ramps
A new ramp of the correct gradient is being constructed at the front of E Building. The current temporary ramp is too steep and therefore unsuitable for wheelchair use. Access to E Building is via the rear of B Building and along the access road.
Corridors
All floors in each building of the college are accessible by lifts with little or no assistance. All corridors have fire doors which are, in the main, held back on electrically controlled bolts until the fire alarm is triggered, enabling long stretches of corridor to be used freely under normal circumstances. This is in order to aid movement through the building under normal circumstances. The corridors are generally flat and easy to access although a sight impaired person would need to have mobility training to avoid the glass light boxes on the First and Second Floors of B Building.
Evacuation arrangements
In B Building there are labelled refuge points for wheelchair users on the First and Second Floors for each staircase. In E Building there is a refuge point on the First Floor and refuge points are to be created as soon as possible on the First Floors of A Building and C Buildings. It is to be noted that the intercom situated at all the refuge points only operates when the Fire Alarm has sounded to avoid mis-use.
Staff in A, C and E Buildings are to be trained in the operation of Refuge points in these buildings as soon as possible.
Toilets
Disabled toilets are available in each building. In B Building they are available on each floor and they are connected to the main College Reception. (The ground floor toilets in B and E Buildings also have shower facilities.) All have emergency pull cords and all are large enough to use with a hoist. In E Building the emergency alert can be heard in the entrance area where staff in the adjacent office will hear it and respond. In C Building there will be a link between the alarm and the main College Reception in B Building (this has been reported on the snagging list to the contractor). In A Building staff teaching nearby will be trained to respond.
This statement was reviewed and accepted by the Governors’ Personnel Committee on 12 November 2009.