Closure of Disability Dept.

[Mumble]

My university has run out of money and so in a woeful cost cutting exercise is closing the disability department.

 

If I thought I got little support before, I'm now really going to know what it feels like to be left to fend for myself and to be honest I'm terrified. Everything is still based on rumour, there are few hard facts to be had, but it seems I'll now be responsible for any service liaison if I want support. Cue utter terror. This is my final year and so hardest in terms of expectations and transitions. I'm on the cusp of cracking as it is at the moment.

 

At least by going to the disability dept before if something wasn't right other depts could be scared by disability legislation. Now I don't even have that. I feel very unprotected and very very unvalued. It feels like my university is making a very strong statement about what they consider to be the worth of disabled students.

 

I would have thought that there would be some legal obligation to have a disability department - but maybe not as it's post-compulsory education and no-one is 'making' me be here. Does anyone have any knowledge of this? Does anyone else have a university without a disability dept. and how do you manage?

 

[Kathryn]

Yikes! But don't panic till you've heard the full story.

 

You could try contacting SKILL to see what they have to say about this?

 

http://www.skill.org.uk/

 

K x

Edited November 11, 2009 by Kathryn

[Tally]

Disability law still applies. They may be merging the facilities provided by the disability department into another department. Are there any other staff who are sympathetic toward you who you might be able to ask to exert any influence if there were difficulties obtaining services?

[Canopus]

This is an interesting, albeit very worrying, development. Are any strategic staff with specialist knowledge being laid off? Keep me informed of progress.

 

Another sour note is that an independent AS support group is on the brink of closure because of lack of funds to keep it running and certain legislation preventing alternative arrangements from being put in place.

[Mumble]

Are any strategic staff with specialist knowledge being laid off?

:lol: That would require having strategic staff with specialist knowledge in the first place! Oooh, I'm getting bitter and twisted in my old age...

 

I think a lot comes down to university funding generally and universities being run on business models rather than first and foremost as educational and research institutions. I've been in university environments on and off since 1997 and have seen massive changes in that time. To me, they are certainly no longer the Asperger, slightly eccentric person safe-haven they once were and that's really quite sad, because you're potentially loosing out on the minds of people who may think a bit differently but who in doing so aren't afraid to see/propose things differently and potentially make advancements in understanding.

 

I'm not normally a political person and would much rather leave that to others but I am angry about the way Government seems to be wanting to bring consumerism into HE. It's not the right place for it and I can't believe they haven't learn the lesson that league tables didn't work in other educational settings and now want to bring 'food-packaging' style labelling to bare on educational choice.

 

*jumps down off soap box*

 

*breaks leg - it was a very long way down*

 

[Canopus]

I think a lot comes down to university funding generally and universities being run on business models rather than first and foremost as educational and research institutions. I've been in university environments on and off since 1997 and have seen massive changes in that time.

 

Too right. Most universities nowadays are businesses in all but name. Some departments don't seem to give a stuff about home students because overseas students bring in more money as they pay full tuition fees whereas home students only pay top up fees. Engineering is a particularly acute example of this.

 

To me, they are certainly no longer the Asperger, slightly eccentric person safe-haven they once were and that's really quite sad, because you're potentially loosing out on the minds of people who may think a bit differently but who in doing so aren't afraid to see/propose things differently and potentially make advancements in understanding.

 

This is something I've noticed as well to my dismay.