The Practice
The Student Disability Partners Project in the 2023/24 academic year continued our commitment to fostering inclusivity and accessibility in the School of Biological Sciences. This BILT-funded Education Development Project focused on improving the experience for neurodivergent students and those with specific learning difficulties. Two student partners, Chloe Stevens and Kai Harper, were appointed to work on the project and were supervised by Dr Dave Lawson and MRes student Anna McQuillan.
The project was structured around three core aims: Representation, Research, and Reach. The partners were tasked with promoting student engagement, developing accessible resources, and enhancing the inclusion of disabled students within the curriculum. Chloe and Kai also collaborated with other stakeholders, including staff, postgraduate partners, and students, to ensure their work had a broad and sustained impact.
Through their research and lived experiences, Chloe and Kai created several valuable resources that addressed areas where inclusivity could be improved. Chloe focused on accessible field courses, while Kai focused on inclusive group work. Their efforts were informed by real-world experiences, offering practical strategies for improving both teaching and learning for all students.
Findings
One of the most significant outcomes of the project was the development of two key resources:
- Running Inclusive University Field Courses for Disabled Students (PDF, 456KB) – Chloe Stevens led the creation of this guide, which outlines best practices for designing and delivering field courses that are accessible to disabled students. This resource provides actionable strategies for overcoming practical barriers, ensuring all students can participate fully.
- Inclusive Group Work Guidance (PDF, 209KB) – Kai Harper developed this resource to support neurodivergent students in group work settings. It includes templates and practical recommendations for structuring group activities accommodating students with social or sensory challenges. This guide has proven invaluable in promoting respectful and adaptable group dynamics.
Chloe also contributed to field course documentation, making amendments to ensure clearer, more inclusive communication of field course requirements and the potential for reasonable adjustments. These changes addressed ambiguity in forms and removed the need for students to self-advocate, a common barrier for students with disabilities.
Kai also presented a talk on the experience of being an autistic student to our staff during a staff focus group.
Chloe and Kai’s efforts have laid the groundwork for future curriculum reforms, ensuring that disability inclusivity is better represented across all aspects of the educational experience.
The Impact
The impact of the Student Disability Partners Project is already visible in several areas of the School of Biological Sciences:
- Student Engagement: Chloe and Kai’s efforts to engage with disabled students and staff have significantly improved awareness of accessibility issues. They nurtured a culture of inclusion and self-advocacy by providing a direct avenue for student voices. Their contributions are making field courses and group work more accessible and improving the overall student experience for neurodivergent students and those with disabilities.
- Staff Awareness and Development: Kai’s staff focus group presentation on the experience of being an autistic student has raised staff awareness about the challenges faced by neurodivergent students. This session has sparked important conversations about how to better accommodate diverse learning needs and how staff can be more proactive in supporting students with disabilities.
- Curriculum Enhancement: The project has produced more inclusive teaching materials. The guides created by Chloe and Kai offer practical advice on structuring courses and group work to be more accessible, ensuring that disabled students have equal opportunities to engage with the curriculum. These resources are already being used as part of our standard field course practice.
Next Steps
The next steps for this project are to further embed the developed materials in standard school processes and to share them with other schools and beyond the university to share best practices.
In subsequent years, we will aim to repeat the Student Disability Partners project, encouraging student participants to focus on other key areas related to improving accessibility and inclusion in the School of Biological Sciences.
Contact
Dave Lawson (david.lawson@bristol.ac.uk)
Leave a Reply