Morning, Monday, 21st September 2026
Online
This conference will examine next steps for supporting disabled students in higher education in England.
In the context of changing expectations around the respective responsibilities of students, providers and specialist support services, discussion will focus on priorities for strengthening institutional and regulatory frameworks, improving access to support, and enhancing student experience, progression and outcomes.
Sessions will assess the effectiveness and sustainability of current support arrangements in light of proposed reform to Disabled Students’ Allowance, developments in inclusive practice, and persistent disparities in attainment and progression. Areas for discussion include the balance between individual support entitlements and provider responsibilities, alongside priorities for consistency, accessibility and accountability across the sector.
Institutional responsibilities, regulation and oversight
Overall, it will bring stakeholders and policymakers together to consider the policy, regulatory, and institutional frameworks for supporting disabled students, following publication of the Government’s Disabled people’s lived experience of education in the UK report earlier this year, which highlights concerns around consistency of support, accessibility, transitions between stages of education, and the extent to which disabled students are involved in decisions affecting them.
Delegates will discuss current arrangements - such as the Equality Act 2010 - and strategic approaches to ensuring that institutional responsibilities, student entitlements and support arrangements are clearly understood and work effectively in practice. Areas for discussion include the alignment of individual entitlement with provider responsibility, approaches to internal co-ordination and governance of support services, funding arrangements, and the consistency, timeliness, and sustainability of reasonable adjustments.
The role of regulation and oversight will also be explored - including the use of data, monitoring, and student feedback - in understanding performance and informing improvement. Discussion will also consider how student feedback, lived experience evidence, and case insights can inform policy development, service design, and institutional improvement.
Specialist support, DSA reform and future provision
The agenda will consider approaches to embedding inclusive teaching, learning, and assessment more consistently across the sector, alongside the role of student voice in influencing policy and service design.
The agenda will also consider implications of the Department for Education’s consultation on proposed changes to Disabled Students’ Allowance, including the potential removal of most assistive software from funding support, and its report Non-medical help for higher education students through the Disabled Students’ Allowance. Discussion will examine implications for access to specialist support, the respective responsibilities of providers and delivery partners, and the sustainability of current delivery models.
With stakeholders across the sector highlighting potential implications for retention, attainment, progression and longer-term outcomes, delegates will also consider approaches to supporting continuity of provision and mitigating unintended impacts. Discussion will also explore the role of assistive technology - including free and AI-enabled tools - in supporting diverse student needs, alongside questions around accessibility of digital learning environments, effectiveness, equity of access and data governance.
Data use, accountability, and professional development
Further sessions will look at priorities for data use, accountability and oversight, including through Access and Participation Plans, and in light of findings from the National Student Survey, which indicate continuing concerns among disabled students around institutional organisation and management.
Workforce development will also be a focus, including professional training for disability support staff and non-medical help practitioners, staff confidence in implementing reasonable adjustments, and approaches to fostering inclusive learning environments. Discussion will consider how best to support consistent understanding of legal duties and to develop sustainable workforce models across the sector.
Student experience and outcomes
The agenda will also consider approaches to improving access to higher education for disabled students, alongside their academic experience, progression and longer-term outcomes. Discussion will explore barriers across curricula design, assessment, placements, student services and wider institutional culture, and how these are experienced by students in practice.
Further discussion will consider priorities for improving participation and success throughout the student journey, including transitions into and through higher education, engagement with learning and support, and progression into employment or further study.
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those already due to attend include officials from the Department for Education; Department of Education, NI; Department for the Economy, NI; the Welsh Government; and The Scottish Government.
