Morning, Monday, 21st September 2026
Online
This conference will consider next steps for supporting disabled students in higher education in England. Discussion will focus on priorities for strengthening institutional and regulatory frameworks, improving access to support, and enhancing student experience, outcomes, and progression.
Policy, regulation & institutional frameworks
It will bring stakeholders and policymakers together to assess policy, regulatory, and institutional frameworks for supporting disabled students following publication of the Government’s report Disabled people’s lived experience of education in the UK. Delegates will examine current arrangements, such as the Equality Act 2010 and Disabled Students’ Allowance, and key priorities for meeting student needs.
Areas for discussion include alignment of individual entitlement with provider responsibility, governance and internal co-ordination in support services, structuring of funding, and questions around the consistency, timeliness, and sustainability of reasonable adjustments.
Specialist support & reform to funding
The agenda will bring out latest thinking on effective practice for supporting student experience and outcomes, including approaches to consistent embedding of inclusive teaching, learning, and assessment across provision, and integrating student voice into policy and service development.
In light of the Department for Education consulting on a proposed removal of most assistive software from DSA funding, and its publication of Non-medical help for higher education students through the Disabled Students’ Allowance, we expect discussion on what proposed changes may mean for institutional responsibility, access to specialist support, and the consistency and sustainability of support models.
Data use & professional development
Further sessions will look at priorities for accountability and oversight, including approaches to data use across Access and Participation Plans, engagement with findings from the National Student Survey, and taking into account complaints to inform institutional practice.
Workforce development will also be considered, including recruitment, retention, and professional training for specialist staff and non-medical help practitioners, alongside effective institutional processes and interventions.
Overview of areas for discussion
- policy:
- implementation of the Equality Act 2010 and Disabled Students’ Allowances
- alignment between individual entitlement and provider responsibility - regulatory expectations, oversight, and accountability
- reasonable adjustments:
- consistency, timeliness, and quality of support across providers - evidence requirements and administrative burden - co-ordination between academic, professional, and specialist teams
- support reform:
- implications of the DfE’s consultation on assistive software funding - institutional capacity for changing responsibilities - future access to specialist and non-medical help support
- student outcomes:
- persistent disparities in experience, continuation, and progression
- addressing barriers across curriculum, assessment, and wider institutional practice - implications of findings from Disabled people’s lived experience of education in the UK
- inclusive provision:
- embedding inclusive teaching, learning, and assessment - application of competence standards in practice - implementation of Universal Design for Learning across institutions
- data and accountability:
- use of Access and Participation Plans, National Student Survey findings, and complaints data - student voice in service improvement - approaches to monitoring institutional performance
- workforce capacity:
- recruitment and retention of disability specialists and non-medical help practitioners - staff training and professional development - sustainable delivery and resourcing models
- digital inclusion and AI:
- accessibility of digital learning environments - opportunities and risks associated with AI-enabled support tools - equity of access, data governance, and assessing effectiveness
