UCAS-Written evidence (YDP0046)
UCAS response to House of Lords Public Affairs Committee inquiry on ‘The transition from education to employment for young disabled people’
Contents
The journey to HE may be longer and more complex for disabled students
Disabled students are seeking information and advice specific to their support needs
Disparities in terminology used across the education sectors
Awareness and understanding of Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs)
Awareness of the full range of pathways
Inconsistency in support and understanding in schools/colleges
Recognising wider support systems
Supporting young people to research their support needs independently
The role of HE providers in easing the transition
Access to Work Adjustment Passports
Awareness of adjustments for vocational and technical pathways
Apprenticeships and supported internships
UCAS is an independent charity operating the UK’s national admissions service. Every year, we help around 750,000 students take their next step in education and training through our careers information, advice and guidance on the full range of post-18 choices, including apprenticeships, technical education, lifelong learning, flexible study, and part-time options. Our retrospective and forecasting data analysis plays a vital role in informing the sector’s understanding of student demand and behaviour. Our reach and audience - ucas.com receives 30 million unique visits per year – and careers information, advice and guidance (CIAG) expertise, gives us the capability to support the Government and education sector in addressing skills gaps.
In 2022, 97,530 UK applicants shared a disability or mental health condition in the UCAS application and over 77,000 were accepted onto a higher education (HE) course (79%). Over the past ten years, there has been a 118% increase in the number of applicants sharing this information, signifying progress in building applicants’ confidence. However, there remains a clear under-representation of disabled people in HE – one in five working-age adults in the UK are disabled, compared to one in six HE students.
In June 2022, UCAS published Next Steps: What is the experience of disabled students in education? report in partnership with Pearson and with support from the Disabled Students’ Commission. Using our unique data-led insights, the report explored how disabled applicants felt about the support they had received, what they were looking forward to in HE, and their experience of their application journey. Our research broke down application and survey data by impairment category and looked at the intersectionality of other personal characteristics to understand the additional barriers and considerations for disabled applicants. A previous report, Starting the conversation: UCAS report on student mental health specifically explored the experience of students with mental health conditions and we found there is much more to be done to create a culture of positive disclosure.
In addition to these focused insight reports, UCAS published its Journey to a Million in spring 2023 – a collection of essays centred around our forecast that we could see up to a million HE applicants by the end of the decade, a 30% increase on 2022. The discussions highlighted the potential for students who already face additional barriers to accessing HE to be ‘squeezed out’. Therefore, this dialogue around the support for young disabled students progressing to their next steps could not come at a more critical time.
This submission will address the following key points:
UCAS research found that disabled students were 23% more likely to defer entry to HE before the Covid-19 pandemic. However the expected rise (to 28%) over the pandemic has continued: to 32% in the 2022 cycle, and 36% in 2023[1]. Students told us that these deferrals were due to a lack of, or delayed, support and adjustments and this means they are unable to take their next steps at the same time as their non-disabled peers, and this ongoing increase in deferrals shows that action needs to be taken as a matter of urgency to address this inequality in access and participation.
One way in which we can address this is through earlier engagement with young disabled people about their post-18 plans, as the journey to HE may be longer and more complex for some students. We also recommend that the DWP collaborates with the DfE to extend the Access to Work Adjustment Passport scheme (as outlined below) to include this important – and often challenging – transition point. This would significantly enhance the experience of disabled students progressing to HE, make transition a smoother experience and ensure they can explore all of their choices throughout the cycle. At UCAS, we are playing our part by providing support at an early stage via the UCAS Hub which offers personalised information and advice to address the specific needs of students.
Our research found that disabled students’ decision making is influenced by the HE provider’s support offer, so it is critical that they are supported to find the information they need to make the right decision. 56% of disabled students researched support before applying, with the university or college’s reputation for equality and diversity being the most influential factor – 70% of those who considered this took it into account in their decision making, and 15% only applied to providers with a good reputation in this area.
Our research found variances in the specific type of support students looked for, with 66% taking their research into account as they made their application. 8% applied only to the universities and colleges specifically offering their preferred levels of support, indicating that, for some students, certain types of support or adjustments are integral to their choice.
The majority (73%) of research was conducted via the university or college website, so there is a clear need for providers to ensure their websites clearly signpost this information to prospective applicants. 28% used social media, indicating that this could be an effective way to communicate messages about disability support. A quarter (24%) contacted the provider directly – as discussed below, UCAS is developing materials to support and encourage these conversations.
We should bear in mind that while the majority of applicants research support in HE, a significant number do not. There are many reasons applicants may not consider this an important factor in their decision making but, nevertheless, all should receive a strong and consistent message about the importance of research, and the availability of support to ensure their decisions are informed.
As raised in our report, Next Steps: What is the experience of disabled students in education?, the language around disability in the education sectors differs: whereas secondary education tends to use the term special educational needs and disability – or SEN(D), higher education uses the term ‘disability’ to cover all conditions and impairments, including mental health, physical health and learning differences. This disparity creates an additional point of confusion for young people (and those supporting them) – those who don’t identify as ‘disabled’ may miss vital information about support (such as Disabled Students Allowances) and feel less comfortable sharing their circumstances in the UCAS application.
UCAS believes this variance should be addressed – either through policy change or enhanced information and advice that clarifies these differences – if we are to improve the transition from secondary to higher education, and take-up of support. Our report notes how aligning terminology for socio-economic disadvantage has had a positive impact, and demonstrates the power of a common understanding across the education sectors.
Disabled Students’ Allowances aim to help disabled people access HE without incurring extra learning-related costs, but too many students do not know about them, or don’t apply because they are unsure what the application and assessment process involves. UCAS agrees with the recommendation made in the House of Lords report on this topic, conducted by Lord Holmes MBE, that UCAS should work with other sector bodies to increase awareness and take-up. Consequently, we are working in partnership with the organisation Diversity and Ability to create brand new resources to create more transparency around DSAs and ensure students are equipped with the information they need.
It is important that, to ensure equity of access to all pathways, disabled young people receive information about the adjustments, funding and support to help them access routes. However, while over 400,000 students are interested in apprenticeships[2], one-third of students do not receive any information about apprenticeships from their school or college[3]. While this needs to be addressed through staff training on a broader scale, the specific needs and access requirements for disabled people should also form part of that training and delivery through careers education and advice.
We asked applicants currently in secondary education about support and inclusion in school or college. A mixed picture emerged:
- 53% felt supported by the academic support they had received.
- 49% felt supported by the general and pastoral support.
- 47% felt supported by the facilities and environment.
- 30% had experienced disability rights and issues being mentioned in lessons.
- Most were aware of anti-bullying policies (70%), equality, inclusion and acceptance policies (66%), and SEN or disability policies (56%) at their school or college.
- Only 17% reported having had access to extra-curricular societies and clubs for disabled students.
We also saw difference by impairment type: respondents with non-visible impairments were less satisfied with the support they had received in school or college: 58% of those with physical impairments/challenges with mobility and 54% of those with visual impairments felt very or mostly supported. In contrast, only 34% for those with two or more impairments (predominantly social, behavioural and communication impairments, and mental health conditions), and 41% of those with social, behavioural or communication impairments let supported. A similar pattern was noted in these students’ expectations for HE, and their experience of sharing a disability in the UCAS application.
Additionally, many students used the free text in our survey to highlight a lack of understanding around their needs in school or college, even where it had tried to be supportive, indicating a need for better training and support for staff:
“I believe schools genuinely want to help and support all of their students the best they can, however, I feel the issue is more in understanding how to.”
“Aside from in the SEN department, staff have limited or no understanding about disabled people, the accommodations we might need, or why we might struggle with certain things. I’ve found that staff are aware of the names of my diagnoses but continue to apply standards suited to abled pupils.”
Despite teachers being accommodating to my needs, there is little willingness to open conversations about any requirements I may need and the difficulties in accessing certain places or classes.
Again, those with non-visible conditions felt particularly excluded - underlining the importance of considering impairment type when implementing support and training around disability:
I feel as though things aren’t always autism/ neurodivergent friendly, e.g. bright lights.
Disability is only ever taught as a physical and visible impairment and therefore does not feel inclusive.
I think more could be done to help peers have a greater understanding of other people’s difficulties and barriers, to reduce stigma and promote inclusivity.
There is a multiplicity of trusted adults who young people turn to for advice and guidance about their next steps – this is not solely sought from the UCAS or careers adviser. Disabled young people may prefer to seek support from adults with whom they have an established and trusted relationship, and who understand their specific needs and circumstances – such as pastoral staff, SENCos and other learning support staff in schools, as well as parents/carers and other family members.
It is vital that these wider support networks can access up-to-date and reliable information and resources to facilitate these important conversations – particularly to address any outdated misconceptions of support in HE that may be based on experience. Broader engagement will help to close gaps in understanding around issues such as terminology (as addressed above) support (such as DSAs), and adjustments (e.g. to learning materials or the campus environment). To support this, UCAS is developing new resources for those who are supporting students with their next steps who may not be familiar with the UCAS application process; this will supplement the toolkits we already provide for UCAS advisers supporting students from under-represented and disadvantaged backgrounds.
We must also remember that students should take the lead on researching their options and making the right decision for their needs – and to do this effectively, they need clear, accessible and relevant information throughout their journey. However, the level of detail required will vary according to their individual needs, and student support teams often prefer to discuss this with applicants on a one-to-one basis.
UCAS is keen to ensure universities and colleges start these important conversations as early as possible to ensure support needs are met throughout the application and transition process, so we would like to see greater encouragement for applicants to contact support services directly to discuss their requirements. However, for young applicants making the transition from secondary education, this may be the first time they have needed to articulate their support needs to a third party – parents and support staff may have made these arrangements previously. As such, young people will need guidance to prepare for a meaningful conversation with the disability support team – as part of our work to develop resources to support the Disabled Students’ Commitment (more below), UCAS is working with expert organisations to develop new content to support these conversations.
We also recognise that SENCos, learning support staff, and pastoral staff may be best placed to help young people prepare for these conversations because they will know what support the student has received and what they will need to be successful. However, they may not be familiar with the application process nor the support available in HE themselves, therefore we feel it is essential they receive the training and resources to help them do this effectively. The resources we are developing (referenced above) will go some way to facilitating this.
The UCAS Hub aims to support all who are considering their options – from the discovery and research stage, right through to transition. Ongoing improvements to the Hub, including integration with the application, is leading to greater sophistication in functionality, and we are working to improve the way we surface information and advice about shared circumstances and support needs to develop a more supportive experience – including disability and mental health.
To support applicants in their research, UCAS is reviewing and improving the dedicated content on ucas.com for disabled students – including the partnership work with Diversity and Ability, and our collaboration with the Disabled Students’ Commission to explore how we could improve our wider information and advice for disabled students based on the recommendations made in the DSC’s Commitment launched in March – and UCAS is represented on the Advisory Group to take forward this essential work.
In response to the recommendation in our disabled student report, and our finding that applicants can struggle to locate this information on university and college websites, UCAS is exploring how to improve the way we signpost the support via our provider pages on the UCAS Hub. However, we also recommend that HE providers use these pages to give greater transparency and detail about the support they offer to enable informed decision making – we found that 73% of research into disability support was conducted via the HE provider’s website or prospectus. Again, we found that applicants with non-visible impairments were most likely to struggle to find the information they needed. We are of the view that this information should be clearly outlined in widening access and participation plans, and reflected across each provider’s communication channels and social media, open days, outreach activities, and exhibitions.
The type of information applicants search for ranges from general disability support (45%), academic support (36%), facilities and physical (16%) – and each aspect varies in importance depending on disability type. Overall, they are most influenced by the university or college’s reputation for equality and diversity when making their final choices, with 70% of those researching this taking it into consideration in their final choices, and 15% only applying to institutions with a good reputation in this area.
We believe it would be beneficial for universities and colleges to contact all disabled applicants upon sharing an impairment in the application with more information or to start a conversation about support needs. Student feedback indicates this practice is currently inconsistent, and some do not contact the student at all, resulting in ongoing concerns and confusion about what level and type of support to expect – as reflected in the survey responses we received:
“I feel like I will be left alone and not checked up on. I worry that if things go wrong/break in my accommodation that negatively impact my disability, they won’t be fixed.”
“I am incredibly worried at the prospect of going to university, I have a constant fear I will miss out and have to fight for my rights.”
“I hope I am proved wrong. Going to university worries me as I am not yet certain of the support I may or may not receive in order to successfully access the course.”
While UCAS research shows students’ expectations for support in HE exceed their prior experiences in education, their uncertainty about how support will manifest and be maintained may indicate they have misaligned expectations. As such, we believe that a more proactive and transparent approach to specific information and advice about disability support will drive more informed choices and set the right expectations.
As articulated in our report on disabled students, UCAS welcomes the Access to Work Adjustment Passport as important way to create greater equity in career progression. However, we recognise that these adjustments need be applied consistently across the whole education lifecycle to ensure disabled students have the same opportunities to enter – and succeed in - HE. Based on the findings of our report, we recommended that the DWP collaborate with the Department for Education to extend the Access to Work Adjustment Passport scheme to ease the transition of students into HE.
Furthermore, the introduction of the lifelong learning entitlement (LLE) will present new opportunities for people to upskill and reskill throughout their career. However, this will require the education sector to adapt quickly to changing learning and training needs, so the method by which individuals can access support for any impairment or condition should be similarly high-paced and responsive. As such, we recommend that the Access to work Adjustment Passport should also encompass the ambitions of the LLE in order to ensure equal access to learning opportunities across the student’s education lifecycle.
Our research found that practical learning and assessments for some level 2 and level 3 technical and vocational qualifications do not feel accessible to students with some impairments, and unduly may limit their ambitions and aspirations. To ensure that disabled students can access the full range of post-secondary and career options are available, it’s essential that this cohort know how what adjustments are available to them – and how to access them. This may have further implications for post-18 pathways, if students do not consider higher-level technical qualifications and apprenticeships as a viable option for them.
UCAS welcomes the moves by the DWP to introduce supported internships but, along with the Access to Work Adjustment Passports, we believe they need to be extended across the whole education lifecycle to ensure equality, consistency and inclusion.
We are keen to ensure disabled students have all the necessary information and guidance they need to consider the full range of pathways, including apprenticeships and higher technical qualifications. We have worked with expert organisations, including Disability Rights UK, to create new content on ucas.com specifically for disabled people considering apprenticeships, outlining vital information about reasonable adjustments, funding, and other support for assessments and assignments.
Following a partnership agreement with the DfE in February 2023, all students will see apprenticeship opportunities listed alongside undergraduate courses in the UCAS Hub from autumn 2023. In addition, UCAS and the DfE will jointly launch a trial service (pilot) in October 2023 to connect more students to tailored apprenticeship opportunities. This will include free student access to a new matching service, connecting them with relevant apprenticeship opportunities in their local area. Matching will be based on their preferences, experience and skills, and on criteria set by employers. We believe this expanded service will make it easier for students from all backgrounds to find and access apprenticeship opportunities.
September 2023
[1] As the 2023 cycle is incomplete, this figure is subject to change.