PhD Accessibility Project

PhD Accessibility Project Professor Farah Mendlesohn This is an edited version of the proposal which went to Learning and Teaching Fellowship award committee of Anglia Ruskin University.

UK PhD student who identifies as disabled? Please help pilot project by filling in PhD Accessibility Survey. http://tinyurl.com/pfqbuge #PhDChat 1: Aims, outcomes, background and project topic The Aims of this project are to improve academic and support practice for PhD students with disabilities by • Asking PhD students with disabilities about their experience of university services; • Exploring with PhD students with disabilities issues which hamper successful completion; • Seeking advice from PhD students with disabilities regarding what support they need to enhance their engagement. • Exploring with PhD students with disabilities how to enhance the quality of their experience. • Discussing with international students how to ensure they can access support. • Exploring with Student Services across the country how to engage with PhD students with disabilities. The purpose is to explore current practice in order to identify areas where changes may be needed and expectation and provision brought into closer alignment. Currently an on line search for “PhD students with disabilities” brings up some university sites in the US, but only Nottingham in the UK appears to offer specific provision for academic support, but despite the heading, this still seems to assume a taught degree (http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/graduateschool/support-for-disabledstudents/index.aspx). Outcomes •

To create a body of evidence of the needs of PhD students who identify as disabled.

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To convene a conference led by PhD students with disabilities to engage with Student Service providers across the country.

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To produce a preliminary report on PhD students’ experience across the UK focussing on experience, and expressed need.

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To present on this report at the Anglia Ruskin Learning and Teaching Conference. Context: This project arises from conversation led by @PhDisabled on Twitter, about the difficulties she and other students with disabilities have faced accessing support that has been constructed with a taught degree student in mind. It will take place as the government moves forward with cuts to the DSA.

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Extended outcomes beyond the time line of this project. • To submit preliminary findings to Research in Higher Education. • To convene a conference led by PhD students with disabilities to engage with Student Service providers across the country. • An essay collection consisting of reports from both users and providers. Background: I am myself disabled and as a PhD student experienced a lengthy chronic illness (my diagnosis occurred the week before my viva). I have been actively drawn into support of undergraduates and taught post graduates in the classroom. Outside work, I am involved in conference and event which has drawn my attention to disability access, and moving to a needs and patron driven approach. . Because a great deal of work has been done in the area, dyslexia as a standalone disability will be excluded from this project. 2: Potential to enhance our students' experiences of HE There seems to be little research into the affects of disability on students studying for a PhD. The evidence culled from engaging in conversation with students on line is that they see themselves as individualised and dependent on self-advocacy— something often rendered more difficult by their disabilities. Students with chronic illness related disability, report that the changing and unstable nature of their disabilities can be met with approaches more suitable for specific, one off illness. By going directly to PhD students with disabilities I hope both to find new ways to support and engage students beginning from the position of patron and user defined need. 3: The links with our Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategy •

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This project intends to increase student engagement, develop academic and support service practice, and enhance the quality of the PhD student experience. It seeks to develop best practice in the support of PhD students with disabilities. It seeks to enhance the joy of learning by reducing stress through appropriate support. It recognises that students bring external experience and contexts to their learning. It will support the employability development and preparation of PhD students with disabilities.

4: Process, viability and evaluation Process Using the service request models developed by the conventions with which I have worked, and in association with Julie Walkling, I will disseminate a staff oriented survey to a) all Graduate Studies centres, Student Services and Graduate Societies across the country b) disseminate a student oriented survey across the same services and via on-line and peer to peer networks, supplemented where needed (ie where a student feels this best fits their needs) with phone, skype and face to face interviews. Evaluation The survey will produce both quantitative data on the awareness of need of provider groups, and a qualitative survey on the experiences of users.

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The proposed conference will provide an opportunity for student users to meet service providers and construct a collaborative response. Feasibility Within the period funded I anticipate that the survey and analysis of the survey would be distributed, and the conference booked and planned. 5: Relevant ethical dimensions and considerations Approval will be required from the Faculty Ethics Committee. It is important that students asked to contribute their responses feel engaged, acknowledged, and where needed protected; students should not find themselves targeted as disaffected or “problem” students. Anonymity will be assured on request. Acknowledgement of students who understand themselves as engaging in an academic context subsequent materials will be included. It is similarly important that service providers understand this as a supportive project, and that neither universities nor individuals feel themselves “named and shamed”. 6: Project dissemination • • •

To present at the Anglia Ruskin Learning and Teaching Conference. To submit preliminary findings to Research in Higher Education. An essay collection consisting of reports from both users and providers.

7: Project plan September – December 2015 • Consult with Student Services at Anglia Ruskin University and with PhD students with disabilities (via social media) on appropriate questions for the surveys. • Construct surveys October –December 2015 • disseminate the surveys via email and social media. December 2015 close and collate the student survey. February 2016 • Progress report. • Call for submissions and workshop leaders March/April • 2016: analysis of survey May 2016: • A day conference led by PhD students with disabilities to engage with Student Service providers across the country. June 2016 • Delivery of preliminary report to Anglia Ruskin Learning and Teaching Conference. August 2016. • Delivery of 3000 word paper to Networks.

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