Tips on communicating with students who lipread
The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA)
The DDA is divided into three stages.
Since 1 September 2002, it has been unlawful for providers of Further and Higher Education in Scotland to discriminate against deaf and disabled students.
Since 1 September 2003, Further Education colleges have been obliged to provide auxiliary aids and services. This may include providing information in different ways, for example, using British Sign Language (BSL)/English interpreters and providing equipment, such as portable induction loops, radio aids and textphones.
The third stage of the DDA came into effect on 1 September 2005. It states that learners should not be placed at a "substantial disadvantage" because service providers have not made "reasonable adjustments" to physical features of their premises. These reasonable adjustments may include fitting electronic display boards, permanent induction loops and infrared systems. It applies to lecture theatres, seminar rooms, catering facilities, residential accommodation and other premises provided wholly or mainly for the use of learners.
The disability or learning support officer at your college or university should be able to provide you and your student with further information.
The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004
The Act came into effect in November 2005 and confers new duties on Education authorities in connection with the provision of school education for children and young people with additional support needs.
Under the terms of the Act, Education Authorities must consider transitions out of school and into the FE sector as one of their duties. Specifically they are required to:
“At least 12 months before the expected school leaving date, request and take account of, information and advice from appropriate agencies likely to make provision for the young person when she/he lleaves school.
No later than 6 months before the young person is expected to leave school, provide information to whichever appropriate agencies, as the authority think appropriate, may be responsible for supporting the young person once she/he leaves school, if the young person themselves agrees”
(Supporting Children’s Learning- Code of Practice – SEED 2005)
Scottish Ministers have determined that all Colleges of Further Education are deemed “appropriate agencies.”
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Disability Equality Duty
The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 has been amended by the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 so that it now places a duty on all public authorities, including FE Colleges, when carrying out their functions, to have due regard to the need to:
- promote equality of opportunity between disabled persons and other persons
- eliminate discrimination that is unlawful under the Act
- eliminate harassment of disabled persons that is related to their disabilities
- promote positive attitudes towards disabled persons
- encourage participation by disabled persons in public life; and
- take steps to take account of disabled persons’ disabilities, even where that involves treating disabled persons more favourably than other persons.
In addition to this general duty, certain public authorities are subject to what are known as SPECIFIC DUTIES, laid down in the Disability Discrimination (Public Authorities) (Statutory Duties)(Scotland) Regulations 2005 and the Disability Discrimination (Public Authorities)(Statutory Duties) Regulations 2005. The regulations set out specific steps which must be taken to assist these public authorities to fulfil the general duty, including a duty to:
- publish a Disability Equality Scheme demonstrating how it intends to fulfil its general and specific duties
- involve disabled people in the development of the scheme
- carry out impact assessments
- make arrangements for gathering relevant information
- develop an ‘action plan’
- take the steps set out in its action plan, within three years
- publish a report.
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