Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the compliance of all higher education providers with their duties under the Equality Act 2010 and Human Rights Act 1998 in regard to disabled students.

Higher education (HE) providers are independent and autonomous bodies, and as such are responsible for fulfilling their duties under both acts. Recent changes to Disabled Students’ Allowances sought to encourage all HE providers to fulfil their responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010. However, it is for higher education institutions to ensure adherence. The Higher Education Funding Council for England recently published a review of the provision of support to disabled students, which contains examples of good practice from across the sector. It also contains recommendations that give clear indications of actions that can help HE providers improve their offer to disabled students.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission provides technical guidance on the Equality Act, and the Office of the Independent Adjudicator outlines good practice guidance for universities to consider when supporting disabled students. The Equality Challenge Unit supports equality and diversity for staff and students in HE, and also publishes technical guidance on the Equality Act.