Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department is taking steps to assist students with SEND to access higher education as (a) school leavers and (b) mature students.

The department works to ensure that students of all ages with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) can access higher education. Under Section 20 of the Equality Act 2010, education and training providers and other related service providers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, including people with a learning difficulty, so they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled students.

Support is provided for disabled students by higher education providers (HEPs) through reasonable adjustment and disability services, some of which is funded through the Disabled Student Premium as well as by the government through the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA).

DSA is available to help students with the additional costs they may face in higher education because of their disability. This includes long-term health conditions, mental health conditions, or specific learning difficulties, such as dyslexia. DSA can be used for the purchase of specialist equipment, for travel, or to pay for non-medical help, including the human support provided to students to enable them to access their studies. It is not means-tested and does not have to be repaid. It is available to eligible full-time and part-time students at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

The department’s grant with Disability Rights UK provides a Disabled Students Helpline that responds to over 1,500 enquiries per year.