Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has made an assessment of the effect of the Disabled Students' Allowance assistive technology procurement proposal on students with (a) low incidence disabilities and (b) vision impairment.

The new arrangements being introduced by the Student Loans Company (SLC) to procure assistive technology equipment and training for students in receipt of Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSA) will not affect the level or range of support available to any student.

The SLC has engaged with groups within the sector to ensure that the procurement process will ensure that the needs of all students in receipt of DSA can continue to be met, and over 40 different organisations, including those representing students with vision impairment, have provided responses to the SLC, which are currently being considered.