Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of free and open-sourced, built-in assistive software tools in meeting the needs of disabled students.

Supporting disabled students to access and succeed in higher education remains a government priority. Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) provides support to remove disability-related barriers to learning, enabling students to demonstrate their full academic potential. DSA-funded support is designed to meet disability-related needs and promote independence in study through appropriate equipment, assistive software and support.

The consultation recognises that paid-for assistive software and free-to-access tools are not necessarily equivalent in all cases. A key purpose of the consultation is to understand the extent to which advances in mainstream functionality can appropriately meet disability-related needs and where specialist software continues to be required. The department has not made a final assessment of the adequacy of these tools, as we are seeking evidence of this through the consultation process.

The consultation seeks views on how exceptional cases should operate in practice and which circumstances might be considered exceptional to help inform our approach. The intention is to ensure provision is appropriately targeted and represents value for money. Decisions would continue to be made on a case-by-case basis.

The consultation provides an opportunity for both disabled students and stakeholders to share their experiences and views in detail. In addition, the department has undertaken further engagement, including a survey with students who have received DSA funding to ensure that their views are fully considered.