Agenda and Papers - University of Edinburgh

The University of Edinburgh
Senate Quality Assurance Committee – 25 May 2011
Annual Report of the Disability Committee 2010-11
The Disability Committee meets four times a year. The Committee and all 5 of its
sub-groups are serviced and supported by the Disability Office. The Director of the
Disability Office reports to the Disability Committee.
Graeme Trousdale, from PPLS, was elected as Convenor in August 2009 following
the resignation of Sarah Cunningham-Burley.
(Graeme is currently on sabbatical and Viki Galt, convenor of the Accessible
Information sub-group of the Disability Committee is currently acting Convenor).
The Disability Committee hosts 5 working sub-groups:
• Access and Facilities,
• Accessible Information,
• Mental Health .
• Specific Learning difficulties
• Technology,
A brief summary of the work of each group is given at the end of the report.
Update on clarified remit
The committee has now been remitted to report to the Senatus Quality Assurance
Committee rather than the Student Affairs Committee (now the Student Experience
Forum). Following some debate, it was clarified that the Committee’s remit covered
student support issues and that any staff issues raised at the Committee should be
re-directed to the Equality and Diversity Committee.
Currently, the remit of the Disability Committee is being revisited in order to enhance
its strategic reach and influence.
Membership is made of academics, support staff and student representatives. The
Committee is seeking changes to membership categories which would see some
members becoming “sleeping members”. (This group will receive papers and
feedback on issues but would not attend meetings unless there was a particular
issue of interest to them.)
Meetings
The Disability Committee meets four times each academic session. Subgroups are
scheduled to ensure that feedback can inform discussion at the main Committee.
Key issues have included:
- the University’s Disability Equality Scheme and Annual Report,
- the work of the Disability Office and student support, specifically nonimplementation
of adjustments in students’ learning profiles
- estates and buildings issues
- key developments and relevant activities within the University such as the
impact of the Equality Act and discussion on issues relevant to dyslexic
students
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