6th June, Save The Date- DSA Cuts

As a result of this, well resourced institutions with fewer disabled students may be able to provide additional support, but this will leave less well resourced universities and colleges with higher numbers of disabled students out the lurch- they will be the ones struggling to provide the necessary support and upkeep the responsibility they have towards disabled students.

What is happening on the 6th June? Well, the National Union of Students (NUS) are coordinating a national constituency-based lobby of MPs – saying no to cuts to the DSA! I cannot stress how much this day will be needed to make use of, we NEED to outline the extent of the damage DSA cuts will have not only on disabled students but their supporters, their family and friends as they will no longer be able to access education without struggling even more and so will be more heavily reliant on their supporters. It's already been enough that the government have cut disabled people's benefits and local government fundings, heighten tuition fee loans but to limit and restrict disabled students to achieve a degree and thus make them struggle even more that they are unable to succeed in the same way as a non-disabled student.

Personally, I find it disgraceful as having senso-neurinal hearing loss and wearing hearing aids since the age of 3, I am HEAVILY reliant on support especially note takers which is not an understatement. Without them I am unable to follow an entire lecture, I mishear, misinterpret and end up missing everything which seems to be the common motto of the government: let the disabled students miss out eh? I'm not incapable at all, I just struggle when I miss out on vital information. Initially, I had a short period of time in my first year where my note takers were yet to be put in place for my first term at University.  I am studying a hard core subject requiring lots of talking and writing (English Literature), and this taste of what my university experience would be like without note takers and support such as teachers of the deaf, ended up in me falling behind with my work.

I felt I didn't understand what was going on, leading me to lose confidence in my ability and my academic work suffering. If time went on without support being in place, I would have got low grades for my first year, not representative of what my potential is and probably would have dropped out and felt higher education was a barrier in achieving a degree. What gets me extremely angry is that couched under the language of "modernisation", "targeting funds at those who need it most", "fairness", is hidden the reality of an estimated 60 to 70% cut in funding. 

The awful thing is that whilst the government have been proposing these cuts, there have been no reassurances or additional funds being announced for universities or disabled students to bridge the funding gap for support. Where is this supposed magic pot of gold that is to enable students' success and completion of their degree with adequate services and support? Certainly lost in all the b******* the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills have fed to the public. 

There are many concerns, much of which has NOT been addressed or attempted to. How are universities expected to bridge the gap in support for disabled students if they will receive no finance to cover the gap at a time of pay freezes and economic severities? What makes it even more preposterous is that these DSA changes will ultimately redefine disability, making them almost invisible and stigmatising them. Students with Specific Learning Difficulties such as dyspraxia and dyslexia are targeted for the biggest cuts and the apparent focus on these cuts is so that the government can focus on more 'complex' SpLDs. What I find extremely ironic and frankly stupid and which I am angry about, is that the major group singled out for DSA cuts are the one whose disability AFFECT LEARNING. God forbid these politicians have a disabled child and put them through schooling only to be rinsed dry of their finances, struggle to keep them in school and then explain to EVERYONE ELSE and their child why the state failed to provide for them. God forbid.

Dear politicians, it is important to realise that life costs more when you're disabled and student life which is incredibly expensive is no different. Let me give an example, if you're disabled, chances are you have to make frequent visits to the doctor/audiologists (in my case) for continuous check ups/services thus costing alot when it comes to travel. Not only would travel play a part but emergencies such as not having the time or means to get to the nearest audiologist to get hearing aid batteries means having to spend money on batteries.

Little things like that eventually build up so in actual fact, cutting DSA support, note takers and small services like batteries stock makes a student's life more stressful. Disabled students are noticeably going to be in more debt then their non-disabled peers and as living and studying with hearing loss is difficult enough already, there is less leisure time to commit to paid work. Furthermore, workplace and transport barriers limit employment opportunities so what are the government trying to achieve here? Ensure that the disabled people of the United Kingdom are uneducated and unemployed when in fact they're restricting the rise of intelligence, strength, power and creativity within  the thousands of individuals who are willingly putting themselves through higher education to achieve something for themselves. 

So what can YOU do to ensure that this doesn't happen? Be it if it affects you, your friend, your son, your daughter, cousin, nephew or neice, you can do something about it and ensure disabled students are given equal opportunities and DSA.

Spread the word, tell your MP, write blogs, talk to people, Tweet it, Facebook It, Instagram It, Post It Note it, anything. 

You can also lobby your MP in your local constituency on Friday 6 June, asking them to oppose any cuts to the DSA. We need to stand up and say no to any further cuts.  

Important Highlights From The Guardian's feature on DSA

•  Without this funding – a vital support mechanism in recruitment – higher education will no longer be viable for some. For others, cuts will mean persevering without necessary support, leading to higher drop-out rates,dissatisfaction and lower educational attainment.Research shows that students who receive DSAs perform at the same level as non-disabled students. Cuts threaten to destroy this hard-won equality.

What happens next?

The effects of cuts will be varied. Current students' arrangements are protected for 2015-16, and those disclosing most complex needs will continue to receive DSAs to pay for support currently supplied by universities' in-house disability services.

Proposed cuts will also affect university rankings. Cuts target students with dyslexia, who make up the largest constituent group of disabled students. Students with dyslexia already express their dissatisfaction in student surveys such as the National Student Survey (NSS), a key performance indicator for university ranking.

Without anticipatory support in place, disabled students will be placed at a substantial educational disadvantage. The resulting lower satisfaction rates will influence NSS scores, with implications for ranking, admissions and the sector as a whole.

Most importantly, the proposed cuts put disabled students' studies at risk. Willetts advocates independence for disabled students while cutting the support they need to maintain that independence. Universities are already dealing with disabled applicants for the 2015 academic intake. An equality impact assessment is urgently required to ensure disabled students' rights to higher education are safeguarded.

You can write to your MP online here.

Please also sign the e-petition here.

Share and Retweet this #ProtectDSA.

                          Save the date:                          Friday 6 2014