Colleges Providing ‘Little More Than Social Care’ For Disabled

Colleges are currently providing little more than social care for people with disabilities, according to an equal rights watchdog. The Disability Rights Commission (DRC) has warned colleges must overhaul their provision for disabled students to comply with new legislation.

Since the Disability Equality Duty came into force in December, three colleges have been warned and eight others are under investigation for failing to meet its requirements. The DRC says action is needed to prevent thousands more Scots falling into an education “revolving door” which gives few qualifications and a life on benefits.

Scotland already lags behind the rest of the UK in provision for disabled students, with fewer in further or higher education than the rest of the country. According to DRC figures, just 3.4 per cent of Scottish students received Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) in 2005-6 compared to 4.1 per cent in the rest of the UK.

Since December 2006, all schools, colleges and universities in Scotland must publish a disability equality scheme under the Disability Equality Duty, showing plans for eliminating discrimination and involving disabled people.

Earlier this year, 11 colleges were found not to be complying with new disability rights legislation. Of those, Kilmarnock, Shetland and Coatbridge colleges have since published schemes, but eight are still under investigation for not involving disabled people.

Chris Oswald, head of policy at the DRC, said: “For many disabled people, further education often means a revolving door of training courses, unemployment and then back on another training course, none of which leads to greater employment.

“There is a feeling amongst disability organisations that colleges are effectively being used as a form of social care – and are more concerned with occupying disabled people rather than developing them. We think this is related to a general low-expectations culture that limits disabled people.”

Mr Oswald said employment rates for disabled people are half those of non-disabled people, and many disabled people are steered into short-term solutions rather than longer-term vocational or academic courses. And he warned: “Scotland can’t afford to waste this talent.”

Samantha Robbie, 19, from Livingston, is autistic. She did well at school but was refused a place at college as staff said they could not guarantee her safety without a carer. She is now stuck at home and her mother, Carol, fears she is isolated.

She said: “Sam is a bright, happy and sociable young woman with the potential to keep learning and achieving, but she was not given the opportunity to develop her skills further at college. She has a variety of carers but needs a peer group, structure and opportunities to develop.”

Norman Dunning, chief executive of learning disability charity Enable, said: “For too long, people with learning disabilities have been going to college only to graduate and start again often on the same subject.

“This revolving-door style of education is little more than a day centre by any other name. We know of people who had been at college for 23 years. It’s ridiculous. It’s time people with learning disabilities were able to use education to make real choices about their careers and lives, like everyone else.”

In December, an 18-month inquiry by Scottish Parliament’s Equal Opportunities Committee criticised support for disabled school-leavers.

The committee’s report found disabled teenagers received poor careers advice, and colleges and universities were not always well prepared to take them.