The designated Departmental Disability Contact (DDC) in the Department of Government is Dr Catherine Eschle.
The role of the DDC is to discuss with students, or potential students, with a disability, any aspect of the courses and classes offered by the Department that might relate to their special needs. Disabled applicants, potential applicants and current students may contact the DDC to discuss the course curriculum and the teaching and learning activities that are involved with a view to ensuring, as far as possible, that any necessary adjustments are identified or sought.
The DDC acts as a two-way channel for communication between the University's Disability Service and academic and other staff of the agreed and disclosed needs of disabled students, with due regard to the legislative significance of disabled students' disclosure of needs and of students' rights to confidentiality.
The DDC monitors the effectiveness of departmental arrangements for disabled students and tries to anticipate future needs in the light of course demands, such as placements or field trips. The DDC also acts as a source of information and advice for academic and other colleagues on matters related to disabled students and receives guidance, support and information from advisers in the University Disability Service.
Students and applicants with disabilities are also advised to contact the University Disability Service. The University as a whole is committed to the principles and practices articulated in its University Disability Equality Scheme which was published according to the requirement of the latest addition to the Disability Discrimination Act (2005).
At the request of the University, the Department of Government was asked to review and report on the accessiblity of our teaching and assessment. Alternative formats of the Disability Report are available by contacting Dr Catherine Eschle.
Download the Department of Government's Teachability Report and Plan.
This report details the Department's Impact Assessment of its provision for disabled students.
- It outlines how the Department seeks to ensure that disabled students have an experience that is equally good as the experience of all other students.
- The views of students registered with the Disability Service were sought via email, and a series of meetings were held to involve all academic and administrative staff as well as postgraduate tutors. Feedback was sought on course and curriculum design, course information, e-learning, lectures, seminars/tutorials, exams and assessments, and placements/field trips/study abroad. Student comments were generally very positive. Discussion amongst staff focused mainly on lecture and seminar teaching techniques and on administering exams.
- On the basis of this feedback and further deliberations a series of focused objectives were produced to help fine-tune the Department's provision for disabled students. For example, the Department is committed to: providing lecture materials 24 hours in advance of lectures, train staff on accessible seminars, and ensure the anonymous marking of exams taken by disabled students.
- The report is part of an ongoing process, and the Department's Disability Contact will continue to contact disabled students regularly for their feedback in order to help achieve disability equality. If you have any comments, please contact the Department Disability Contact Dr Catherine Eschle.