MPLS ED&I Action Plan - Disability
Description |
Proposed actions |
Success measures |
Timescales |
Comments |
Progress update |
Disability awareness activities (over the course of a chosen month), featuring lectures, promotion of what is available for disabled students and staff, and campaigns to improve this (Short Term) |
First year: Schedule varied and educational events. Second year: Increase in audience numbers for events. Third year: Surveying feedback from disabled community, and adapting future events appropriately. |
Talks and sessions discussing disability and resources/ support within the University to be shared at regular intervals. Increased awareness on disabilities and how we can create a more inclusive environment. Annual updates following the proposed actions. |
First year to commence in 21/22. |
Worth liaising and connecting with activities organised by DAS, SWSS. Should this be held in December during the national Disability History Month? Might fall into Events Working Group remit. |
[Updated Sept 22] Talks and sessions discussing disability and resources/support within the University took place throughout 21-22, including during Disability History Month and Mental Health Awareness Week. Training developed and delivered in collaboration with central Staff Disability Advisor. Plans for 22-23 are in development. |
Divisional disability advisor resource (e.g. paid full-time Disability Advisor), to support the EDU’s Disability Advisor, train Disability Coordinators, and spearhead activity (Short Term action to understand need) |
Explore the need for resource at divisional level to consider whether a strong case could be made to fill such a post. If appropriate, develop a proposal for this role’s remit and how it would work with departmental and central colleagues. |
TBA |
Immediate review of resource required. If progressing, expect a 2-year turnaround. |
Worth exploring to understand the need and make the case for this divisional resource. Do departments require additional resource to current coordinators or HR team members, and central EDU support? |
[Updated Sept 22] Review of resource will be understood when looking at coordinator network. |
Accessible IT team made up of current IT staff across Division (Medium Term) |
Equivalent of one Accessible IT point person per department (with small departments joining up to share resource if appropriate). For example, 4 across entire Division eventually, but start with 2 to assess need. To be recruited from existing dept IT staff. Estimated FTE 0.1 per person to start with. |
TBA. |
We are unable to progress this action at this point, but hope to in 22/23. |
IT Staff already overburdened. Training provided and other responsibilities would need to decrease for individuals. MPLS ED&I Team to explore with divisional colleagues. |
[Updated Sept 22] We are unable to progress this action at this point, but hope to in 22/23. |
Creation of a wiki and/or discussion mail list specifically for Accessible IT queries for reference use and knowledge sharing by IT staff mentioned above (Medium Term) |
Usability as a resource based on feedback from Accessible IT team. |
TBA |
We are unable to progress this action at this point, but hope to in 22/23. |
Need to consider who creates and manages this, and whether it should sit with IT Services rather than the Division. |
[Updated Sept 22] We are unable to progress this action at this point, but hope to in 22/23. |
MPLS Disability Coordinators network – Disability Coordinators to be appointed and trained in all departments (Long Term) |
Regular use of meetings/maillists, high uptake in training, feedback from students and staff about improvements in support plans. |
Network for coordinators established so they can share resources across the Division and support each other. |
Initial information gathering to be complete by TT22. Understand requirements from coordinators within departments and help set up a network if required. |
Areas to consider: the specific activities/tasks for Disability Coordinators (and how they would work in conjunction with the divisional disability advisor role proposed above); whether they would be an extension of the work that the Staff Disability Advisor in the EDU does; and how this would be different (or supplemental) to DAS support for students. |
[Updated Sept 22] Initial information gathering to be commenced in HT22 to understand requirements. |