Committee calls for views of disabled students on higher education admissions
A Holyrood committee has called for the views of disabled students in Scotland on the higher education admissions process.
A Holyrood committee has called for the views of disabled students in Scotland on the higher education admissions process.
The Equalities and Human Rights Committee (EHRiC) is to consider whether public money spent on universities is fulfilling its potential to support those with disabilities.
The committee wants to hear from a range of stakeholders including disabled students who have made it into higher education and those who have not, as well as students' associations and third sector organisations.
The EHRiC has already found that young disabled people are more likely to fall into the not in employment, education or training'' category than their peers, and missing out on university could be further entrenching the difficulties and inequalities faced by disabled people.
The feedback will be used to inform the committees' work on the Scottish Government's 2017/18 draft budget.
Christina McKelvie MSP, committee convener, said: Although the Scottish Government's draft budget is not due to be published until later this year, we are keen to begin to consider how public money is supporting the promotion of equalities across all areas of life in Scotland.
Universities in Scotland receive large amounts of public money.
However, we want to consider if they are doing everything they can to support disabled people.
We know both the importance of higher education to life chances, and that all too often in many areas of life disabled people face an uphill struggle.
We hope our scrutiny of the higher education admissions process can make our institutions more responsive and sensitive to the needs of prospective disabled students, and ensure that the public pound is a force for equalities and human rights.''