Disability Equality Policy

The University’s aims

1.  The University of Oxford welcomes diversity amongst its students, staff and visitors, recognising the contributions to the achievement of the University’s mission that can be made by all individuals, including disabled people. The University aims to provide an inclusive and accessible working, learning and social environment in which the rights and dignity of all its staff and students are respected to assist them in reaching their full potential. The University will work to remove any barriers which might deter people of the highest potential and ability from applying to Oxford, either as staff or students.

Background

2.  The Disability Discrimination Act 2005 places a positive duty on all public bodies, including the University, to eliminate discrimination and harassment and to promote equality of opportunity for people with disabilities. The University is required to have in place (from December 2006) a Disability Equality Scheme (DES). The scheme must comprise a range of operational and strategic activities that the University will engage upon over a three-year period to meet the requirements of the Act.

3.  The scheme is informed by the social model of disability, which requires that the ‘barriers’ or elements of social organisation that exclude people who have impairments should be identified and removed. Examples of such barriers include:

  • inflexible organisational procedures and practices;
  • inaccessible information;
  • inaccessible buildings;
  • inaccessible transport;
  • discriminatory health and social support services.

4.  The general Disability Equality Duty that applies to all public authorities is supplemented by specific duties to support the majority of public authorities in achieving the outcomes required by the general duty. In summary the requirements for a public authority when carrying out its functions are to have due regard to:

  • promoting equality of opportunity between disabled people and other people;
  • eliminating discrimination that is unlawful under the Disability Discrimination Act;
  • eliminating harassment of disabled people that is related to their disability;
  • promoting positive attitudes towards disabled people;
  • encouraging participation by disabled people in public life;
  • taking steps to meet disabled people’s needs, even if this requires more favourable treatment.

5.  ‘Due regard’ means that authorities should give due weight to the need to promote disability equality in proportion to its relevance.

The University’s commitment

6.  The University is committed to promoting equality of opportunity between disabled people and other people, eliminating unlawful discrimination for disabled people and harassment of disabled people, promoting positive attitudes towards disabled people, encouraging participation by disabled people in the life of the University and taking steps to meet the needs of disabled people, including where necessary by more favourable treatment. The University will assess the impact of policies on disabled students and staff, monitor their recruitment and progression and publish the results of impact assessments and monitoring.

7.  Any unlawful discriminatory behaviour, including harassment or bullying by individuals or groups, will be regarded extremely seriously and could be regarded as grounds for disciplinary action, which may include expulsion or dismissal.

Consultation

8.  Involvement and engagement with disabled people is integral to the development and review of the University’s Disability Equality Scheme. Consultation also includes Joint committees, and other interested and relevant groups within the University.

Community partnership

9.  The University will work in partnership with local and national disability groups and networks so that involvement and engagement develops between the University and disabled people in the wider community.

Guidance, support and training

10. Guidance, support and training will be provided to members of staff to ensure that the University's commitment to disability equality is fully realised.

Monitoring and audit

11. The University has in place arrangements to monitor, by reference to disability, the selection and recruitment of members of staff and the admission of students. The results of this monitoring process are collated by the University's Equality and Diversity Unit and reported to the University. Additional monitoring is undertaken as necessary to ensure that the University is able to identify possible improvements in its practices in relation to:

  • teaching, learning and assessment; management and governance;
  • admissions, access and participation;
  • support and guidance for students;
  • behaviour and discipline;
  • partnership and community links;
  • staff recruitment, training and career development;
  • and service delivery.

12. The Action Plan for the University's Disability Equality Scheme sets out arrangements for monitoring in particular areas and reports on outcomes.

Responsibilities

13. Council is responsible for securing compliance with the general and specific duties and for overseeing implementation of the Scheme.

14. The Vice-Chancellor is responsible for providing leadership in the promotion and implementation of the Scheme1.

15. The Equality and Diversity Unit is responsible to Council for the promotion, development, implementation, monitoring, prioritisation and review of equality policies generally.

16. All committees are responsible for ensuring that this policy is embedded in their duties and functions in relation to both students and staff.

17. Those with managerial responsibilities have a duty to take forward specific actions under this policy as identified in the action plan in addition to the general duties under the Act.

Contractors and service providers

18.  The University's procurement policies will address, where appropriate the obligation to promote disability equality and equality between disabled people and other people.

Review

19.  The General Purposes Committee, on behalf of the Council, will consider an annual report of the Disability Equality Scheme at the end of the Michaelmas Term each year. A full review of the Disability Equality Scheme will take place every three years from initial publication (the first review to take place in the Michaelmas Term 2009).

Publication

20. The University will publish the Disability Equality Policy and Scheme and results of monitoring and assessments as part of the annual report of the Scheme.

Complaints

21. Any prospective or current student or member of staff who has a complaint concerning a breach of this policy may bring such a complaint to the University. Information and guidance on complaints procedures.

1 In practice, this role is delegated to the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Personnel and Equality)