How do we keep up academic standards without discriminating against disabled applicants?

The policy of requiring particular qualifications from anyone applying to study could be discriminatory if, for a reason related to disability, an individual has not been able to take those qualifications. Although there is no requirement for your institution to lower academic standards, in relation to disabled applicants it should assess every candidate’s ability to complete the course in order to make an informed decision about whether or not to accept them.

Although A-level results are a generally accepted way of assessing academic ability, there may be occasions when an applicant, for a disability-related reason, hasn’t taken them. In order not to discriminate, the institution needs to identify other method(s) of assessing ability, such as an interview or portfolio.

Depending on the nature of an applicant’s impairment or condition, your admissions tutors might also wonder how the applicant will cope physically with some of the demands of a higher education course. Reasonable adjustments can be made to any elements of a course, with the exception of academic standards. This means that only when the principle of the applicant’s academic ability has been established can other areas be looked at with a view to making reasonable adjustments.