Disabled & SLD - Setting a higher standard

Passed January 2016; renewed January 2018; amended and renewed October 2019

Proposed by: William Dyer (Disabled Student Representative)

In progress

Student Council believes:

That every student, no matter what disability or specific learning difficulty they bring to university, should be treated with the same respect awarded to all students and should (as much as possible) to be treated as equals.

Specifically in terms of:

1. Access to QM and BL campuses and all its rooms and facilities
2. Usability of venues both on QM and BL campuses.
3. Creating a suitable environment for those students with disabilities and specific learning difficulties, to access learning and leisure, on as close to parity as possible, with all students at Queen Mary

Student Council asks that the following considerations and changes to be made by Queen Mary Student’s Union and Queen Mary, University of London:

1. When new furniture is being purchased for the use of students in university and union controlled premises, that it be made disability friendly under the United Nations ‘Accessibility for the Disabled A Design Manual for a Barrier Free Environment’ (https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/designm/)
2. That all lifts on QM and BL campuses carry signs that signal priority to those users with mobility issues (such as those that use a wheelchair or carry a walking aid)
3. That if a student is forced to use a goods lift be given access to a phone that will link them to a member of the premises team that is on site at all times, whilst any building within which extra assistance is needed to operate the lift (such as a goods lift) is the only means of accessible floor to floor transportation.
4. That where a door that is swing back mechanism enabled. That is must always remain on within the operational hours of that building or section of the building.
5. That future risk assessments take into account levels of lighting within all buildings on QM and BL campuses. With risk assessors paying special attention to the advice giving by the Royal National Institute of Blind People’s (RNIB) ‘Blind and partially sighted people at work - Guidance and good practice for Risk Assessors’
   • Immediate attention must be given to the lighting situation in the Francis Bancroft Building on the Mile End campus.
6. Put up signs in lecture theatres to identify whether the space has a hearing loop or not.
7. To pressure Queen Mary, University of London, to put the emphasis on the university to providing recordings of lectures (where QReview is not available), rather than the student with an identified disability or specific learning difficulty.
8. To put pressure on to publish the name and contact details of the disability and specific learning difficulty point person within each school on the module page for each module within the school on QMplus.
9. That once implemented the union will continue to implement the recommendations made by “Disabled Go” or an equivalent service. Whilst also monitoring any measures of improvement that Disabled Go may suggest.

Student Council gives permission for Queen Mary Student’s Union to embark on a campaign that:

1. Explores that impact of cuts to the Disabled Students Allowance, which a view to work with the university to protect keys service the university provides services students through the Disabled Students Allowance.
2. If Queen Mary Student’s Union feels that key services are not being maintained, then Queen Mary Student’s union should actively campaign for their retention.