This includes organising, recruiting for, and hosting live workshops that provide students with access to support services within the HEP and simplifying any relevant onboarding information, such as how to access course materials, navigate the campus and contact the relevant staff to access information or discuss their specific needs. 

Timing

Offer-holder and post-entry transition stages

Activities

Activities can be delivered either in-person to enable students to learn together and actively engage with both the workshop content, as well as institutional staff and other students. This has been associated with an increase in disabled students’ confidence to succeed in HE (Harley, 2023). [Type 2 evidence]

Workshops can also be delivered via telephone or online in order to increase awareness of and engagement with onboarding information, support services, and course content with the aim of reducing accessibility barriers for disabled students. [Type 1 evidence]

Ideally, both formats should be delivered as providing participation options over an extended period of time. and in a range of formats, can maximise effective implementation. The HEP should further raise awareness of the workshops via relevant networks, forums, and newsletters.

Change mechanisms

  • Early engagement with HEPs students integrate the lived experience of their disability with the HE journey improved knowledge and / or increased confidence and trusting relationships with staff and support services
  • Familiarisation with and early awareness of student life → students are better prepared for HE → improved experience of HE 

Assumptions

1.1 We assume that students have time available and invest it to actively engage with HEPs and to take up the support on offer to them during their transition journey. This is based on Type 1 evidence from HEPs delivering transition support for disabled students.

1.3 We assume that the interventions / programmes generate awareness and confidence among those that have not shared information about their disability to declare or seek targeted support. This is based on Type 1 evidence from HEPs delivering transition support for disabled students.

1.4 We assume that disabled students welcome the opportunity to learn about disability support from HEPs and related interventions / programmes and engage with them. This is based on Type 2 evidence from Markle, Wessel and Desmond (2017) as well as Type 1 evidence from HEPs delivering transition support for disabled students.

1.5 We assume that disabled students experience their engagement with staff and other stakeholders as being supportive and trustworthy. This is based on Type 1 evidence from HEPs delivering transition support for disabled students.

2.2 We assume that education providers are proactive with supporting students with a disability and reflect their commitment through activities such as staff training, student access to disability services / resources. This is based on Type 2 evidence from Baker et al. (2021).

2.3 We assume that education providers identify appropriate interventions / adjustments aligned with specific disabled student needs. This is based on Type 2 evidence from Baker et al. (2021).

2.4 We assume that staff and other stakeholders (such as peers involved in interventions / programmes) form supportive and trustworthy relationships with disabled students in all engagements conducted. This is based on Type 2 evidence from Hillier et al. (2019).

2.5 We assume that faculty members understand the importance of their role in the academic success of students with disabilities and the reasons why transition into HE might be more difficult for students with disability. This is based on Type 2 evidence from Markle, Wessel, and Desmond (2017).

3.3 We assume that there are sufficient resources available for implementing a programme of transition support at HEPs. This is based on Type 1 evidence from HEPs delivering transition support for disabled students.

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