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Support for students with disabilities
12/11/2007
Scottish students with disabilities will be able to access extra support more quickly as a result of changes to the Disabled Students Allowance.
Speaking as she opened the refurbished High Mill building at the Heriot Watt University Scottish Borders Campus at Galashiels Education and Lifelong Learning Cabinet Secretary Fiona Hyslop said:
"Improving access to education is a key commitment of this Scottish Government. The co-location of these two institutions is just one example of how to improve access particularly in rural and remote areas.
"Access will be further improved more widely with the announcement today that we are increasing the threshold on the non-medical personal helpers allowance by 60 per cent.
"Alongside that, Borders College and Heriot Watt University have been piloting a validation scheme which will allow students with disabilities to have their needs assessed and consequently their allowance paid, more quickly.
"Both of these moves will make a significant difference to the educational experience of many students with disabilities studying at Scotland's colleges and universities."
NUS Scotland's Disabled Students' Officer, Carla McLean said;
"This is a positive step towards removing financial barriers for disabled students. The 60 per cent increase to non medical personal help funding will benefit those students who have, in the past, been unable to get the assistance they need because of lack of financial support. I welcome this move as a step towards achieving equality of access for disabled students."
The DSA is an additional non-means tested grant awarded by the Students Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) for eligible full-time, part-time, distance learning and postgraduate higher education students, studying at college or university
The increase means that from next academic year, 2008-9, eligible students studying a higher education course at college or university that require the assistance of a NMPH will benefit from an increased allowance of up to £20,000. The previous limit was £12,420.
The Scottish Government in conjunction with SAAS have created a pilot toolkit to allow institutions to become validated to carry out needs assessments for students applying for DSA. The aim of this pilot is to cut the waiting times that students were experiencing and to enhance the whole assessment experience, recognising that the student's institution would be best placed to assess their needs in line with the course and the adjustments that the institution can make.
Both Heriot Watt University and Borders College are validated under the toolkit pilot and have been successfully undertaking student's assessments for the last year.