Disability Pride Month 2024
Disability Pride Month is celebrated every year throughout the month of July. It’s an opportunity to celebrate people with disabilities, their identities, their culture, and their contributions to society.
It also seeks to change the way people think about and define disability, to end the stigma of disability, and to promote the belief that disability is a natural part of human diversity in which people living with disabilities can celebrate and take pride.
We wanted to highlight a small snapshot of some of the ways in which Scotland’s Colleges, Universities and Students’ Associations support disabled students through their Student Mental Health Agreements, and/or have celebrated Disability Pride Month.
City of Glasgow College & Students’ Association
- The We Can Campaign highlights opportunities available for neurodiverse students & staff and raises awareness about neurodivergence. Their resource hub includes disability focused resources and groups.
- The newly established Student Accessibility Network provides a peer support space for students with disabilities, who also look at creating inclusive sports activities and other events.
Dundee and Angus College & Students’ Association
- Are exploring ways to ensure accessibility of student services across all campuses. This includes advice, guidance, academic and social emotional and behavioural (SEB) support.
- They create individualised support plans and offer equipment, literacy and dyslexia screenings and a triage service with access to student counsellors and external agencies.
Edinburgh Napier University & Students’ Association
- Have developed work to enable them to produce more accessible communications.
Glasgow Caledonian University & Students’ Association
- The Disability Team provides advice, information and services to disabled students. They offer information, advice and training related to the support of disabled students and promote accessible and inclusive teaching and service provision.
- In 2019 Glasgow Caledonian University’s Student Wellbeing Service became the first in the UK to achieve accreditation from the National Autistic Society and were re-accredited in 2023.
Glasgow Kelvin College & Students’ Association
- Recognising their duty to make reasonable adjustments, they have made changes to the study area, introduced a quiet area and a reflection room.
- Produced more inclusive communications.
- Improved assessment methods – extensions to assignments, examination conditions and the offer of a temporary time out / suspension of studies.
Heriot Watt University & Students’ Association
- Are targeting wellbeing services to ensure access to underrepresented groups, including disabled students. They have created a Global Wellbeing & Support Staff Forum to share best practice and feedback.
- Comprehensive Disability Service.
- Ran a Disabled Students Society Spotlight as part of Disability Pride Month.
North East Scotland College & Students’ Association
- Have a focus on accessibility of information – including ensuring BSL is available across all college agreements and services to better support students with a hearing impairment.
West Lothian College & Students’ Association
- Hosted a Disability Confident event as part of Disability Pride Month. Bringing local employers together to promote inclusivity and support for people with disabilities in the workplace.
