Towards Inclusive Learning in Higher Education: Developing Curricula for Disabled Students

It is widely recognised that the provision of an inclusive education is critical to maintaining high standards of learning and teaching for all students in higher education - a fact that is backed up by recent introduction of legislation and best practice guidelines around the world. This book is written for all practitioners in higher education today - many of whom may not have previous experience of working with disabled students, but now wish to develop a better understanding of the issues involved and of how they can improve their own practice. Towards Inclusive Learning in Higher Education is a rich source of practical advice and resources. Experienced contributors share their own techniques, outlining innovative methods and activities that will help both individuals and institutions to improve their classroom practice and develop inclusive curricula. The book explores the all the key areas in higher education today, including: the student's transition from FE to HE current barriers to inclusive education uses and requirements for information technology quality issues and benchmark descriptors examinations and assessment employability and work placements.

Table of Contents:
1 Improving access to higher education for disabled people 2 From a disabling world to a new vision 3 Listening to students: the experiences of disabled students of learning at university 4 Academic standards and benchmark descriptors 5 Supporting staff in developing inclusive online learning 6 Using Universal Design for Learning to expand access to higher education 7 Supporting inclusive practice: developing an assessment toolkit 8 Learning, teaching and disabled students: challenging traditional models of support 9 Disability and omnicompetence: facing up to the challenges in the training of veterinary practitioners 10 Language issues for deaf students in higher education 11 Creating engaging, accessible multimedia for learning 12 Enhancing disabled students’ learning through virtual learning environments 13 Disability and mainstreaming continuing professional development in higher education 14 Supporting disabled students on placement 15 Equal to the task: disability issues in postgraduate research study 16 Conclusion: a manifesto for mainstreaming inclusive practice

About the Author :
Mike Adams is Assistant Director of Delivery and Learning at the Disability Rights Commission. He was previously Director of the National Disability Team, UK, which provided consultancy services to higher education institutions in England and Northern Ireland. He has a wealth of experience in learning and teaching related issues, has produced a wide range of papers for conferences and has been published in refereed journals both in the UK and abroad. Sally Brown is Professor of Higher Education Diversity and Pro-Vice-Chancellor at Leeds Metropolitan University with responsibility for assessment, learning and teaching. She is also a visiting Professor at the Robert Gordon University . She was for five years Director of Membership Services for the Institute for Learning and Teaching and has published widely on teaching, learning and particularly assessment.

Review :
'This excellent and urgently needed book celebrates existing achievements and challenges impairment-led thinking and outmoded learning and teaching practices, setting out a clear framework for change. The editors state that the initial aim of the book was to "stimulate discussion" and leave "an indelible legacy for the academic community". They have achieved this admirably. The range and quality of the contributions, and the clarity of the arguments put forward, represent a real challenge to complacency for all those working in higher education.' - Higher Education Review 'This hugely commendable and generally well-edited book of purely British practice consists of an editorial Introduction and fifteen essay-style chapters, and concludes with a 21-point 'manifesto for mainstreaming inclusive practice". - British Journal of Educational Technology