University of Bradford Honored for Disabled Student Access System

The University of Bradford has received a prestigious award for developing a system that facilitates easier access to scientific laboratories for disabled students. The project’s leader indicated that biomedical science and related academic programs involve substantial practical laboratory work, which often poses challenges for students with specific disabilities. Judges for The Times Higher Education Award characterized the system created by the university to address this issue as “incredibly impactful.” This recognition was granted in acknowledgment of the institution’s significant contribution to equality, diversity, and inclusion. Dr. Sobia Kauser, who participated in the project, noted an increasing number of students enrolling at the university with “increasing complex needs that find laboratory work particularly challenging and require specific adjustments in the laboratory environment.” She explained that the developed approach is student-focused, placing the student’s personal experience, wisdom, and expertise regarding their own impairment at the core of the process. Students are “empowered” by completing an online questionnaire that outlines the barriers they encounter and the solutions that are effective for them. This information then updates a specially designed database and is communicated to appropriate staff. Subsequently, students are invited to an online or in-person meeting where a risk assessment is conducted and suitable adjustments are implemented. Disability advisor Stuart Walker, also involved in the project, commented: “We were really pleased and humbled to have won this award. “It’s wonderful news for our university to be recognised in this category and reflects on the hard work of all those who contributed to the project.”