Gateways to the Professions

5. Preparing the ground

5.6 Training staff

Medical schools should review and update their disability equality training programmes for staff and, when necessary, develop new ones to keep staff informed of their duties under the DDA and DED. Often this is best done in collaboration with disabled students and staff and, if possible, by engaging disabled people's organisations to deliver the training.

Universities benefit from the knowledge and networks of disability officers; and medical schools should also consider having a designated person or committee to address the school's duties under the DDA. 

This advisory guidance should help the following staff in their work in medical education:

All admissions staff must be aware of the need to make reasonable adjustments. They should also be trained in communicating with a wide range of disabled people and encouraging them to disclose in confidence.

Teaching and ancillary staff also need to know what is expected on:

  • making teaching and learning more accessible to disabled students
  • how to put reasonable adjustments in place
  • what advice and support services are available for disabled students.

Occupational health staff should also be considered for disability awareness training and be able to advise on making reasonable adjustments. 

WEB LINKS:

Staff training

The Open University provides a training site that explains how best to make teaching inclusive at: 
http://www.open.ac.uk/inclusiveteaching/index.php

The Equality Challenge Unit has published Choosing and Using Equality and Diversity Trainers and Consultants:
http://www.ecu.ac.uk/publications/pubs_guidance.html#200610ChoosingEDTrainers

Disability etiquette

There are many publications that offer guidance on appropriate behaviour and communication with disabled people.

A National Framework for Disability Equality and Etiquette Learning has recently been developed and is available at:
www.health.heacademy.ac.uk/news-events/dl/TheDEELNationalFramework

The BBC offers some useful tips and advice on how best to welcome learners with a range of different impairments at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ictcoach/accessibility/dle_p1.shtml

SCIPS (Strategies for Creating Inclusive Programmes of Study) is the result of an HEFCE funded project conducted at the University of Worcester:
http://www.scips.worc.ac.uk/

The disability etiquette guidance from SCIPS, including useful suggestions on language and common courtesies, is at:
http://www.scips.worc.ac.uk/etiquette.html

The Employers’ Forum on Disability also publishes a Disability Communications Guide on language and etiquette, specific impairments and preferred modes of assistance, and how to recognise and avoid attitudes and behaviour that can create misunderstandings and barriers:
http://www.employers-forum.co.uk/www/guests/publications/wdc-dcg.htm#dcq

See also the Equality Challenge Unit publication A-Z Equality and Diversity:
http://www.ecu.ac.uk/publications/guidancepublications/200503-AtoZEqualityDiversity.pdf