The Action Plan/ Framework for Disability Equality is underpinned by 7 fundamental guiding principles that must be reflected in the University of Wolverhampton’s strategy, policies, practice, behaviour, action plans and culture. These are in line with the University’s Vision 2030 goal to be a “driving force for inclusivity”.

1. UK higher education cannot reach its full potential unless it can benefit from the talents of the whole population and until disabled and neurodiverse individuals can benefit equally from the opportunities it affords. In particular, addressing.

• Disclosure
• The loss of disabled people across the career pipeline
• The absence of disabled people from senior academic, professional and support roles.

2. Disability discrimination is an everyday facet of UK society and inequalities manifest themselves in everyday situations, processes and behaviours. Within Higher Education, it can only be tackled by addressing both the direct and indirect discriminatory treatment experienced by disabled and neurodiverse staff and students. Furthermore, higher education has a civic duty to act as an advocate for disability equality in broader society.

3. Tackling the disability pay and employment gaps.

4. Disabled and neurodiverse people understand the issues they face, which are predominantly caused by the barriers erected by society, and therefore must be at the heart of developing solutions to these issues.

5. Openly acknowledge that disabled and neurodiverse staff and students are not a homogenous group. People living with different disabilities and ways of thinking, have varying experiences and outcomes within higher education, and that complexity needs to be considered in analysing data and developing actions.

6. Honour the intersection of disability or neurotype and other factors wherever possible. All individuals have identities shaped by several different characteristics.

7. Acknowledge that advancing disability equality and inclusion demands active commitment and action from all levels of the organisation; in particular visible leadership from those in senior roles.

Negative assumptions and stereotypes around disability are pervasive in UK Higher Education and wider society. In developing this framework an affirmation approach has been adopted, where disability is anticipated as “a relatively common and ordinary part of human life” (Cameron, 2011, p.19).

“It is a non-tragic view of disability and impairment which encompasses positive social identities, both individual and collective, for disabled people grounded in the benefits of lifestyle and life experience of being impaired and disabled.” (Swain & French, 2010).

This model of disability challenges the notion that having a physical or mental condition that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ impact on your ability to do normal daily activities is negative. We believe that disability should be considered as difference that can have a positive impact on life which can be celebrated. The affirmative model states that disability can have benefits and the natural extension of this is that the life experience gained from living with disability can significantly benefit an organisation. Disabled people will have a unique skillset in comparison to those who have not had such profound life experiences. Living with a disability necessitates ‘out of the box’, creative thinking and problem solving; trying to find alternative ways of managing day-to-day tasks. An example of this is enhanced people skills developed as a consequence of managing carers in the home.

The disability employment gap has slightly decreased in 2020. In 2019, the employment rate for disabled people was 51.8 per cent, compared to 81.6 per cent for non-disabled people. This an employment gap of 29.8 percentage points (ppt). While the disability employment gap has slightly narrowed the disability pay gap has increased drastically compared to last year. In 2019, non-disabled workers earned £1.65 (15.5 per cent) more per hour than disabled workers. In 2020, this has increased to £2.10 (19.6 per cent).  (TUC, 2020)

UK higher education cannot reach its full potential unless it can benefit from the talents of the whole population that is inclusive of individuals of all neurotypes and can benefit equally from the opportunities it affords.

Disability Definition: Disability is the terminology used by the Equality Act 2010 (Government Equalities Office 2010 s6.1) for a person who has a physical or mental impairment that impacts on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

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