Abstract

The Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) is a government grant for students aged 18 years and over in English Higher Education. Amongst other things, this grant supports the provision of traditional assistive technologies. In April 2014, the UK’s Minister for Universities, Science and Cities proposed cuts to the DSA. Although a later announcement delayed these cuts until the academic year 2016−2017, a number of universities are already preparing alternative means to support disabled students. In this article, it is argued that cuts to the DSA will potentially reduce the cultural and technical capitals of students with disabilities and lessen social inclusion in Higher Education. In particular, less support will potentially lead to a reduction in the development of study skills. As a counter weight, this article proposes a new model of inclusive technical capital. This model originates in Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital and habitus. The proposed model supports the use of native apps and settings in ubiquitous mainstream mobile technologies. It also espouses the use of m-learning for the passive inclusion of students with disabilities. This article also presents the early results of a project on the use of mobile technologies at the London School of Economics and Canterbury Christ Church University. This project found that students with disabilities and their lecturers already used mobile technologies alongside or instead of customized traditional assistive technologies. The project also found that students preferred not to attend, or found it difficult to attend, separate study skills courses using mobile technologies. However, they were more likely to access m-learning tutorial materials on Learning Management Systems. The study concludes that mobile technologies have the potential to develop a number of study skills that are at risk after cuts to the DSA. However, their use in this regard needs further research and support from universities.

Highlights

  • This article examines the potential effects of the removal of the Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) by the United Kingdom government from students in Higher Education (HE) in England

  • It focuses on the possibility of the diminution of vital technical capital in disabled students, and the effects that this might have on the development of essential study skills

  • The Open Coding was initially focussed on the two questions: (1) What issues led to the initial introduction of the DSA? and (2) Could these issues be re-imposed given the withdrawal of the DSA? In an analysis of question 1, Riddell, Tinklin and Wilson (2004) discussed a significant expansion of UK HE from the mid-1980s onwards

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Summary

Introduction

This article examines the potential effects of the removal of the Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) by the United Kingdom government from students in Higher Education (HE) in England. To counter balance the possible effects of diminution of technical capital in disabled students, this article introduces a model of inclusive technical capital This model develops the argument that knowledge of digital technologies can assist social inclusion of disabled people, as such knowledge can help their education and employment status. This model is based on the philosophy and use of assistive features and applications (apps) in contemporary mainstream technologies In this context, it proposes the use of mobile smartphones and tablets by disabled students as tools to develop inclusive technical capital. In order to test its hypothesis, this article continues by providing the findings of a pilot project This project was designed to provide training and support for disabled students in two UK HE institutions: the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU). The fifth section presents conclusions and recommendations for further research and the design of systems, pedagogy and support

Methodology
Data Collection Methods
Open Coding—An Analysis of Literature on the DSA
Axial Coding—An Analysis of Technical Capital
Conclusion
Full Text
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