Covid policies had ‘unintended’ effects on disabled students

First annual report recommends further research into how coronavirus policies affect disabled students

Changes to students’ experiences because of the Covid-19 pandemic prompted a “wider cultural shift” for disabled students, according to the Disabled Students’ Commission.

In its first annual report, the DSC—an initiative funded by the Office for Students as a replacement for the Disabled Student Sector Leadership Group—said the impact of the pandemic meant that the 2019-20 academic year “was arguably the most difficult year that all students have experienced”, and many of the challenges had been “even more pronounced for disabled students”.