The Equality Act 2010, which replaced earlier legislation including the Disability Discrimination Act, gave disabled people increased protection against discrimination. The law uses a very broad definition of a disability which moves away from the idea of a standard list of fixed impairments to a more social model. The social model says that people are disabled by their environment and if we can make the environment genuinely accessible, they will no longer experience any disabling barriers. A person has a disability if they have a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. (Substantial long-term means lasting at least 12 months or expected to last at least 12 months).
Oxford Brookes University is committed to providing a supportive working and learning environment for all individuals, regardless of any disability, to allow all our staff and students to achieve their full potential.
Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Statement states that equality is integral to all activities at Oxford Brookes. All applicants to and members of the university community will be treated fairly. We value the diversity of our community which is enriched by the contributions of every individual. Oxford Brookes promotes equality of opportunity for disabled people. Some people may not need any extra support, but for others making ‘reasonable adjustments’ will enable them to flourish. We want all disabled people to have a positive experience at Oxford Brookes, whether here to study, work or visit.
We are signed up to the Disability Confident Scheme which supports our approach to attract, recruit, retain and develop disabled staff.
As a Disability Confident Employer, every disabled applicant who meets the minimum requirements for a role will be guaranteed an interview.
Oxford Brookes is committed to actively reviewing and improving our practices to effectively fulfil the scheme requirements, embed disability confidence and demonstrate good practice in recruitment, retention and progression for disabled people.
The Inclusive Support Service provides advice, information and practical support to students with disabilities, medical conditions and Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLDs) at Oxford Brookes University. The service is also very happy to be contacted by members of university staff for advice, information and guidance to help support students with disabilities. Our Occupational Health Service can also provide advice on reasonable adjustments.