Cambridge University has been ranked the worst in the country for the support it offers its disabled students, according to the results of a recent study.
ITV News reported that only one in four people felt the university had made the adjustments they required.
The broadcaster said the Disabled Students UK’s Access Insights Report surveyed more than 1,200 students from over 80 universities across the country, on issues ranging from exams and assessment to physical accessibility and staff attitudes.
Fourteen universities generated enough responses to be directly compared, and the report’s authors said the findings painted “a pretty bleak picture” of the disabled student experience.
The report showed Cambridge ranked lowest in five out of seven categories, including:
- 27% felt they had adequate support to access their course on an equal footing, compared to 37% nationally
- 37% said a staff member had made them feel unwelcome due to their disability, compared to 25% nationally
- 45% said they had been given enough information about available adjustments, compared to 53% nationally
ITV News Anglia featured the experience of Anna Araya Cardoso Munt, who graduated from Cambridge in the summer and founded its ADHD Society. She said she struggled to find and access resources including mentoring, study skills and mental health support.
Cambridge performed above the national average in terms of its provision of recorded lectures and the proportion of students who feel part of a community. It met the national average for the number of students who felt there was a member of staff they could turn to about accessibility barriers, though this was still the lowest score.
In a statement, a University spokesperson said the sample size for the survey represented “just 2% of Cambridge’s disabled students”.
They added: “We regularly conduct higher-participation surveys and continually review our provision for disabled students. We are committed to responding to feedback and ensuring equal access to education and experience at Cambridge.”
ITV reported that the research also found 78% of respondents nationally had struggled with their mental health because of their degree, and 53% with their physical health.
Mette Anwar-Westander, founder and chief executive of Disabled Students UK, said the organisation hoped universities would listen to student feedback.
She added: “The survey overall paints a pretty bleak picture of the disabled student experience. What’s clear is that there are students out there who are really suffering. By acting proactively, we can change the ending to their stories.”
