Speaker of House of Commons John Bercow MP visits the OU

The Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow MP, paid a visit to The Open University campus in Milton Keynes and gained an insight into the support offered to the OU’s 13,000 disabled students.

Malcolm Dixon, Manager of the OU Access Centre in Disabled Student Services, and Katya Barakhta, Senior Assessor, were pleased to welcome the Speaker of the House on board the new OU Access Bus and offer a tour of the facilities used to assess students who’ve declared a disability and require study support from the Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA).

The Access Bus is a fully equipped mobile assessment facility for students who have applied to receive the Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA), a non-means tested government grant. Assessors identify how a student's disability is likely to impact on their study and what recommendations for support, such as assistive technology, aids and adaptations, and human support, can be made and paid for via the DSA.

Mr Bercow enquired about support for the 13,000 disabled students at the OU and observed the specialist equipment carried on the bus while Katya demonstrated a range of specialist software often recommended to students with dyslexia or other specific learning difficulties, mental health issues or physical disabilities.

The Access Bus is equipped with a range of assistive technology for demonstration and testing as part of the DSA assessment process. The bus can be taken to locations across the regions and nations, including the homes of Open University disabled students, or other educational establishments and facilities, for DSA assessments to take place.

Malcom Dixon said: “This was a really valuable visit. It's great to see a local MP engaging not only with the OU but taking a strong interest in the needs of disabled students and their ongoing support.

"Students with disabilities or long-term health conditions often face challenges with their studies which the DSA can help to alleviate, the centre strives to ensure that disability does not have to be disabling" he added.

During his visit to the OU in Milton Keynes, Mr Bercow was shown the Knowledge Media Institute’s Media Lab, where he was given a presentation about the student experience by Vice-Chancellor Martin Bean; and enjoyed a tour of the Planetary and Space Sciences Research Institute with Professor Monica Grady, head of the department for Physical Sciences.

For more information about Services for Disabled Students, see the website.

 

Pictured, from left, are Katya Barakhta, Senior Assessor; Malcolm Dixon, Manager of the OU Access Centre in Disabled Student Services, and Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow MP.