- Identify key staff to organise or coordinate the placement. The QAA Code of Practice Learning precept 6 may be helpful.
- Brief the student thoroughly about the placement process.
- Be clear about the placement objectives.
- Consider the placement from the student's perspective. Students should be consulted throughout the whole process.
- Consider the placement from the employer's perspective. Employers should be consulted throughout the process. Use the employer section of the student's Personal Learning Support Plan (PLSP), or similar process. The Employer's Forum (www.employers-forum.co.uk) on Disability offers excellent advice and support to employers.
- With the student's help, understand the implications - if any - of the student's disability upon the placement experience. Early planning and effective liaison with all concerned are crucial. Technical assistance and/or personal care may be required for the student to participate. This will need careful, thorough planning - especially for placements lasting for longer periods of time. If the student wishes to move away from home, issues such as registering with a GP and suitable accommodation will need to be planned. Early contact with a placement officer or tutor is therefore essential. It may need to be as early as the first year or even on application to the course.
- Prepare and implement an accessible application process for students. Use expertise available within your institution.
- Offer support to students who require it and if appropriate refer them to the Student Section of www.disabilitytoolkits.ac.uk
- Offer support for placement interviews if required. Suggest the use of the institutional careers service, which should offer advice on seeking placement opportunities, making effective applications and interview techniques. For an example, see www.manchester.ac.uk/careers/making/workexperience.
- Clarify the need for a placement agreement. Offer support so the student can construct and implement it. This agreement should identify the support the student requires to successfully complete the placement. Consider the student's needs, and any reasonable adjustments, carefully. Course tutors or placement officers may not be fully aware of the impact of the student's disability in the work place. Reasonable adjustments in the work environment may be very different from their learning support needs in University. Support might include special technical and non-technical equipment; physical adaptions, creating a modified work environment, and customised work patterns - e.g. regular rest breaks, etc. Institutional disability support services are extremely useful when considering such issues.
