Supporting disabled clients – case studies and frequently asked questions on the AGCAS website

The AGCAS Disability Task group have recently produced a series of case studies, providing advice for colleagues, based on real experiences of working with clients. The case studies cover the following disabilities: Asperger syndrome, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, hearing impairment, mental health and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

These studies are designed to share some potential practical solutions and ideas that we hope will be a source of help to our AGCAS colleagues. We would, of course, be very pleased to receive feedback.

The case studies can be found by signing in as normal onto the main AGCAS site, typing ‘Disability’ into the search field and looking in the ‘Resources‘ section.

The studies can be used alone or in conjunction with the ‘Frequently asked questions‘ section, which we have recently updated and which can be found in the same place on the AGCAS site as the case studies. The questions cover a range of typical issues that colleagues working with disabled clients may need to know about. The questions are:

1. What does the legal definition of disability include and what current legislation should you be aware of with regards to disability issues in the workplace?

2. What is a Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA), how do individuals apply for it and what type of educational support might it provide?

3. What type of support do university careers services typically provide to disabled students and graduates?

4. How, when and why should a student disclose their disability in an application for employment or further study?

5. How can you identify disability-friendly employers?

6. How do disabled graduates fare in the job market?

7. What further resources should I refer to when working with disabled students and graduates?

We hope the information is helpful.

Paul Barnes, Disability Task Group member.

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