TY - CHAP
T1 - Reasonable adjustment supporting special educational needs and disabilities
T2 - the case for digital skills
AU - Chalmers, Kevin
AU - Irons, Alastair
AU - Phippen, Andy
N1 - © 2026 Elsevier Ltd. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.
PY - 2026/2/6
Y1 - 2026/2/6
N2 - This chapter critically examines the evolving legal, ethical, and institutional responsibilities of higher education institutions in supporting students with disabilities and long-term health conditions. Framed by the Equality Act 2010 and recent landmark cases such as Abrahart v University of Bristol, United Kingdom, the authors explore the complex intersection between academic standards, professional accreditation requirements, and the duty to make reasonable adjustments. Through analysis of regulatory developments, legal interpretations, and the operational challenges faced by universities and professional, statutory, and regulatory bodies, the chapter highlights tensions between competency-based education and inclusive practice. Drawing on a case study from the British Computer Society’s accreditation process, it illustrates how flexible, competency-aligned assessment strategies can uphold academic integrity while supporting equity. The chapter ultimately argues for a proactive, systemic approach to inclusion, calling for curriculum redesign, staff development, and institutional accountability to ensure legal compliance and ethical responsibility in contemporary higher education.
AB - This chapter critically examines the evolving legal, ethical, and institutional responsibilities of higher education institutions in supporting students with disabilities and long-term health conditions. Framed by the Equality Act 2010 and recent landmark cases such as Abrahart v University of Bristol, United Kingdom, the authors explore the complex intersection between academic standards, professional accreditation requirements, and the duty to make reasonable adjustments. Through analysis of regulatory developments, legal interpretations, and the operational challenges faced by universities and professional, statutory, and regulatory bodies, the chapter highlights tensions between competency-based education and inclusive practice. Drawing on a case study from the British Computer Society’s accreditation process, it illustrates how flexible, competency-aligned assessment strategies can uphold academic integrity while supporting equity. The chapter ultimately argues for a proactive, systemic approach to inclusion, calling for curriculum redesign, staff development, and institutional accountability to ensure legal compliance and ethical responsibility in contemporary higher education.
U2 - 10.1016/B978-0-443-34057-4.00006-7
DO - 10.1016/B978-0-443-34057-4.00006-7
M3 - Chapter
SN - 9780443340574
T3 - Chandos Advances in Information Series
SP - 143
EP - 168
BT - The digital student
A2 - Phippen, Andy
A2 - Bond, Emma
PB - Chandos Publishing
CY - London
ER -