Student Perspectives: Challenges

The student discussions centred on the lived realities of navigating higher education systems, particularly for students with disabilities. A strong sense of disconnect was evident between students and staff, students and support services, and within institutional processes that were often experienced as unclear or inaccessible.

Participants highlighted how standardised approaches failed to reflect diverse needs, emphasising that “one size does not fit all.” Experiences of stigma, administrative complexity, and inconsistent support were compounded by wider pressures such as commuting, financial constraints, and caring responsibilities.

Beyond practical barriers, the discussions also revealed the emotional impact of these systems, including frustration, uncertainty, and a lack of confidence in accessing support.

Staff Perspectives: Challenges

The staff discussions highlighted a complex landscape shaped by both commitment and constraint. Participants reflected on their willingness to support students, while also describing how institutional systems and processes limited their ability to act flexibly.

A key theme that emerged was a sense of disconnect from support structures, particularly in relation to navigating systems such as DASS. Staff described challenges in understanding processes, communicating effectively with support services, and confidently implementing adjustments.

At the same time, tensions were identified between maintaining academic integrity and developing inclusive assessment practices, particularly in the context of large cohorts and emerging technologies such as AI. Overall, staff perspectives revealed both a strong desire to improve and the structural barriers that shaped their practice.

Accessibility in assessment was a key theme, particularly in relation to in-person examinations. Students also raised concerns about bias linked to accent and communication style in presentations, oral assessments and vivas, noting that Western communication norms are often treated as the default and that reports of discrimination do not always lead to meaningful action.

Staff also reflected on the conditions needed to support equity and inclusion, including opportunities for honest feedback, time to review and improve courses, and effective ways to evaluate whether institutional initiatives are having a positive impact.

Students proposed a range of solutions, including tailored support for international students, more diverse marking panels, and the consistent use of content warnings across programmes. Discussions also explored ways of increasing accountability and transparency within teaching and assessment, while recognising the need for appropriate safeguards.

Staff expressed a desire to strengthen cultural humility through professional development, share decision-making and agency more openly, and engage in partnership with students by acknowledging that staff do not have all the answers. Participants also emphasised the value of maintaining relationship-centred approaches, fostering stronger disciplinary communities, and continuing initiatives such as PASS and peer mentoring that support connection and belonging.

Using a creative and open-ended approach, students and staff worked in partnership to map key moments in the assessment process, contributing practical suggestions, reflections and examples of support. The workshop highlighted the value of collaborative problem-solving and demonstrated how bringing together different perspectives can strengthen the development of inclusive resources.

Discussions emphasised the importance of creating a resource that was both visually engaging and accessible to a wide range of users. Participants considered how design choices could support inclusion, ensuring that the final resource would be easy to navigate, meaningful to students, and effective in communicating key information.