The Commission for Disabled Staff in Lifelong Learning

The Commission aimed to investigate and report on current practices in the employment of disabled people. This provided an evidence base from which the Commission made recommendations for the government, unions, lifelong learning employers and staff, and a variety of other 'stakeholders'. The ultimate aim of the Commission was to address the widespread institutional discrimination against disabled staff in the lifelong learning sector, and to make recommendations that positively influence culture and practice and promote career opportunities for disabled people.

The Commission was an independent body, funded by NIACE, DIUS, the LSC, LLUK and City and Guilds. It comprised the following commissioners, observers and members:

• Leisha Fullick, Pro-Director (London), Institute of Education (Chair)
• Martin Tolhurst, Principal, Newham College of Further Education (Vice Chair)
• Yvette Adams, Executive Director Diversity, Culture and Communications, Centre for Excellence in Leadership
• Sasha Callaghan, Member of the TUC Disability Committee and the Disability Rights Commission Post-16 Education Reference Group; President-Elect of the University and College Union
• Deborah Cooper, Learning and Skills Manager, Milton Keynes Council
• Sian Davies, Assistant National Officer, Education Workforce Unit, Unison
• Pat Dyson, National Post-Compulsory Education and Training (PCET) Manager, Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB)
• Katie Germer, Policy Officer, Widening Participation, Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE)
• Kate Heasman, Equality Official, Equality Unit, University and College Union (UCU) (from November 2007)
• Stephen Jackson, Deputy Director, Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS)
• Mark Kaczmarek, Deputy Divisional Manager for FE Workforce Development and Leadership, Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS)
• Monica Kreel, Investigations Officer, Disability Rights Commission (DRC) (until November 2007)
• Richard Linley, National Post-Compulsory Education and Training (PCET) Senior Development Officer, Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) (from November 2007)
• Nathan Lucas, Senior Employment Adviser, Association of Colleges (AoC)
• Aisling Lyon, Policy Advisor on Equality and Diversity, Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK)
• Stephanie MacDivitt, Skills for Life Learning Support Workforce Manager, Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK) (November 2007)
• Paul Mackney, Joint General Secretary, Universities and Colleges Union (UCU) (until November 2007)
• David McKenlay, Office for Disability Issues, Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
• John Penton, Member of the Council of City and Guilds, RIBA Client Design Adviser and Registered Access Consultant
• Sharon Smith, Equality and Diversity Policy Acting Manager, Learning and Skills Council (LSC) (from July 2007)
• Alan Tuckett, Director, NIACE (National Institute of Adult Continuing Education)
• Deborah Persaud, Senior Policy Advisor, Integrating Employment and Skills Programme Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS)
• Paul Brown, Director, Scottish Disability Team
• Honey Lucas, Projects Officer, Equality Challenge Unit
• Lee Probert, Director of Equality and Diversity, Learning and Skills Council, LSC

 The Commission initiated a widespread call for evidence, and conducted questionnaire, interview, focus group and seminar-based research in order to gather data. The data were analysed and findings were reported in the Commission's final report From Compliance to Culture Change.

Primarily the Commission aimed to improve the working experiences of disabled staff in the lifelong learning sector. However, the Commission took the view that advancing positive change for disabled staff benefits all staff, and indeed learners, in the lifelong learning sector.

The Commission produced a literature review, interim report, and final report From Compliance to Culture Change: Disabled staff working in lifelong learning (the summary report and easy read summary of this are available to download for FREE below). The final report made recommendations for the government, unions, lifelong learning employers and staff, and a variety of other 'stakeholders'.

The final report was launched on Wednesday 5 March 2008 at QEII Conference Centre, Westminster. Bill Rammell, the then Minister of State for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education, was one of our principal speakers. He and DIUS made a positive response to the report, which can be downloaded below.

Documents
	From Compliance to Culture Change Summary [PDF]
	From Compliance to Culture Change Summary [Word]
	From Compliance to Culture Change Plain English Summary [Word]
	Literature Survey [PDF]
	Literature Survey [Word]
	DIUS response [PDF]
	DIUS response [Word]

Web Links
	Purchase the full final report From Compliance to Culture Change

The report's 160 pages set out the major challenges to achieving real inclusion for disabled staff. Citing and quoting a deeply impressive body of evidence, it finds no grounds for complacency: there is a clear problem about the under-representation of disabled staff in lifelong learning, and little evidence of organisations adopting a strategic approach to current and future disabled staff.

All this points to a systemic failure to address the issue seriously, leading to widespread institutional discrimination against disabled staff. The report explains authoritatively and in depth why this should be so and identifies the main issues that need to be addressed to change this situation. Every organisation involved in lifelong learning, and every individual with an interest in the needs of disabled staff, will find this report essential reading.

The Commission's work was groundbreaking. It highlighted the urgent need to address inequality for disabled staff in the lifelong learning sector, and brought this to the attention of policy makers and practitioners.  

The work of the Commission, and the final report, led to LLUK setting up the Disability Equality Implementation Group (DEIG) to take forward the Commission's work and continue to advance equality in the lifelong learning sector. Since the work of the Commission, equality for disabled staff has been addressed in new guidance documents, research and development work and policy initiatives.

Caroline Law
NIACE
21 De Montfort Street
Leicester
LE1 7GE
0116 2044249
caroline.law@niace.org.uk