Report calls for seven steps for equity for disabled students

A new collaborative report from The Open University (OU) and Disabled Students UK (DSUK) sets out a clear roadmap for improving the experiences of disabled doctoral students across the UK’s higher education sector.

The report, 7 Steps to Equity for Disabled Doctoral Students, draws on lived experience from disabled researchers and highlights persistent structural challenges, including inconsistent access to adjustments, unclear support pathways, and a lack of disability‑inclusive research cultures.

It offers seven actionable recommendations designed to help institutions create more equitable doctoral environments, from strengthening supervisory training to embedding accessibility into research processes:

1. Approving Individualised Support
2. Reducing the Administrative Burden
3. Improving Decentralised Support
4. Fostering Belonging
5. Strengthening Crucial Relationships (especially supervisory relationships)
6. Ensuring Accessible Workspaces (Physical and Sensory Environments)
7. Adapting Pace and Funding Policies

Professor Lindsay O’Dell, former Director of the OU Graduate School and now Associate Dean for Research in the Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies, emphasised the importance of the findings for the sector:

“Disabled doctoral students bring enormous expertise, insight and innovation to research. This report makes clear that the barriers they face are not inevitable — they are structural, and therefore changeable. By acting on these recommendations, universities can create research cultures where disabled scholars are not only included but fully supported to thrive.”

The OU’s partnership with DSUK reflects its long‑standing commitment to widening access and championing inclusive research practices. The recommendations are intended for adoption across all UK institutions and align with national conversations about improving equity in postgraduate research.

A sector‑wide call for change

The report urges universities, funders and research organisations to:

• Ensure consistent, anticipatory and timely access to reasonable adjustments
• Improve communication and transparency around support
• Embed accessibility into research design and doctoral training
• Strengthen accountability for disability inclusion
• Foster inclusive supervisory and research cultures

By implementing these steps, the authors argue, the sector can significantly reduce the inequities currently experienced by disabled doctoral researchers.

Read the full report: 7 Steps to Equity for Disabled Doctoral Students UK Recommendations from Disabled Students UK and The Open University