Sound Mind and Body – A Case Study, June 2010

The Disability Rights Commission (DRC, 2007) identified that legislation and guidance for entry to the health, education and social work professions does not reflect the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA, 2005). Universities are also concerned about the non-specific guidance received from the professional regulatory bodies resulting in Universities and Occupational Health Services pre-judging the ‘fitness to practise’ capabilities of students at the application stage or on entry to the course. Uncertainty of what the term ‘disability’ means may result in applications from potential student’s who not consider themselves as disabled. Consequently disclosure is problematic; some may genuinely not disclose a condition because of their perceptions of that condition or may not disclose for fear of not being accepted onto their chosen course. At Edge Hill University there have been several cases of non disclosure and lack of awareness of what is a disability, causing the student to have problems in practice settings. Informal discussion with these students indicated a lack of awareness around disabilities, disclosure and the requirements around ‘fitness to practise’. This study, therefore, aims to explore the information that prospective students with a disability need regarding ‘Fitness to Practise’ before applying for courses in health with professional registration.