Adult/community learning
General courses
Your adult/community learning provider can give details about any course costs or fees.
There are no specific allowances available to meet disability-related costs when learning on an adult/community education course. However, under the Disability Discrimination Act ( DDA), adult/community education providers must make reasonable adjustments to ensure that it is not impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled students to access courses that are open to the public. For example, this means that your education provider should offer materials in alternative formats, communication support, accessible IT equipment, etc., if the absence of these would make it difficult for you to take the course.
Access to Higher Education
There are several adult education colleges throughout the United Kingdom which offer Higher Education access courses for mature students. These can be particularly beneficial for people who may not have the necessary formal entry requirements for Higher Education courses. Newbattle Abbey College is the only publicly-funded adult education college in Scotland, although learners may also be able to access financial support for publicly-funded colleges elsewhere in the UK.
Financial support for such courses is available from the Student Awards Agency for Scotland ( SAAS) to students who:
- meet the normal residency eligibility;
- are 20 or over by 1 August of the year the course starts;
- are taking a full-time course of at least a year at an eligible adult education college; and
- have not already completed a Higher Education qualification or received previous assistance from SAAS.
Support consists of free tuition, an income-assessed maintenance grant and other supplementary grants, including the Disabled Students' Allowance (see page 17). Contact SAAS for more details.
Tony is pursuing his ambition to be a teacher
Tony has always wanted to be a teacher so when his degree in Art and Design was coming to an end, he applied to do a Professional Graduate Diploma in Education ( PGDE).
Tony is a BSL user. Once Tony has been accepted onto the PGDE course, he meets with the Disability Adviser at his new university to discuss the assistance that he needs. They agree the number of hours of BSL interpreting that he will need, as well as adjustments such as getting lecture notes before each class, deaf awareness training for his tutors, and adjustments in exams.
Tony applies for DSA from SAAS to pay for the costs of using BSL Interpreters, booked through a local voluntary organisation.