Page - 109 - in Radical Solutions and Open Science - An Open Approach to Boost Higher Education

7 ProsumerisminHigherEducation… 115 courses’ to studentswho have not gained entry level at school, whichmay be tar- geted tosocialgroupswith lowparticipation rates, including thosewithdisabilities. However, these incentivesarenotuniversal acrossallmember states. Similarly,provisionofsupporttostudentswithdisabilitiesoncetheyhaveenrolled varies fromcountry to country. In Ireland, for example, there is a fund for disabled studentswhichpaysforadaptedlearningaids(e.g.computers,printers,scanners,dic- taphones), human support (e.g. personal assistant, note taker, educational support, specific courses) and transportation costs. In Denmark, youth eligible for special education support (SPS)areentitled toassistanceandcounselling forneedsassess- ment, technological aids, interpreters, andnote takers.This variability in provision reflects the fact that inmost countries it is the responsibility of universities, rather than the public authorities, to provide disabled studentswith support. This pattern alsoextends tofinancial support ingeneral,where theEUsituation is characterised once again by varying practices. These appear to be broadly linked to the cost of fees. IntheNordiccountries,wherecosts tendtoberelativelyhigh,financialsupport ismore likely to be linked to contingencies. InNorway, for example, students can apply for a state-funded study loan from theStateBank (statens lanekasse),which willbepartiallytransformedintoagrantif theysuccessfullypasstheirexaminations. InDenmark, the ‘handicap supplement’ compensates for the loss of incomedue to difficultiesinaccessingtoemploymentduringuniversitystudiesforstudentseligible for thespecialeducationallowance,assuchincomewouldnormallybenecessary to paytheinterestonastudent’s loan. Inothercountrieswhere tuitionfeesarenotvery high, young disabled peoplemayhave free or reduced tuition fees as inGermany, IcelandandSpain. Akeydeterminant of the extent towhich disabled students can play the role of ‘prosumers’ in thehighereducationsphere is theextent towhichtheyhaveaccess to the digital tools, and supportingpedagogies, that enable them to learn at their own pace, build,manage andcontrol their own learning spaces, bring together different sourcesandcontexts for learningandbridgeeducational institutional environments with the world outside. In this context, the research shows there is no strategic, holistic and integrated system in place either at trans-national nor national level to embedassistive technologies, forexample, that supportbetter choiceandcontrolof disabled students over their learning experience.Whilst some anecdotal examples of innovation inassistive technologies andassistivepedagogies couldbe identified, there isnostrongevidencebase thatprosumerismismakingapositivecontribution to the learning experience and the learning outcomes of studentswith disabilities. Someexamplesofgoodpracticeshighlighted include: • LondonUniversity—theInstituteofEducationandUniversityCollege—haveded- icatedDisabilityAssistiveTechnologyroomswhichprovidesa rangeof facilities and tools including: specialized software (e.g.TextHelpRead&Write; Inspira- tion); ergonomicaids (foot rests; adjustable seating; trackerballmice); aStudent EnablingITSuite,whichincludestoolslike:DragonNaturallySpeaking(aspeech