Founded in 2020, Disabled Students UK (DSUK) has quickly become the largest disabled student-led organisation in the UK, with students from over 60 universities. The organisation empowers students to share their insight into accessibility with the goal of driving policy change. 

DSUK has built a reputation as an evidence-based organisation. Their 2020 report, which warned the sector about the impact of the pandemic on disabled students, was mentioned in parliament and they are regularly approached for consultation by MPs and bodies such as UCAS. They have been invited to speak for the All-party Parliamentary Group for Disability, Westminster Higher Education Forum and most recently delivered the keynote for the 2022 Advance HE EDI conference.

Their most recent report brings together the voices of over 300 disabled students and presents key accessibility lessons from the pandemic. The report has been hailed as “a model for how we should produce policy reports” by Nick Hillman, Director of HEPI, and as “both seminal and a potential game changer in its review of UK HE inclusive provision” by Suanne Gibson, Associate Professor of Inclusive Education at the University of Plymouth.

DSUK has a collaborative approach to change and offers consulting and training to universities and students’ unions, disseminating disabled students’ insight. They have worked with institutions such as the University of Oxford and organisations such as the National Union of Students. Their vision is a truly accessible higher education experience, ensuring disabled people equal access to education and the associated societal and self-development opportunities.