The number of students with disabilities studying professional courses has increased significantly over the last number of years and to ensure students with disabilities are adequately supported the Disability Service has developed the Professional Placement Planning support programme.

This is aimed at all stakeholders including students, courses and placements to ensure disability supports can be put in place. It allows the professional course, the placement (employer) and the student to work together to ensure that students with disabilities have been reasonably accommodated on placement. Failure by course providers or employers to make reasonable accommodations for a student with a disability on a professional placement can be unlawful discrimination. The central element of placement planning is a process of communication and information sharing. This process plays a key role in ensuring that students and staff in the placement are confident and enabled to:

• Clearly define learning outcomes and core competencies expected of students on professional placements
• Participate and understand effective disclosure/confidentiality process
• Identify students’ practice placement needs and their learning needs
• Provide and explain practice placement reasonable accommodations
• Maintain academic and professional standards
• Ensure the safety of students, staff and members of the public

For more information please download a copy of our Practice Placement booklet