LSE is committed to complying with the disability provision of the Equality Act 2010. The LSE policy on disability details how the school aims to implement the requirements of the legislation.
Check if your condition is defined as a disability under the Equality Act here.
Disability at LSE
LSE is creating a new Student Mental Health and Wellbeing (SMHW) Framework. This will adopt SMHW as a strategic priority for LSE, in order to support a new integrated whole School approach. Student Wellbeing has been included as a focus within the LSE 2030 Strategy, as part of the commitment to ensure holistic and comprehensive support for every student. The new Framework will be launched in 2020, and address key areas including: academic culture and practice; welcome and a sense of belonging; promotion, prevention and provision in support of SMHW.
Monthly forums for line managers that explore best practice in supporting disabled staff.
These forums are for LSE managers to come and share their experiences, tips and good practice in relation to supporting disabled staff, as well as discussing how we can improve both the process of implementing reasonable adjustments and the experience of disabled staff who seek support.
Further details with information for all upcoming sessions including dates and meeting links are on this webpage.
Here is a recording of the initial presentation introducing the LSE Manager Forum and also providing a little more detail about the facilitator's role (Lucy Mu) as Staff Disability and Mental Health Adviser.
LSE has a partnership with AccessAble to provide fine-grain, pan-disability access guides to the School’s buildings (including the residences), route maps between buildings, and an Apple/Android app.
Our partnership with AccessAble will help us to be proactive in improving the accessibility of our buildings, at a time when the LSE estate is undergoing major physical change.
LSE is part of the Disability Confident scheme, which is designed to support employers to recruit, recognise and retain the skills and talents of disabled people and people with health conditions.
You can find out more about the Disability Confident campaign on the Government's website, and you can also review the guidance for employers on the Department for Work and Pensions site.
LSE is a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) and is committed to interview any applicant with a disability who meets the essential criteria for a job vacancy. Please indicate on the form whether you would like to be considered for a guaranteed interview under the Disability Confident Scheme.
LSE is a member of the Business Disability Forum. BDF is a not-for-profit organisation that works with businesses to support employees with disabilities. They provide training, expertise and resources for managers and staff about disability. This is an important issue for LSE as 19% of working age adults have a disability, and 96% of disabilities are not visible.
BDF have over 20 years’ experience working with private and public sector organisations. Their 300 members include Manchester Metropolitan University who received Gold Disability Standard status in 2017.
There is a huge list of benefits of membership available to all LSE staff. All colleagues can register with their LSE email address to access line manager guides, a mental health module and specialised toolkits. There is also an advice service for managers and resources on recruitment, adjustments and communications.
Support and resources
Staff Respite Room
A quiet Staff Respite Room (SAL.G.14) is available in the Sir Arthur Lewis (SAL) Building, specifically for staff managing disability and mental health needs while on campus. The room is designed as a private, single-person space to offer staff a peaceful place to rest, recharge, and support their health and wellbeing. The Staff Respite Room offers a comfortable sofa with footstool and adjustable lighting.
Employees can ask for access to the Staff Respite Room, G.14 at the SAL reception where they will be asked to show their staff ID card and give their name for fire safety purposes. They will be given a fob to activate and then they can make their way to G.14. The Security Team on the SAL reception desk will be happy to give directions and help with any access requirements. Employees are asked to return the fob to reception once they have finished using the space so other disabled employees can access the room.
Student Disability and Mental Health Rest Rooms
There are two rest rooms on campus; where students with disabilities or mental health conditions you can go if they need a quiet space while on campus to help manage their conditions.
Students will need to contact their Disability or Mental Health Adviser for more information and to have access to these rooms. This is to ensure that these rooms are reserved for use by these students specifically.
If you have not got an Adviser, please arrange an appointment with the Student Mental Health and Disability Service (DMHS) to discuss your needs.
Equality Act 2010, Section 6: Disability
If you would like to know more about the legal definition of the protected characteristic of 'disability', please see the following text from section 6 of the Equality Act 2010:
(1) A person (P) has a disability if —
(a) P has a physical or mental impairment, and
(b) the impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on P's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.
(2) A reference to a disabled person is a reference to a person who has a disability.
(3) In relation to the protected characteristic of disability —
(a) a reference to a person who has a particular protected characteristic is a reference to a person who has a particular disability;
(b) a reference to persons who share a protected characteristic is a reference to persons who have the same disability.
(4) This Act (except Part 12 and section 190) applies in relation to a person who has had a disability as it applies in relation to a person who has the disability; accordingly (except in that Part and that section) —
(a) a reference (however expressed) to a person who has a disability includes a reference to a person who has had the disability, and
(b) a reference (however expressed) to a person who does not have a disability includes a reference to a person who has not had the disability.
(5) A Minister of the Crown may issue guidance about matters to be taken into account in deciding any question for the purposes of subsection (1).
(6) Schedule 1 (disability: supplementary provision) has effect.
The Equality Act 2010 places a duty upon higher education institutions to make reasonable adjustments for staff, students and service users in relation to disability and mental health. Whether a person is disabled is generally determined by the effect the physical or mental impairment has on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities (the exception to this is people with severe disfigurement). Normal day-to-day activities are not defined in the Act, but in general they are things people do on a regular or daily basis, for example eating, washing, walking, reading, writing or having a conversation.