Time to address disability inclusion for university staff

There is significant work to do to promote inclusion for disabled staff in higher education. Susan Wilbraham, Carol Evans, and Jackie Carter see sharing practice and gathering data as the next step. Staff wellbeing is important for all organisations. This is especially evident in higher education where research indicates that staff wellbeing impacts on the student experience, the metric that drives the sector. In particular, reports demonstrate that stress and burnout is higher in university staff than in the general population, reflecting systemic factors such as high workloads and insecure contracts. There has been a greater focus on this issue in recent years and staff wellbeing is acknowledged within the University Mental Health Charter. However, as the sector is squeezed financially, staff are being placed under even greater pressure to do more with less, further placing staff wellbeing at risk. Such issues are likely to disproportionately impact those with protected characteristics – including disabled staff. However, nowhere is the need for staff support more apparent than in relation to equality and diversity, where the focus on student experience typically leaves a void for staff.