Say ‘no’ to DSA cuts

On June 30, 2014, an organization that represents children with disabilities and special needs explained the financial cuts they had made to the proposed increased budget for the Disabled Students Allowance. The Special Educational Consortium (SEC) does not support the decision in any way, calling it “deeply flawed” as they believe that there was no attempt to receive a “formal consultation” or consider the impact on students with disabilities. This article specifically outlines how students with dyslexia will be negatively effected by the decision. The average laptop and software that a student without a disability uses simply is not suitable for one with dyslexia. The reason for the cuts are most likely financial as the technology that a dyslexic student needs is more expensive than the average computing system. Unfortunately, due to this decision, students with disabilities will be at an extreme disadvantage to their non-disabled peers. Without the proper programs and technology, these students will significantly struggle to learn as much as their counterparts. In fact, already, 55 percent of disabled students are considering leaving their courses because of the lack of necessary technological assistance. This article outlines exactly what the problems disabled students face in schools without adequate funding to help them keep up and encourages the public to protest the decision.