This field records the type of disability that a student has, on the basis of the student's own self-assessment.
This new coding frame is included in the 2010/11 specification of the UCAS data for HESA (*J), and for students entering through UCAS from this academic year, this information will be available from UCAS via the *J transaction. Disability is recorded on the basis of the student's own self-assessment.
The additional valid entries for 2010/11 entrants onwards are coded 51 to 58.
Codes 51 and 53 are both types of learning disability/difficulty or cognitive impairment.
Only serious visual impairments are covered by the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). For example, a person whose eyesight can be corrected through the use of prescription lenses is not covered by the DDA; neither is a simple inability to distinguish between red and green.
The same logic does not apply to hearing aids. If someone needs to wear a hearing aid, then they are likely to be covered by the DDA. However, both hearing and visual impairments have to have a substantial adverse effect on the ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities in order for a person to be covered by the DDA. For more information see the Secretary of State's Revised Guidance on the definition of disability.
The pre-2010/11 valid entry codes 08 'Multiple disabilities and 96 'A disability not listed above' have been re-labelled to be consistent with the UCAS (*J) file entries as follows: 08 'Two or more impairments and/or disabling medical conditions' and 96 'A disability, impairment or medical condition that is not listed above'. There is no change required for continuing students already coded 08 or 96.
For 2010/11 entrants onwards there are no valid entry codes to replace 97 'Information refused', 98 'Information not sought' or 99 'Not known'. For new entrants from 2010/11 onwards, where it is not known whether or not a student has a disability, code 00 'No known disability' should be returned.
HESA will continue to accept codes 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 10, 11, 97, 98 and 99 for continuing students (where Instance.COMDATE is before 2010-08-01), so there will be no requirement for institutions to resurvey or recode. However, institutions are welcome to use the new codes for continuing students if they wish to do so.
Codes 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 10, 11, 97, 98 and 99 can only be used where Instance.COMDATE is before 2010-08-01.
If this field is coded 02-96 indicating that the student has a disability, then Instance.DISALL should be coded 4, 5 or 9.
To permit disability-based analysis; for monitoring levels and trends in participation by particular groups of people; to monitor take-up of Disabled Students' Allowance as Disabled Students' Allowance is now not means tested; to permit analysis based on type of disability.
Change management notes Additional guidance added to Notes, specifying how to return students entering from 2010/11 for whom no disability status is known.