Preparing for disability regulation shouldn’t mean waiting for disability regulation

The Office for Students' intention to develop a new "Statement of Expectations" on disability inclusion marks a significant moment for the sector.

This step sits well before any formal regulatory intervention, but it signals a growing national commitment to improving disabled students' experiences. None of this will surprise anyone who's read the OfS Insight Brief, published last autumn, which laid bare the continued challenges and the unevenness of experience and outcome for disabled students despite the legal duties all universities face.

Some colleagues will welcome the clarity and attention a statement could bring, while others may feel uneasy about what it might mean during a period of growing challenges. But the overall direction is a positive one – clearer expectations and greater accountability to disabled students, and a collective move towards a higher education environment where disabled students can thrive, legal duties are met, and our sector genuinely provides an experience that benefits the UK.

A ready-made framework

For institutions looking for an evidence-based, sector-owned way to prepare for whatever follows, the Disabled Student Commitment offers a structured framework aligned to the challenges likely to be set out in the Statement of Expectations. The strength of the Commitment is that it's built on evidence and consultation from students, academics, and disability professionals. It shapes what institutions do at each stage of the student journey, presenting areas to focus on in partnership with their disabled students.

By signing up, institutions also become part of an active network that shares approaches, reflects on challenges, and works together on solutions. Our communities of practice bring together staff from across functions – they're places where people can test ideas, share challenges, and have honest discussions about what is and isn't working.

Over the past year, the Disabled Student Commitment has continued to grow. At the time of writing, thirty-two higher education institutions have signed up, with two already publishing their action plans. That's encouraging progress, and based on healthy engagement we expect to see many more institutions join them in the coming months.

Publishing an action plan is one of the strongest indications that an institution is committed to sustained improvement – that it's willing to be transparent about what it intends to do to meet disabled students' needs. We know from our work with early adopters that the process of writing an action plan brings focus to disability work and provides shared purpose internally.

The Commitment also requires institutions to develop a deeper understanding of their disabled students' experience, such as through engagement with Disabled Students UK's Access Insights Project. The next test is whether this delivers measurable progress in outcomes, experience, and accountability. The introduction of a Statement of Expectations will sharpen senior-level attention on these areas, and on the speed and effectiveness of our collective response.

Where disability meets mental health

One area where we expect further national attention is the relationship between disability inclusion and student mental health. This is a challenging and often sensitive area for institutions, particularly where work on mental health and work on disability have so far developed separately. Many long-term mental health conditions are disabilities, and barriers within the university environment can worsen existing conditions or contribute to periods of poor mental health for students who haven't previously experienced it.

The Commitment has created room for institutions to consider how they work more confidently and cohesively across these overlaps. That'll take time and thoughtful discussion alongside sector partners, but the desire for shared learning is strong.

None of this work happens in isolation, of course. Higher education institutions are facing significant financial pressures, and the introduction of a Statement of Expectations – welcome as it is – will be another item competing for attention on already full agendas. Institutions will need to focus on approaches that are effective and sustainable, and the Commitment supports this by encouraging a focus on evidence-based areas and on actions that make the greatest difference for their students. It's a framework that allows tailoring for different institutional starting points and concerns.

Disability inclusion also connects closely with other areas of student experience. The Office for Students' 2025 analysis of sexual misconduct identified particularly troubling rates of harassment and assault experienced by disabled students compared with their non-disabled peers. The Commitment encourages institutions to think across these connected themes rather than tackling them in isolation, with a whole-institution approach ensuring that all aspects of the student experience are considered together and at every stage of the student lifecycle.

What happens next

As chair of the Commitment, I continue to be inspired by the dedication and creativity that many colleagues in the sector bring to this work. The Office for Students' forthcoming Statement of Expectations is an opportunity to build on this progress rather than start from scratch. By signing up to the Commitment, higher education institutions can join a growing community that's ready to shape the sector's direction and support colleagues through the consultation and beyond.

Our proposed open event in May 2026 will be a place for institutions to consider the emerging expectations, look at the evidence, and think through how real change can be achieved. More detail about this event, including how to register, will be shared soon – and we'd particularly encourage senior leaders to attend. Their involvement will be essential to making long-term improvements stick, especially at a time when strategic decisions about culture, resources, and priorities are under significant pressure.

In addition to the open event in May, we're holding regular drop-in sessions for any institution interested in signing up to the DSC to ask questions. The next session will take place next week on Tuesday 3rd March at 11:30–12:30, and colleagues interested in attending can email dsc@advance-he.ac.uk for joining instructions. Institutions are also welcome to join our next Community of Practice event, hosted by the University of Bristol and taking place online on Tuesday 24th March 2026, 10:00–13:00. You can find the joining instructions for this event here.

Whatever OfS' final expectations may be, this is a moment for the sector as a whole to respond. The work of improving disabled students' experiences is already underway in many of our institutions, and the Disabled Student Commitment offers a focused, evidence-based framework to keep that momentum going more widely.