We call on the UK Department for Education and Student Finance England to maintain Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) funding for assistive technology and reject proposals to limit support to "exceptional circumstances" only.

Every academic year, DSA supports over 88,000 students to access higher education through specialist equipment, software, and non-medical help. Around one in five UK students now reports a disability, and experts believe the true total is likely higher, with many still not disclosing. Randstad's Student Support Report 2025 found that 90% of the 1,233 disabled students surveyed agreed that their DSA support was important for their academic progress.

For many students, this support is the difference between staying in education and dropping out entirely. Holly Winter, a DSA recipient, puts it plainly: "I am not joking when I say without the resources of the Disabled Students' Allowance I would have dropped out of university." Toby Ferguson credits DSA with enabling him to achieve a First Class Honours degree in Interior Design: "Through the mentoring support and specialist equipment I received, I was able to achieve a First Class Honours degree. Without this support, my academic performance, wellbeing, and ability to fully engage with university life would have been significantly impacted."

The proposed changes appear to assume that free or widely available tools can replace specialist support, despite a lack of evidence that these alternatives provide the same educational outcomes, accessibility, reliability, or safeguarding for disabled students.

Removing support risks widening the attainment gap for disabled students, increasing student withdrawals, worsening mental health pressures, and reducing progression into employment. Disabled students already have a course completion rate 2.1 percentage points lower than their non-disabled peers, and just 53% of disabled graduates secure full-time work after university compared to 62% of non-disabled graduates. These gaps will widen, not close, if specialist support is cut. Reforms to disabled student support should be rooted in evidence and student outcomes, not short-term cost savings.

The Government should strengthen inclusive education, not reduce the support that enables disabled students to participate and succeed independently.

Learn more about the consultation and how to respond with the British Assistive Technology Association's guide.