This field records the type of disability that a student has, on the basis of the student's own self-assessment.

All students.

This field is identical to the Student.DISABLE field in the Student record.

With the introduction of the Disability Equality Duty, and on the recommendation of the Equality Challenge Unit (ECU), HESA has introduced a version of the coding frame introduced by the Disability Rights Commission (DRC).

Disability is recorded on the basis of the student's own self-assessment.

Equality Challenge Unit (ECU) suggested question:

Under the Equality Act 2010, a person has a disability 'if they have a physical or mental impairment, and the impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities'. 'Substantial' is defined by the Act as 'more than minor or trivial'. An impairment is considered to have a long term effect if:

• It has lasted for at least 12 months
• it is likely to last for at least 12 months, or
• it is likely to last for the rest of the life of the person.

Normal day-to-day activities are not defined in the Act, but in general they are things people do on a regular or daily basis. The definition has a very wide meaning as both work, study and non–work activities are covered e.g. communicating, reading, writing, using a computer as well as washing, walking and getting dressed. 'Normal' means normal for people generally, rather than for a particular individual.

Employment case law has highlighted that work activity does not have to be 'day-to-day' but covers activities that are required to participate in professional life e.g. activities used to select individuals for recruitment and promotion.

Only serious visual impairments are covered by the Equality Act 2010. For example, a person whose eyesight can be corrected through the use of prescription lenses is not covered by the Act; neither is an 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 Act. 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 Act.

For more information see the Secretary of State's Revised Guidance on the definition of disability, The Disability Equality Duty.

Considering the above, do you have an impairment, health condition or learning difference?

The additional valid entries for entrants from 2010/11 onwards are 51 to 58.

Codes 51 and 53 are both types of learning disability/difficulty or cognitive impairment.

For 2010/11 entrants onwards there are no valid entry codes to replace 97 'Information refused', 98 'Information not sought' or 99 'Not known'.

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 providers to resurvey or recode. However, providers 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 permit analysis based on type of disability.