Introduction to the White Paper
Presentations and other oral communication activities are used in higher and further education as an active learning tool to engage students and develop transferable skills. However, given the complex psychological processes involved in presentations, they can create barriers for disabled students, and often disabled students will only receive support or accommodations if these activities are a core or graded component of their course.
In this white paper, we put forward the case for supporting all students who receive the DSA with evidence-based communication accommodations. We present the findings of our Amplifying Voices 2021 study, which found that students who receive the DSA are statistically more likely to experience public speaking anxiety than the general population, irrespective of the presentation being core or graded. 95% of students said their course relies on oral communication activities, yet concerningly, over 93% of students who receive the DSA do not currently receive any accommodations to support their oral communication skills.
Meet the Researchers
Ben Scott, MA (Hons), MBPsS, is Present Pal’s Customer Research Manager and is a Psychology graduate from the University of St Andrews. Ben has previously conducted research on the accessibility of digital mindfulness exercises and is currently working on a number of collaborative projects with higher education institutions both in the UK and the US, investigating the challenges neurodiverse students face with communication-based learning activities.
Courtney Aitken, BSc (Hons), is Present Pal's Research Advisor and is currently a Ph.D. student in cognitive psychology at the University of St Andrews. Courtney’s doctoral research is in memory, metacognition, and cognitive control. Aside from research, Courtney has extensive experience in mental health, disability and equal opportunities advocacy.
Get Involved!
If you are excited about our findings and share our passion for empowering students to receive the support they need to excel with their communication skills, we would encourage you to sign your name on our white paper or share your thoughts to be included as a quote.
To do so, please leave your contact details below and our team will be in touch.