THE GUARDIAN — TECH·JUNE 3, 2026
Thousands sign petition against cuts to tech support for disabled students in England
VERIFIED FACTS
- 01The Department for Education plans to withdraw funding for specialist assistive software as part of the Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA).
- 02Almost 10,000 people have signed a petition opposing the DfE proposals to withdraw funding for specialist assistive software.
- 03In 2023-24, more than 88,000 students benefited from the DSA at a cost of £203 million.
- 04The DfE stated that funded support for specialist software is no longer needed except in 'exceptional circumstances' because free, mass-market tools can provide equivalent functionality.
- 05The British Assistive Technology Association stated that free, general-purpose tools 'do not provide equivalent functionality' to individually assessed, clinically recommended specialist tools.
- 06The assistive software currently funded by DSA includes tools for text-to-speech, speech-to-text, mind mapping, composition functions, research, note-taking, and time and task management.
- 07Sam Wood, a 19-year-old second-year criminology student at Edge Hill University with a severe visual impairment, stated he uses Scholarcy to summarize journal articles and MindView to organize information.
- 08Helena Mok, a 22-year-old neuroscience student at Keele University with fibromyalgia and ADHD, uses Genio, Grammarly, Read&Write, and Tailo to support her studies.
- 09The government consultation on the proposed DSA changes closes on 18 June.
LOADED LANGUAGE DETECTED IN ORIGINAL
disability campaigners have called on the government to halt planswidening the attainment gapworsening mental health pressuresabandonmenttalent is not lostclunky, free alternativesacademic stigmastrip awayexposes disabled students to failure that is entirely avoidable
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SUMMARY
The Department for Education plans to withdraw funding for specialist assistive software under the Disabled Students' Allowance, arguing that widely available free tools now provide equivalent functionality. Disability campaigners and assistive technology advocates have opposed the proposal, contending that specialist tools tailored for individual disabilities offer capabilities that generic free software cannot match, and that cutting funding risks widening achievement gaps and reducing employment prospects for disabled students. A government consultation on the changes closes on 18 June.