Margaret Hodge MBE MP, Minister of State for Lifelong Learning and Higher Education, visited the University today (Tuesday 4 February) to officially open the University's Disability Resource Centre. During her visit to the Centre's new premises at Keynes House in Trumpington Street she met the Centre's staff and some of its student users.

During her visit, Ms Hodge saw the Centre’s facilities and heard about the training courses the Centre offers for staff and the work carried out to support people with dyslexia.

The Disability Resource Centre aims to provide advice, information and support to students and staff with a disability. Centre staff are also responsible for developing University disability policy and practice, working with the University Advisory Committee on Disability.

University Disability Advisor, Judith Jesky, is delighted that Ms Hodge visited the Centre.

"Cambridge is committed to widening participation in order to ensure that we continue to attract the best students, whatever their background. This includes students with disabilities who are often forgotten during the widening participation debate," she said.

"The University of Cambridge recognises that the provision of the Disability Resource Centre is vital to our widening participation efforts. Our role is to dispel the myth that Cambridge is inaccessible to students with disabilities."

Later, when addressing a meeting organised by the Cambridge University Students' Union, Margaret Hodge criticised Cambridge's record on access . Issuing a statement in response to these criticisms, Professor Sir Alec Broers, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, said,

"Misinformed comments can only serve to support the myths and misconceptions about Cambridge and deter the very students whom we are working hard to attract.

"The fact is that we are totally committed to widening participation, in order to ensure that we continue to attract the brightest students. Supported by Cambridge students, the University, Colleges and Departments organise a large number of initiatives, aimed at raising the aspirations of students towards higher education in general and towards Cambridge in particular. The projects are organised on a national scale, as well as in local schools, and work with children from primary schools, secondary schools and in FE Colleges."

Photo: Mike Hall


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