DSA Consultation - Act Now
The government wants to cut the software that helps disabled students study. But you can stop them.
The UK Department for Education is proposing to strip most assistive technology from Disabled Students' Allowance, without consulting a single disabled student. The consultation is open. Your response matters.
The DfE made this proposal without consulting a single disabled student. The consultation is your chance to change that, and the more of us who respond, the harder we are to ignore.
Consultation Closes:
28 June 2026
What’s Happening
DSA funds the tools that make studying possible.
Disabled Students' Allowance is the funding scheme that helps disabled students access higher education on equal terms. Part of what it funds is assistive software — text-to-speech tools, mind mapping apps, screen readers, note-taking software.
For many disabled students, these tools aren't extras. They're how you get through a lecture, finish an essay, and manage your workload. They're how you study.
The Department for Education is now proposing to remove most of this software from DSA funding. Their justification? That free alternatives exist.
Free tools aren’t assistive technology. They just aren’t.
The Reality
Assistive technology is built around how disabled students actually think, process, and learn. It's not a feature — it's a design philosophy. A free, general-purpose tool built for everyone is not built for you.
Free Tools
Built for the average user. Designed for general productivity. Not built around disability, cognition, or specific learning needs.
Assistive Technology
Built around how disabled students actually work. Designed with specific conditions, workflows, and needs at its core.