Abstract

Dr Linda Anne Barkas, Dr Paul-Alan Armstrong and Garry Bishop Universities have responded proactively to access agendas. Whether or not widening-participation, however, ensures fully inclusive practices is not quite as apparent. Drawing on the critical qualitative inquiry model of Denzin (2017) we have examined the discourse of ‘inclusion’ through the three themes of widening 28 participation, skills and employability. The poster highlights the findings from the first stage of our research which has explored the rhetoric of inclusion across these three themes. While it is clear that universities have undoubtedly ‘widened their participation’ it is not so clear that this has resulted in fair access to all. To illustrate this below is an extract from a vignette of a recent graduate and their lived experience: ‘What I have struggled with whilst studying is staff assuming I'm up to speed. Some days it takes me 15 minutes to understand while other days it can take me up to 3 hours to understand the topic...This is why a conversation is easier to remember than a lecture but the opportunity to engage with a subject in this way is restricted. Dyslexia does impact everyone differently; however, in my experience not many people are aware of how to help me overcome my barriers’. (Participant A).