Staff and Student Disability Data 2020/21
Staff data
Our most recent data indicate that the percentage of staff declaring they have a disability* remained 4% over the period from 2017 to 2019, increasing to 6% in 2020. There has been a 1% decrease in the percentage of staff who have declared no known disability and a 2% decrease in non-disclosure overall. The most recent data (1 Aug 2018 – 31 Jul 2020) show that the percentage of disabled staff at the University in Support roles is 8%, in Academic roles is 4% and in Professional and Managerial roles is 5%. These figures are broadly in line with the proportion of disabled staff across UK universities, which was 4% from 2014/15 to 2018-19 (Higher Education Statistics Agency, HESA, 2020).
Student data
Work to support the access of disabled students has led to annual increases in the identification of disabled students at Leeds every year from 9% in 2012/13 to 15% in 2020/21. In 2020/21, the total proportion of registered disabled students* corresponded to 7% of the student population (this includes Home, EU and Overseas undergraduates, taught postgraduates and research postgraduates). The proportion of disabled Home students across UK universities was 16%, according to recent figures, the rate among Russell Group universities is 11% (HESA, 2018/19).
Recent data for the University of Leeds indicate that the percentage of Home/EU Undergraduate students who have declared a disability has increased to 15%, Home/EU Taught Postgraduate students who declared a disability is 12% and the proportion of Home/EU Research Postgraduate students who declared a disability is 13%. The percentage of Overseas students who have declared a disability is 2% for Undergraduates, 1% for Taught Postgraduate and 2% for Research Postgraduate student.
According to data analysis in the University Access and Participation Plan the continuation rate average for disabled students compared with the sector is favourable, with the average disabled student continuation rate at 94.3% compared with 90% in the sector. There has also been an improvement (4.7%) in the attainment of 2:1’s (or above) for the cohort of disabled students between 2012/13 and 2017/18, and this is higher than the attainment amongst non-disabled students who showed a 3.7% growth across the same period. There is also a higher rate of progression for disabled students compared to non-disabled students, with the disabled cohort showing higher graduate progression rates on average.
* Under the Equality Act 2010, a person has a disability "if they have a physical or mental impairment, and the impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities”.
Read the Disability Equality Framework 2021 to find out more.