What Does an Accessible Graduation for Blind and Partially Sighted Students Look Like?

We spoke with Khansa, 25, about her experience graduating in July 2023 from Oxford as a blind student. Khansa is clear that neither students or universities can make graduations accessible on their own and that collaboration and proactivity on both parts is key when preparing for the event. Read on to learn how students and universities can work together towards an accessible graduation.

The Long Road

Oxford is known the world over for its academic reputation. Students work hard to demonstrate they meet the rigour and professionalism associated with that reputation. We know this isn’t a unique experience. All students deserve to feel proud of what they have achieved, both academically and personally, at the end of their degree. However, an inaccessible graduation can take away from this feeling for a blind or partially sighted student.

“It is important graduations are made accessible because blind and partially sighted students work especially hard, if not harder as they have to advocate for themselves throughout their degree.”

Khansa’s academic study was not the only long road to her graduation. On her graduation day, she began at her college chapel, proceeding through the city to the graduation venue, the Sheldonian Theatre. She relied heavily on sighted guiding to support her in navigating the procession.

For blind or partially sighted students, sighted guiding can be requested for the day of the graduation. It is important to remember that this doesn’t just mean guiding to the stage and back. It also means support to navigate around the venue and to respond to different situations which might arise. This might include essential services that the student may need or ceremonial aspects like ticket and gown collection, photography and, of course, processions!

Khansa had the following advice for professionals providing sighted guidance support:

“Be as descriptive and proactive as possible. Follow a students’ lead and give them as much info as you can”.

For students, Khansa advised:

“Ultimately only you know what you need to make the day accessible. How you work with your university may be different to my experience at Oxford but if you don’t ask for support, you won’t get it”.

What you, professionals, can do:

• Create an open channel of communication with the student to stay in touch as plans progress.
• Determine if one-to-one support is needed on the day and what that will look like.
• Go through the graduation day schedule and identify together areas where further support will be required.

Being Proactive

Khansa benefitted from good practise at her university who were proactive in supporting her. At Oxford, colleges are responsible for the reasonable adjustments of students at graduation. As she was part of a small college, she knew who she could speak to about her access needs. She was also sent a Google form to complete asking if she had any needs she wanted to disclose. This gave Khansa autonomy and assurance that she could focus on her academic work in her final year.

She used this autonomy to ensure she had a schedule ahead of the day so as not to get caught out or need to rush around. In the run up, Khansa was in regular communication with her college’s admin team and remained vocal about what she needed. It helped she had the confidence and self-advocacy skills to do this, but she recognises that not all students do.

“With a disability you need to be proactive because no one else will”.

Even when Khansa took the initiative, not all support was anticipated. There were no audio descriptions of the ceremony, the booklet of Latin translation was not in an accessible format, and there was no walkthrough of the ceremony and venue, which became a particular challenge when encountering unexpected obstacles whilst wearing heels!

In the event reasonable adjustments are missed, communication between students and staff is essential. Khansa raised the challenges she faced on the day with her sighted guide, who then gave additional support where adaption was needed.

What you, the student, can do:

• Have a shared document or form where access needs for the day can be listed, and with whom the document can be shared with.
• Don’t wait for someone else to take the first step. Assume the people you are working with to make your graduation accessible are waiting to hear from you.
• Agree on how to communicate on the day in the event of unexpected challenges or changes to how the day is run. For example, would this be through one-to-one support or a designated staff member at the venue?

Let’s celebrate!

Khansa’s biggest piece of advice for students who, like her, may be uncertain about what to expect is:

“It’s your big day so do what you need to do to celebrate. Plan and find out what you need to graduate. Talk to those who have graduated in the past and those administering your graduation now. Plan ahead and be familiar with your environment. Plan your party with food you enjoy! Be intentional. You can’t know what is going to happen”.

This shows that whilst there may be a lot of practical steps to think about in advance, you should also expect to celebrate as that is what graduations are for! Sorting support out sooner will mean less admin and more celebrating on the day.

The difference being proactive can make

By working together to make the graduation experience accessible, the day will look like one of celebrating achievements with friends and family as it should be.

Khansa was able to do this because her and her college were proactive and consistent in contact. As a result, Khansa’s friends and family could watch her graduate from Oxford, with an MPhil in International Development! Khansa is now studying for a PhD in Education, and we wish her well with her studies ahead.

Our guides for universities

Now it is over to you. How will you work together to ensure your or your student’s graduation is an accessible day to remember? How soon will you reach out to start that conversation?

Our How Universities Can Make Graduation Days Accessible for Blind and Partially Sighted Students online guide is there to give universities their first steps towards planning an accessible graduation.

Our ‘Getting Ready to Graduate: A Guide for Students’ online resource is for blind and partially sighted students wanting to know what they can expect in preparing for a graduation.

Whether you are a student looking forward to your graduation, or a professional working towards planning an accessible day, use our guides and share them with those you are working with.

Need Further Advice? 

Whether it is a student’s graduation or degree study, our Education Information Advice and Guidance Service is here with information, advice, and guidance to help you support the blind and partially sighted students you work with.

You can also access our wide range of online resources for blind and partially sighted students, and the professionals supporting them.

Khansa completed her degree and graduated as an international student. To read how she made the most of university as a blind international student, click here.