Diabetes and disability support networks

Exciting new research is being pioneered at TICH to discover whether it is intensive insulin therapy or the support that patients receive which is most effective in coping with diabetes. The diabetes team hypothesise that adherence with diabetes treatment can be enhanced by the development of an imaginative health support programme.

Dr Victoria Franklin and her team at TICH are designing a diabetic support network coupled with both traditional and intensive insulin therapies to compare the results and assess the effects of support systems on the children's health.

Dr Franklin: "We are creating an innovative diabetic support network as we feel that support is one of the most important factors in good diabetes care. We are very excited about the project which we hope will help children adhere to all the lifestyle and behavioural changes that are required to achieve good blood sugar control. I am very grateful to Diabetes UK for granting a Paediatric Fellowship to allow this research to go ahead.

The new support system will involve a website for children that will provide patients with the information they need, tips on how to deal with their diabetes and will enable them to get in touch with members of the diabetic support team. For patients without an internet connection at home, provision will be made available at public access points such as libraries. The support system will also involve a text messaging system designed by Stewart Gibson, a fourth year student in the applied computing department and supervised by Dr Annalu Waller. Other features of the support network will include chat lines, a telephone network, focus groups and social events.

SHEFC has selected the English department to pioneer a faculty network to support disabled students. The award came after Marion Wynne-Davies submitted her project on how to meet the requirements of disabled students with regard to teaching and learning. This year, part four of the disability act comes into force requiring all higher education institutions to meet their disabled students' needs. Marion's paper addresses how this can be achieved.

Her report is now being published as an example of how to promote best practice for disabled students in Universities. Marion herself has a hearing disability and believes that she is proof to students that it is possible to be disabled, to be open about it and succeed in your career. She points out: "It is a testimony to the University of Dundee's employment and staff support policies that have enabled disabled people to succeed in their careers here."

The first meeting of the network will take place on Wednesday 28 November in the Tower conference suite where representatives from all the Scottish Universities will come together to share ideas and strategies for providing for disabled students. The meeting will be an open forum and all interested parties - staff and students - are welcome to attend.

The main issue to be discussed at the forum is how to produce a curriculum that is accessible to students with disabilities. The morning session will allow participants to share the problem areas and the afternoon will focus on formulating solutions.

For more information contact Marion Wynne-Davis m.wynne-davies@qaa.ac.uk

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