Assistants providing support for lab work for a student with difficulties in co-ordination/fine motor skills
A final year undergraduate student was supported to successfully undertake a final year project in synthetic chemistry.
This involved the use of potentially hazardous chemicals and the student had difficulties in co-ordination and fine motor skills. The department undertook a specific risk assessment before the project started, to ensure that the best possible environment was provided. Preparatory discussions included the Senior Lecturer supervising the project, the departmental disability officer, the director of teaching and the health and safety officer listening to the student鈥檚 needs and preferences and ensuring there was a full understanding of everything which might present a problem when undertaking the project.
A system was put in place to create a rota for several PhD students to be available in turn to assist the student. This took a bit of time and co-ordination, supported by a spreadsheet where the PhD students could indicate their availability and where the student could indicate when they would be in the lab. All the safety information and the spreadsheet was added to a Teams group where the student could share information about when they would be in the lab and see which PhD student was available at that time. Everything would be discussed in advance, so the supervisor and PhD students would know if the student would need extra help or not and the student would know who to go to for help at any time. The PhD students would assist by, for example, weighing things, transferring sensitive reagents or using a needle, minimising the risk of accidental spillages or other potential dangers.
We made it happen鈥� The student didn't have any incidents. The support was really good and they seemed to be quite happy and quite grateful to have done a project in synthetic chemistry which was something that they didn't think was possible.