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Hereward College

The opening of Hereward College in 1971 represented a major advance in access to education for young disabled people.

News 1972 8 mins Not rated

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Logo for Media Archive for Central England

Overview

In 1971 Hereward College opened its doors to students with disabilities. It was the first of its kind but when ATV Today's Derek Hobson visited in May 1972 it only had twenty-five students out of a population of three million people with disabilities in England. It may have been a drop in the ocean but this pioneering college was symbolic of a new way forward, although notice how the college is still being referred to as 'an experiment'.

Students Jeff Underwood and Sharon Walker share their first-hand experiences and we also hear from the principal Arthur McAllister who had been involved in the scheme since its initial planning stages in 1961. The 'experiment' was deemed a success and Hereward College continues to thrive offering education to nearly 700 students with and without disabilities each year.

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