Skill: National Bureau for Students with Disabilities

Skill: National Bureau for Students with Disabilities is an independent charity that promotes opportunities for people with any kind of disability in learning and employment.

Since 1974 we have been helping young people and adults over 16 years of age with any kind of disability including physical and sensory disabilities, learning and mental health difficulties throughout the UK. Skill believes that for many disabled people education is the key to leading a fulfilling and independent life.

What does Skill do?

Provides a free information and advice service for individual disabled people and the professionals who work with them, via a freephone helpline, email and the website. This information and advice helps disabled people to overcome financial and physical barriers, ignorance and discrimination so that they can study, train or find work.

Informs and influences key policy makers to improve legal rights and support for disabled people in post-16 education and training. Skill works together with individual disabled people, professionals working in education, training and careers, employers and disability organisations to influence government. We listen to the people who contact our Information service so that we know what the real issues are.

Promotes best practice through:

Skill membership - keeping professionals up to date and informed about policy changes, providing the opportunity for exchanging information and ideas and to be more closely involved with Skill's work