Avoiding discrimination: Field trips

Advice and Guidance

Who is this page for?

  • Public sector

Which countries is it relevant to?

    • England flag icon

      England

    • |
    • Scotland flag icon

      Scotland

    • |
    • Wales flag icon

      Wales

Your responsibilities

You should seek to ensure that field trips you arrange do not discriminate against any of your students. Failure to think about the range of your students' needs could result in unintentional indirect discrimination.

For example:

On a trip involving an overnight stay in dormitory-style accommodation, a university refuses to take a student who is in the process of changing gender. This would be unlawful gender reassignment discrimination.

You may be required to make reasonable adjustments to enable students with a range of disabilities to access field trips.

Libraries, study facilities and learning equipment

Senior management at strategic level and library staff need to think about provision for the needs of students with protected characteristics to avoid unintentional discrimination. Students with disabilities may require a range of reasonable adjustments such as low unit photocopiers, priority workstations, books in alternative formats, help with reaching books on higher shelves and flexible loan periods. Your ICT staff will be well versed in ensuring the compatibility of students’ assistive software with your IT systems.

For example:

A university librarian asks a breastfeeding mother to feed the baby in the toilets instead of the open area as she is offending other students. This would be unlawful pregnancy and maternity discrimination (or sex discrimination if the baby is over six months old).

Last updated: 19 Feb 2019

Further information

If you think you might have been treated unfairly and want further advice, you can contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service.

Phone: 0808 800 0082

You can email using the contact form on the EASS website.

Also available through the website are BSL interpretation, web chat services and a contact us form.

Post:
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EASS HELPLINE
FPN6521

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closed on Sundays and Bank Holidays

Alternatively, you can visit our advice and guidance page.