Conference 2026 ideas

Please submit or vote for any changes you'd like Open SU to make, which will be considered in preparation for our 2026 Conference.

Please share any ideas for improving Open SU, introducing something new, changing an existing process, or reviewing a service. You can also propose policies, campaigns, or highlight student issues that you'd like Open SU to take forward and advocate for.
These ideas may be developed into a Conference Resolution – a formal proposal that students can debate and vote on at Conference. You can take a look at the resolutions that went to our 2024 Conference here.
Please share any ideas by 31 August 2026.

Please note you will need to log in to our website to add an idea. If you don't have an account, please register.

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Campaign for the OU to allow support dogs beyond assistance dogs on campus

Submitted 2 weeks ago by Alex (Afon) Thomas

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Campaign for the OU to allow dogs in some areas of university campuses for disabled people who would benefit from having a dog with them. Assistance dogs are permitted under the Equality Act 2010, there is no official government register and no mandatory certification. However, to be eligible, dogs must be trained to carry out tasks that assist a disabled owner. However, this does not allow assistance dogs in all cases where they may be needed, for example, emotional support animals. In these cases, the presence of the disabled person's dog is the assistance, for example - someone with agoraphobia, anxiety, autism, or PTSD who struggles to leave the house alone, and this struggle is mitigated by the calming and familiar presence of their dog. This can create barriers for disabled people who would benefit from having their dog with them when visiting campus. As the largest provider of higher education for disabled people in the UK, with 30% of OU students declaring a disability, the OU is uniquely positioned to lead the way in accessibility and equity in higher education. Similar approaches are already being taken by other UK universities. The University of Edinburgh allows therapy and support animals onto campus and in April 2026, King’s College London introduced a policy allowing both assistance animals and emotional support animals on its campuses. Both universities carry out an approval process and appropriate risk assessments. Allowing dogs on campus for disabled people who would benefit from their presence would help disabled students and staff access campus more easily. Access could be limited to designated areas or days and would take into account the needs of other students and staff. This would support disabled students and staff to participate more fully in OU campus life. UPDATED DUE TO MISTAKE IN UNDERSTANDING THE LAW

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Conference 2026 ideas

Campaign for the OU to allow support dogs beyond assistance dogs on campus