Kirsty McFarlane
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
1 August 2018
Our Ref: FOI 2018/268 – F1041080
Dear Ms McFarlane,
Re: Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 – Request for Information
Thank you for your email which was received by the University on 9 July 2018 timed 10:21
hours, requesting the following information:
“Please could you provide the following information:
The number of registered students with a visual impairment The number of students
are text to speech users The number of students are screen reader users The total
number of students”
University’s Response
The number of registered students with a visual impairment
67 (Please note that this figure includes students with a diagnosis of Meares Irlen syndrome or
of a colour deficiency)
The number of students are text to speech users
The University has a site licence for a Text to Speech program which can be used by up to
25,000 students. The University cannot confirm exactly how many of the visually impaired
students use that program. Some have their own individual licences for these programs and
some use Apple and freeware programs. Therefore, the University of Glasgow does not hold
the information that you have requested and is not aware of any other public authority that
could respond to your request. Section 17 of FOISA states that where public authorities
receive requests for information that they do not hold, they must issue a notice advising that
they do not hold the requested information
The number of students are screen reader users
All those students registered with a visual impairment as noted in response to Q1 above,
except for those with total blindness, use screen readers. There are less than 5 students who
are blind and unable to see the screen, therefore the University is unable to provide the exact
DATA PROTECTION AND FREEDOM OF INFORMATION OFFICE
University of Glasgow, Tay House, Glasgow G12 8QQ
Data Protection: Telephone: 0141-330-3111
E-Mail: xx@xxx.xx.xx
Freedom of Information: Telephone: 0141-330-2523
E-Mail: foi@gla.ac.uk
The University of Glasgow, charity number SC004401
number using screen readers as the small numbers involved could be used to identify
individual students and so are considered as personal data as defined in Data Protection
legislation, and the release of the information would be in breach of the data protection
principles.
Therefore the exemption from release of the information applies as specified under sections
38(1)(b) and 38(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. This exemption is an
absolute exemption under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.
The total number of students
The information is currently accessible from the following location:
https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/planning/hesastud/hesastudentheadcountsummaries/colleg
e/
Although the University of Glasgow does hold the information that you have requested, the
information is exempt under section 25 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, as
it is otherwise accessible.
The supply of documents under the terms of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002
does not give the applicant or whoever receives the information any right to re-use it in such a
way that might infringe the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (for example, by making
multiple copies, publishing or otherwise distributing the information to other individuals and the
public). The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (Consequential Modifications) Order
2004 ensured that Section 50 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (“CDPA”)
applies to the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (“FOISA”).
Breach of copyright law is an actionable offence and the University expressly reserves its
rights and remedies available to it pursuant to the CDPA and common law. Further information
on copyright is available at the following website:
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/copy.htm
Your right to seek a review
Should you be dissatisfied with the way in which the University has dealt with your request,
you have the right to require us to review our actions and decisions. If you wish to request a
review, please contact the University Deputy Secretary, University Court Office, Gilbert Scott
Building, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland G12 8QQ or e-mail:
xxx@xxx.xx.xx within
40 working days. Your request must be in a recordable format (letter, email, audio tape, etc).
You will receive a full response to your request for review within 20 working days of its receipt.
If you are dissatisfied with the way in which we have handled your request for review you may
ask the Scottish Information Commissioner to review our decision. You must submit your
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complaint to the Commissioner within 6 months of receiving the response to review letter. The
Commissioner’s Office may be contacted as follows:
Online Appeal Service:
Website:
www.itspublicknowledge.info/Appeal
By post:
The Scottish Information Commissioner
Kinburn Castle
Doubledykes Road
St Andrews
Fife
KY16 9DS
Telephone: 01334 464610
Fax: 01334 464611
E-mail:
xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxxx
An appeal, on a point of law, to the Court of Session may be made against a decision by the
Commissioner.
For further information on the review procedure please refer to
(http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/dpfoioffice/policiesandprocedures/foisa-complaintsandreview/ )
All complaints regarding requests for information will be handled in accordance with this
procedure.
Yours sincerely,
Data Protection and Freedom of Information Office
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