1. Setting the scene : disabled students and multiple policy innovations in higher education -- 2. Patterns of participation of disabled students in higher education -- 3. Policy and provision for disabled students in higher education : the current state of play -- 4. Institutional ethos and support for disabled students in higher education -- 5. The construction of 'learning difficulties' and 'reasonable adjustments' to teaching, learning and assessment -- 6. Disabled students' experiences of access and independence -- 7. Support for students with mental health difficulties in higher education : the students' perspective -- 8. Disabled students in higher education : negotiating identity -- 9. Conclusion : connecting the threads