David Dent

As an inclusion champion, honoured with an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for services to veterans, students, and people with disabilities, David Dent describes the Open University (OU) in Scotland’s commitment to open access as “fundamental” – enabling former military veterans and disabled people like himself to achieve their full potential.

David, now vice president at an international company, observes: “Many people never reach their potential because systems are not designed with them in mind. 

“The OU actively designs for diversity of age, ability, geography, and circumstance. That approach is not philanthropic. It is strategic and socially necessary.”

Since studying with the OU for a Master of Business Administration (MBA), David has become a passionate ambassador for the OU’s Disabled Veterans’ Scholarship Fund.

Raised in a military family, David worked as a frontline trauma specialist during the 1990s, carrying out resuscitation and treatment of people injured in combat.

However, he himself was injured – firstly receiving shrapnel injuries following a blast in Bosnia, and later a spinal injury that led to neurological damage and subsequently needing to use a wheelchair. In 2000, he retired from the Army due to his injuries.

‘Creates opportunity’

Now aged 59 and living near Carluke in South Lanarkshire, and a vice president for global clinical development partner Parexell, David describes the transition from military to civilian life at the time as a “significant culture shock”.

He explains: “Military life provides clarity of purpose, hierarchy and belonging, while civilian professional life is more ambiguous and often less values-driven. That shift can feel disorientating, particularly following injury or ill-health.

Support for disabled students is embedded rather than the exception at the OU, with staff who understand real world constraints and remove barriers early.”

“Studying with the OU helps bridge that gap by restoring structure, intellectual challenge and progression,” he says. 

“It also reframes veterans as learners and contributors rather than as people who have left something behind.”

To anyone who has had to leave the military due to ill-health or injury and is unsure what to do next, David says: “My advice is simple. Do not rush to redefine yourself through job titles alone. Invest time in learning, reflection, and capability building. 

“Seek environments that respect your experience but do not define you by your past. Education can be a powerful reset.”

Discussing the importance of the OU’s Disabled Veterans’ Scholarship Fund in giving ex-military personnel a “hand up”, David comments: “The fund removes structural barriers at exactly the right moment. It does not create dependency – it creates opportunity.

“For many veterans, finances, confidence and uncertainty converge at transition points. The scholarship enables individuals to invest in themselves, develop new identities beyond uniformed service and re-enter civilian life on equal footing with their peers.”

He believes that veterans receiving this assistance will “give back ten-fold in response”.

‘Proactive support’ 

For David, graduating with an MBA in 2023 had been a long-standing aspiration, filling in formal business training gaps and consolidating his experience from the military, public service, academia and senior leadership roles.

“The OU was a natural fit because it respected work-based learning, valued mature students and offered academic rigour without requiring withdrawal from professional life,” he says.

The flexibility offered by the OU was also essential in enabling David to study for an MBA, as he explains: “At the time I was working in a director-level role within a large international clinical research organisation, while also competing as a para-athlete.

The emphasis was on enabling performance rather than lowering expectations, which matters greatly to disabled professionals.”

“Traditional universities would not have accommodated travel schedules, peak workload periods or rehabilitation demands. 

“The OU’s flexible learning model, extended assessment timelines and clear planning structures made sustained study possible rather than aspirational.”

David also appreciates the support he received during his OU studies, describing support staff as playing a “critical role”.

“They helped me navigate registration, disability support, assessment adjustments, and pacing of modules. Importantly, this support was proactive rather than reactive,” he says. 

“As a disabled student, having knowledgeable staff who understand systems reduces cognitive and administrative burden. It allows energy to be spent on learning.”

Tailored adjustments put in place for David included accessible digital materials, flexibility in assessment formats, reasonable adjustments to deadlines where needed and study support.

He comments: “The emphasis was on enabling performance rather than lowering expectations, which matters greatly to disabled professionals.”

He moves on to conclude: “Support for disabled and mature students is embedded rather than the exception at the OU, with staff who understand real world constraints and remove barriers early. 

“The OU in Scotland demonstrates that educational excellence, accessibility, and social purpose can coexist without compromise.”