Disability at uni: work

If you've got a serious illness or a disability it can affect everything you do at university. TheSite looks at how to make life a little easier.

What help do you need?

The help and support you need at university will depend largely on whether you have a medical illness, learning difficulties, mental health problems or a physical disability. Think through the main areas of your life that are affected by your disability and how they make life difficult at university. For example:

• Do you need special equipment such as a dictaphone or computer?
• Would extra support in classes, such as notetakers, help?
• Do you need physical access into lecture halls, toilets etc?
• Can you travel to and from campus easily?
• Do you need extra time with essay deadlines?
• Would you benefit from some emotional support?

Financial support

It's one thing knowing what help you need, but actually getting it can be like pulling teeth. One of the main forms of help is a Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) - extra funding that is granted to students that need the following support:

• Specialist equipment such as specific furniture, versa braille or a computer;
• Non-medical help such as sign language interpreters or notetakers;
• Specialist tuition such as study skills support for dyslexic students;
• Travel costs. The DSA will pay the difference incurred on top of normal travel expenses;
• General expenditure, such as extra books or photocopying if you are unable to study in the library for long periods of time.

The amount you receive will depend on your workload and your individual needs. If you think you qualify for some extra funding, speak to the member of staff who is responsible for disabled students - usually the Disability Officer or Learning Support Co-ordinator.

Your rights

Don't feel embarrassed if you need to ask for adjustments to be made - it's up to your university to help you out as much as they can. Under The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995, institutions have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people and they must not treat a disabled person less favourably for reasons related to a disability.

On a more personal level, most student unions will have an equal opportunities policy highlighting the importance of respecting the needs and rights of all students. This will include minority groups such as mature students, students from ethnic minority groups and those with disabilities and learning difficulties. The student union is the best place to start if you want to make changes and improve existing facilities and provisions for students with disabilities. If your student union doesn't have a disabled students' officer, consider creating this post. For help and advice about doing this, you can call Skill on 0800 328 5050.