At uni with a disability...
Homepage » For Students » At uni with a disability
I applied to Kent University, as they were one of the only universities in England that offered Criminology with Sociology. They also have a unit dedicated to students with Aspergers Syndrome, which is the condition I have. The Disability and Dyslexia Support Service at Kent is a warm, welcoming place where any concerns you have will be heard.
Now I am in my third year here at Kent and by the time many of you are reading this, I will have graduated. When I first came to university, I was not at all confident but, thanks to the support of my wonderful friends and the support staff, I thrived here and will always look back on my university days with fondness. I now act as a support worker to first year students with Aspergers Syndrome during the first few weeks when distress caused by change of routine is common. Overall, I would definitely recommend applying to university for any student who is intellectually capable of university study and desires to do so, no matter what their disability is. Universities tend to be dedicated to equal opportunities and the days of disabled people being unable to access university education are thankfully over. If I can do it, anyone can-I wish you all a successful time at university and may all your ambitions be achieved! Stephanie Marsh.
If you have any interesting stories or pictures we’d love to hear from you. Click here to get in touch |
As a student with an autistic spectrum disorder, I was always led to believe that university was impossible for me. After I achieved high grades in my GCSEs and began my ‘A’ Levels, I realised that it wasn’t impossible for me after all. However, I was still concerned about applying to university with a disability, although I needn’t have been. I was encouraged to declare my condition on my UCAS form (I would recommend this to anyone with a disability) as universities will not discriminate against you but they do need to know your unique skills profile in order to help you fulfil your potential.
I would also recommend any disabled student applies for the Disabled Students Allowance. This is an allowance based on an assessment of strengths and difficulties, which can help fund things such as a laptops, note takers, personal carers, dictaphones and many more. Many disabled students find this help invaluable and you should apply for it around May or June as it can take six weeks or more to come through. My Disabled Students Allowance pays, amongst other things, for one-hour, one to one support per week with an autism specialist. They deal with every student who has Aspergers Syndrome and they are in receipt of DSA at the University of Kent. These meetings deal with issues such as maintaining deadlines, organisation of work and personal life, independence skills and help with finding a career. This help is enormously useful and has made my life at university a lot easier.
