大象传媒

It's perhaps quite well known that disabled students can apply for Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) to get extra help at university to support you in your studies. But, as Adam discovered to his dismay, the payment does not cover the little things that are rather crucial to living.

鈥淏ecause of my disability I need personal care 鈥� a PA at all times. As DSA doesn鈥檛 cover medical or personal support, there鈥檚 a big void. I had a laptop, I had the specialist software I needed, but without someone to take me to the bathroom, push me around and give me a hand. It was pointless.鈥�

DSA consists of a basic allowance for small items needed for study, such as Braille paper and a sum of money to pay for non-medical personal help such as notetaking. The maximum payment of DSA for 2009/2010 is over 拢22,000 for a full time course. You get DSA from various funding agencies depending on where you usually live.

Adam then spoke to the manager of the disability services at his chosen university. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think they鈥檇 had a student who needed quite as much support as I did before.鈥�

They were unable to offer him the help he needed: 鈥淭heir answer to the question was to give me a mobile phone (which I can鈥檛 use that easily anyway) so that I could phone the medical centre on the other side of campus, and wait for a nurse to find me just to take me to the toilet. I told them that it wasn鈥檛 enough and another solution would have to be found.鈥�

The answer, of course, is that you need to use so-called from social services, in order to employ the people you need. No one will do it for you and it means there are several agencies you need to apply to and chase in order to get that perfect mix of study support and personal support.

鈥淚 had my care set up at home (Bournemouth), so when I eventually chose my university I consciously limited myself," Adam told us. His parents had managed all of his care prior to him starting his studies. The university granted him Direct Payments for 15 hours a week, but this had to be spent with an on-campus agency.

Adam had found the prospect of having to set up a 24/7 care package somewhat daunting, "It was quite a fight to get my care package sorted in the first place, let alone moving away to another part of the country.鈥� So he chose to attend a university close to his home thereby minimising the work needed to start at uni.

He is, however, keen to emphasise that independent living is all about individual choice. It can be achieved while living with family, or living on or off campus, if it鈥檚 what the student wishes to do. He reminds us that the university experience is not just about the work, and your package should be coupled with access to whatever support is needed to be an active participant at university. This includes social life as well as education.

Adam says 鈥渢he three biggest barriers for disabled students are attitudes, finance, and poor, or non existent advice". His hope is to set up a body which provides information, guidance and advocacy for prospective students. The resource would allow them to discuss how their access needs match with the university they wish to attend, making independent living a reality for many future students.

So what kind of calls does he expect to receive in the coming weeks in his role as disability officer. Adam says that besides the late arrival of DSA equipment (usually due to late applications), typical questions are what to do if term starts before an interpreter or note-taker can be found or if there are delays in receiving training on relevant software. All of these are serious matters and can put students under pressure at an already stressful time.

鈥� Find out more about the . The current campaigns are around personal care, inaccessible public transport, disabled student engagement with their student union and mental health.