Choosing which course to study at which university is a difficult choice, even for people who have been set on what they want to study for years. There are so many questions to ask: what campus size works for you? How far from home do you want to be? Which course gives you the opportunities you value most? Once you have the answers to all of these questions, for disabled students there’s often still a whole list of things to think about. We hope this article will help make the decisions you’re making easier.
When you’re choosing the subject that you’re going to spend the next 3-4 years studying, you should make sure you’re considering your needs as well as your interests. If there are practical parts of the course, will you be able to take part fully? You should also think about the work load and make sure that it won’t negatively affect you (if you think that it will be too much consider studying your course part time).
It’s also worth considering the topics that you will be interacting with - can you engage with difficult topics without compromising your wellbeing? If thinking deeply on topics like racism or gender-based violence will result in damage to your mental health, consider whether the effect it will have on you is worth it. It’s not shameful to prioritise your health in these situations.
If you can find the contact information for the course convenor online, asking them directly for information on the course and the support you might have access to can help you decide if it’s a good fit for you.
You might also want to ask about the assessments the course uses to make sure they’re accessible for you. For example: if you cannot stand for longer than 45 minutes, is it possible for you to do a two hour long practical assessment that requires being on your feet in a lab?
You should also take into account the location of classes and the size of the campus - are you likely to struggle when travelling between classes? Are you likely to get lost? Check if your university provides an accessibility map of the campus. Make sure that you know where relevant facilities (such as accessible toilets and quiet rooms) are to make your life easier.
We recommend that you get in contact with the university’s disability services as early as possible to ask about the kind of support they offer and double check that you can get the same support that you have been getting previously either at college or at school. They will also be your main port-of-call when you’re at university so it’s good to get used to contacting them early.
Accommodation is an incredibly important aspect of university life that you should consider in advance. Making sure there is accessible accommodation that works for you will mean that you can actually get to your classes and have a comfortable and practical environment to study in outside the classroom.
Socially it is important to engage with university life through clubs or societies, so check if there are any that relate to your interests and check in with them to see if they are accessible - these will be student-led so you might not get responses that are as detailed as responses from staff. You should also consider joining any disability focused societies, for both camaraderie and advice, if you ever need it.
There will of course be things you have to consider that are specific to your own situation and you will know that better than anyone else, but make sure you aren’t afraid to ask for help or more information from the people who are there to answer your questions!
