Welcome to Swansea Metropolitan University

This guide is for students with disabilities or health problems which may affect their studies. It could be something unseen like epilepsy or asthma, or it could be a mobility problem, or a sight or hearing impairment or it could be a mental health problem or a condition such as asperger’s syndrome or dyspraxia.

You may have had a disability from birth and so you are used to dealing with it or you may have a condition which is getting worse or you may have a health problem which has only recently developed.

You may not think of it as much of a problem and you may never think of yourself as disabled. Whatever you feel, the important thing for you to know is that support is available if you need it, at any time during your studies. You just have to ask.

Lots of students have conditions such as arthritis, which are not obvious but cause a lot of pain and discomfort.

What Kind of Support is Available?

Support can mean anything from arranging extra time in exams to organising a full time support assistant for you.

Below are details of some of our procedures and of the kinds of assistance we can provide but there may be something else you need. If so, please let us know.

Admissions

If you have a health problem or disability which may have an impact on your studies, it is a good idea to contact Student Services and discuss any support needs you may have before your course starts. Many applicants like to visit and talk to members of staff before deciding whether or not they wish to apply or to accept an offer of a place.

Once accepted, you will be asked to complete a short questionnaire, inviting you to a meeting to discuss your requirements. All discussions are held in complete confidence. It may be important to pass information about a health condition to other members of staff, including lecturers but this will only be done with your permission.

Funding

Once you have accepted a place with us, we can help you apply for the Disabled Students’ Allowance, which can be used to pay for equipment, cover the cost of specialist tuition, or provide for a support assistant. The allowance is administered by the Local Authority for Welsh students or Student Finance England for those normally resident in England and takes time to be sorted out. It is a good idea to apply for it as soon as possible and have everything organised before your course starts but you can apply at any time throughout your course. If you are not entitled to a Disabled Students’ Allowance, we will help you look for other sources of financial assistance.

For students with mobility problems

Mobility problems range from students who use wheelchairs to someone who has broken a leg playing football. One of the most common mobility problems is arthritis which may not be obvious but causes a lot of pain and discomfort. Some parts of our campuses may be difficult to get around because they are situated on steep hills and some of the buildings are old with a lot of steps. Lifts and chairlifts have been installed to provide access to many parts of the older buildings. All the refurbished buildings such as Townhill Campus and the Art and Design Building at Dynevor are accessible. Unfortunately there are still some areas which are not fully accessible but it may be possible to make alternative arrangements if you are interested in studying in one of these areas. If you have a mobility problem it is important to discuss this.

Students who are blue badge holders are offered priority car parking on campus at Townhill, Dynevor and Mount Pleasant. Please contact Student Services before you arrive to make arrangements for this. 

Getting around Swansea can also be difficult thanks to all the hills! Some students use taxis regularly to come to lectures and we can put you in touch with local taxi firms, who transport our students. These are usually funded through the Disabled Students’ Allowance.  During term time a public transport bus travels between Mount Pleasant and Townhill every half hour and many Swansea buses have platforms for wheelchair users.

For students with visual impairments

We can make arrangements for your preferred method of studying and we can provide books and  course materials in braille, on disc, or large print or through electronic communication for you. You may also have a notetaker in lectures. We have very close links with the Recording Centre for the Blind at Swansea University who will produce materials in your preferred medium and will also discuss the best methods of study with you. Training in the use of the specialist software for visually impaired students, such as JAWS can be arranged for anyone who would find this useful.  We also have good links with the RNIB and can arrange consultations.

We can also arrange mobility training for you to find your way around the campus and it is a good idea to do this well before the course begins. Guide dogs are always welcome.

For students with hearing impairments

We can arrange lip speakers, British Sign Language Interpreters or notetakers for anyone with a hearing impairment. Induction loops have been installed in important areas. It is also helpful to agree to letting your lecturers know you have a hearing impairment, so that they are aware of the importance of speaking clearly and facing the class all the time. Group work can be difficult for hearing impaired students but equipment is available which helps many people overcome this.

Some rooms in halls of residence have vibrating pillow alarms and flashing doorbells for hearing impaired students who wish to stay in halls.

For students with mental health difficulties

Studying can be particularly stressful for students with mental health problems such as depression or bi polar disorder.  We aim to provide a supportive environment where we can offer encouragement and understanding. We have two counsellors that students can speak to in complete confidence. We have good links with the local Community Mental Health Teams. Some students with mental health problems benefit greatly from a mentor who will work closely with them to help them with any aspect of life they find difficult.

For students with medical conditions

If you are taking medication which affects your concentration or you have a condition which means you may need to leave a room suddenly, it is important that you let us know, so that we can be aware that your academic performance may be affected. Some medical conditions cause people to get tired quickly and you may take longer than others to complete your work. Some students prefer to study part time for this reason and you may be able to negotiate extensions to your work on health grounds.    

Some medical conditions mean that a student needs a support worker with them much or all of time and this can be organised. A wide range of equipment is also available to help people with different health problems and technology can be invaluable. For instance some students who have difficulty using their hands can use voice recognition software with their computers when writing essays.  Lecturers can be recorded or notetakers provided. Anyone suffering serious back pain can apply for funding for ergonomic chairs which provide good lumbar support.

For students with autistic spectrum conditions

We have had a number of students with conditions such as asperger’s syndrome studying at the University on different courses and they are often very successful. It is an advantage that we are a small, friendly institution and it is easy to find your way round and get to know people. Most difficulties can be sorted out quickly. If you would like a mentor to talk things over with, this can be arranged.

Communications and confidentiality

We have very strict rules about confidentiality and will not pass on any information about you, without your agreement, unless there is some risk of harm to yourself or someone else.

It is often useful for your lecturers to know about medical conditions or disabilities which have an impact on your studies and we may encourage you to give permission to provide them with relevant information but it’s up to you!

Exams

Special arrangements can be made at exam time to make sure no-one is disadvantaged. Students can ask for large print exam or braille exam papers. Many students have an additional time allowance to allow for rest breaks or slow writing speed. Some students are able to use a computer or have a scribe to write for them in exams. The best thing to do is discuss exam arrangements early in the term with Student Services staff.

Health and safety and personal care

If you need personal care whilst studying, you need to contact Student Services, who will help with the arrangements. We also treat your safety as important and our Health and Safety Officer will carry out risk assessments for some students, to make sure everyone knows about the safe access routes out of buildings in the event of a fire or other emergency.

Accommodation

Both Townhill and Mount Pleasant campuses have Halls of Residence. Townhill has two flats which have been specially designed and are accessible for wheelchair users and suitable for students with visual impairments. Carers can be accommodated in adjacent rooms if necessary. All the rooms in Mount Pleasant are en-suite and preferred by students with conditions such as Crohn’s disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Fridges are placed in rooms for anyone who needs to store their medication and extra shelves or handrails can be added. Some rooms have visual alarms and doorbells.

If you have any special dietary needs please ask, as the canteen will do their best to meet them if they have sufficient notice.

Money matters

If you are on disability benefits of any kind, it is important to find out if these will be affected if you become a student.  You may be able to keep some benefits but you may lose others. These changes mostly affect full time students.  If you decide to study part time, you may find your benefits stay unchanged.  However you will need to check as each case is individually assessed.  A good source of advice is DIAL, the local Disability Information and Advice line. Their telephone number is   It is very important that you inform the Benefits Agency once you become a student.

If you have any financial difficulties while studying, you can apply for assistance from the University’s Financial Contingency Fund. Sometimes there may be extra cost to studying which the Disabled Students’ Allowance does not cover and the contingency fund can help you to meet these.  You can obtain the forms and ask for advice about completing it from the Finance Office or Student Services.

Keeping in touch

We have a disabled students’ group which usually meets once a term to discuss anything connected to disabled students’ issues. Relevant members of staff can be invited to these meetings - such as the Director of Estates if there is a concern about an access issue. It is also a good way for disabled students from different courses to meet. In some years this group has been very lively and has organised awareness raising sessions for students and staff. The Students’ Union has a post for a disabled students’ rep each year and anyone is welcome to apply.

Feedback and complaints

All feedback is welcomed. If you have suggestions about how we could improve our support for students with disabilities and health problems, please let us know.  We hope you never need to make a complaint but if you do, start by talking it over with Student Services or the Student Union President. If you are not satisfied and wish to make a formal complaint you can then go to the Compliance Officer.

And finally…

We are aware that some students are reluctant to discuss a disability or health problem and do not like asking for help. We respect the fact that independence is very important but remember that if you ask for support on account of a disability, you are simply asking for equality. You can discuss your situation with Student Services in complete confidence and work out arrangements which suit you.

We do our best to ensure that students find living and studying in Swansea a happy and successful experience.