Disabled Student's Allowance -- worth applying for mental health?

surfsister

so anyway I have a friend with ME at uni is it worth her applying for a dsa award?

She has no energy and can hardly do anything and has been diagnosed by her doctor?

If so how should she apply? send a copy of the letter to her student support area at uni

Thanks

Indie_Kid

She needs to download the form (DSA1) from the student finance (Direct Gov) website.

bitsandpieces

The_One_Who wrote: »

The exact same thing could be said for those who are not disabled but cannot afford their own computer. In most cases I see no difference between the disabled and non-disabled person in their needs for a private computer. In the way that not all students can afford to buy their own books and so need to use the library provisions. One student getting, say, a book allowance is giving them an advantage over those who do not. I see them as being pretty similar.

The assessment process is designed to find out whether disabled students have significant additional need for a computer (or other support). If they don't, the assessor won't recommend it as they will not be able to justify the recommendation. No-one is arguing for disabled students to be given computers unless their disability causes significant additional need for them.

With respect, what you can or can't see isn't particularly relevant. Many disabilities are invisible - there are many things that doctors can't diagnose just from looking at someone, and I rather doubt that you can make such diagnoses. Providing good support can actually make disabilities less visible - e.g. if a student can only write at 3 words per minute and are provided a laptop to use in lectures, you may never see them write and may therefore never realise the problems this causes them.

Anything mathematical will require a lot of writing with symbols not quickly accessed on a computer. There is a lot of writing in mathematical subjects, it's just not in the form of essays. In four months of doing a maths course I would say I wrote more than I did in a full-year arts course. Unless you actually cannot write by hand at all a computer for maths isn't the best.

Absolutely - lots of writing involved in maths and people often prefer to do this by hand. Things like LaTeX are available, though. Some odd people even seem to like them... If students can't write effectively by hand, there are alternatives: computers, note-takers/scribes, etc.

Indie_Kid

The One Who - I am so glad I never had anyone like you on my course. Some of the students know I have a disability and use a dictaphone because of this. I have never had them say anything like what you've said.

Unless you know the full story of someones' disability(s) I don't think you can really comment.

bodmil

The_One_Who wrote: »

Non-disabled students are not all super-human who can read fifty pages a minute and write a thousand words an hour. We are all different, with some being better at certain things than others. We all need to play by the same rules.

My thoughts also.

Indie_Kid

bestpud wrote: »

I can see why 'free' laptops bring out the green eyed monster in some but they need to look beyond that imo. The grass is rarely greener on the other side...

I agree. I look "normal", but I really am not. I am slowly losing what's left of my sight and I have nerve damage to both eyes.

We all need to play by the same rules.

We do. I get a laptop because I can't use the library ones. (I use software to change the background colour - this isn't on library computers)

What people are given is reasonable adjustments under the disability discrimination act. Non-disabled students aren't at an advantage. You know what, I would love to be able to read standard size print without getting tired.

The_One_Who

Right, again, and for the last time, I'm getting tired of saying the same thing over and over again. I have no problems with the people who get this, and I am well aware of the need for it. I do have a problem with the system that is over-supplying things without real justification in the wider picture. I do have a problem with the system that is giving equipment that non-disabled students will most likely be buying anyway. I am not saying that posters here do not deserve what equipment or provisions they get.

sh1305 wrote: »

Everything has to be justified. An assessor can't just give a student what they ask for.

I sometimes need the extra time and sometimes don't. It's better for it to be given to me (so it's there - I can use it if I need to) than not having it at all and struggle.

How many non-disabled students have a reading age of a 15 year old? I do. It takes me much longer and more effort to read a book than what it does a non-disabled student.

We could all do with a bit of extra time in exams. I know of a few people who have a slow reading speed, but it's not through a disability. They have to use the library and use the same loan times as anyone else. I would love it if I could get an allowance for books, it would mean I don't need to rush through a book and can actually sit and soak it in. Instead I can be limited to four hours, which is the shortest loan time.

bitsandpieces wrote: »

The assessment process is designed to find out whether disabled students have significant additional need for a computer (or other support). If they don't, the assessor won't recommend it as they will not be able to justify the recommendation. No-one is arguing for disabled students to be given computers unless their disability causes significant additional need for them.

With respect, what you can or can't see isn't particularly relevant. Many disabilities are invisible - there are many things that doctors can't diagnose just from looking at someone, and I rather doubt that you can make such diagnoses. Providing good support can actually make disabilities less visible - e.g. if a student can only write at 3 words per minute and are provided a laptop to use in lectures, you may never see them write and may therefore never realise the problems this causes them.

Absolutely - lots of writing involved in maths and people often prefer to do this by hand. Things like LaTeX are available, though. Some odd people even seem to like them... If students can't write effectively by hand, there are alternatives: computers, note-takers/scribes, etc.

I still see no point in giving a laptop when the majority of other students also need them but have to buy their own. The software can then be put on to these computers. If financial restraints exist then there may be a case for it, otherwise a small cluster of computers can be put in the library and reserved for those who need them. These computers could have a wide range of software installed.

When I said 'see', I didn't mean me physically looking at someone.

sh1305 wrote: »

The One Who - I am so glad I never had anyone like you on my course. Some of the students know I have a disability and use a dictaphone because of this. I have never had them say anything like what you've said.

Unless you know the full story of someones' disability(s) I don't think you can really comment.

I am really glad I didn't have some of the really rather judgemental people here on my course. I myself have a disability, yet everyone here just assumed I didn't.

All I want is for the system to be fair and not advantage the disabled person over the non-disabled. Yes, I am well aware of how hard life can be, but again, the non-disabled are not all living a picture-perfect life either. Being disabled shouldn't allow someone to be treated any better or any worse just because of their disability.

Indie_Kid

The_One_Who wrote: »

We could all do with a bit of extra time in exams. I know of a few people who have a slow reading speed, but it's not through a disability.

What I have causes severe tiredness and pain. I could not read continually for half an hour without either being in so much pain that I can't move (been there done, and it's hell) or overworking myself (reading for half an hour) that I fall asleep. And no, it's not because I'm getting enough sleep. Add to that slow reading speed and can't read anything below font size 16.

All I want is for the system to be fair and not advantage the disabled person over the non-disabled. Yes, I am well aware of how hard life can be, but again, the non-disabled are not all living a picture-perfect life either. Being disabled shouldn't allow someone to be treated any better or any worse just because of their disability.

Please tell me how I'm advantaged?

You remind me of someone I live with - she once said "I'd love to blind" - why would you? I have very little independence left, I have to ask my parents to read letters to me, etc. I have to scan in the letters I get from halls, just to read them.

The_One_Who

Again, I am not saying anything about you. Nor am I saying that all provisions should be stopped.

Computers are something that everyone needs, whether or not they are disabled. If a person cannot afford their own they need to use the ones available at university. The same should be for the disabled who cannot afford their own computer. It wouldn't take much for the library to set aside a cluster of computers and put the required software on to them.

Book allowances are advantaging students because they are no long subject to the normal loan restrictions that other students are. In the case of needing books in large print or braille or similar then that is different, although I would prefer the library get them than the individual student.

Printing/photocopying allowances are similar. We can't all sit all day and read hundreds of pages on a computer screen. I need to print out journal articles, and I need to pay the price of that. The same with photocopying, if I am limited to a four-hour loan I would be better photocopying the parts I need, but that costs.

Obviously there are cases in which these could be changed and it would not suit everyone's situation. I'm speaking in general terms here.

You know, I don't really like my disabilities either. Life for me isn't as rosy as you may think it is.

bitsandpieces

The_One_Who wrote: »

I still see no point in giving a laptop when the majority of other students also need them but have to buy their own.

The majority of students don't need laptops. They are very convenient to have, but people can and do manage fine without them. Everyone needs access to a computer, but there is generally no reason why people can't use machines in computer suites etc. The same is not the case for some disabled students.

Also, the great majority of non-disabled students (except for those doing some specialised subjects) don't need modern, fast laptops: older laptops, or basic machines like netbooks, are fine for wordprocessing. Many disabled students will need a more capable machine in order to run specialised software.

When I said 'see', I didn't mean me physically looking at someone.

Thanks for clarifying. However, unless you were referring to a rather detailed assessment (including access to a lot of personal information about someone) and unless you are competent to carry out such assessments, my point still stands.