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

The_One_Who

sh1305 wrote: »

It would work out much cheaper for them to buy me a laptop with Jaws on than it would be for them to install it on 5/6 different computers. Cost of a decent laptop? Around £3-400. Cost of software? Some can be as much as £900.

How is that cheaper? They are needing to buy the laptop as well as the licences.

popo wrote: »

It's a different 'them' so it makes little difference. You're university should have a suite of computers availalbe for disabled students with enabling software - and in some cases Jaws is available, it varies from one institue to the next. Multple licences are often a lot cheaper anyway.

The DSA provides funding for individual students by way of grants via the student loans company (SFE) - which is funded by the tax payer not the uni.

I know that my library does not provide a computer suite like that, which is why I was suggesting it.

Indie_Kid

The_One_Who wrote: »

How is that cheaper? They are needing to buy the laptop as well as the licences.

1 licence = £900. 1 laptop = £3-400. If I was in three different rooms (as was the case this year) software would cost nearly £3k. It would cost almost 1/3 of that if I was given a laptop plus one licence instead to use.

popo_2

sh1305 wrote: »

1 licence = £900. 1 laptop = £3-400. If I was in three different rooms (as was the case this year) software would cost nearly £3k. It would cost almost 1/3 of that if I was given a laptop plus one licence instead to use.

The difference in price is irrelevant as the funding comes from two different places. Universities do get government funding for widening participation, which I assume is spent on assistive software (amongst other things) but I'm sure they're not falling over themselves to spend a fortune providing support when they can get the government to do it for them.

Support available varies massively from one place to the next. For example, arts based courses attract a lot of students with specific learning difficulties as dyslexics / dyspraxics often find the arts more intuitive than text based subjects. With a high proportion of students requiring assistive software there is no way the uni would be able to provide sufficient resources. As I said however, some universities do provide software packages such as Jaws in assisstive suites.

Isis_Black

ok i have not commented on here for a little while as i felt it has got into a bit of a bitter battle! not on either way to be honest! I not gonig to go into the who should have and shouldnt have what and i do think that that shopuld all stop as its not really helping the OP as they may now feel that they are not deserving of any help at all!

But i will say i am thankful i am going to get the assistance as if i have a time while at university like i have had this past 3 weeks then i will need it! i had a near breakdown due to my depression and it nearly broke my marriage up, during that i was having to try to meet college work deadlines, some how i met all but one but lukily that tutor was very understanding. I have also begac conselling sessions at college, (lukily they are paid for already) Now with the college work it is not as hard as it will be at uni but if i have that happen again then good god i will be up !!!! creek !
I am hoping, fingers crossed, that i dont have that happen while at university but to be honest its good for the min to know there is all that help to back me up along with my firends who will be there with me.

poet123

There is also another viewpoint, which is, able bodied or disabled, not everyone is emotionally, or perhaps even more pertinently, academically suited/suitable for University.

A myth seems to have grown up that university is for everyone....it really isn't, and sometimes we do a disservice to people by encouraging them to push themselves further than we truly think they are capable of. This often ends in tears and debt, and a feeling of worthlessness which would not have occured if realistic expectations had been in place, or acknowledged.

Indie_Kid

poet123 wrote: »

There is also another viewpoint, which is, able bodied or disabled, not everyone is emotionally, or perhaps even more pertinently, academically suited/suitable for University.

A myth seems to have grown up that university is for everyone....it really isn't, and sometimes we do a disservice to people by encouraging them to push themselves further than we truly think they are capable of. This often ends in tears and debt, and a feeling of worthlessness which would not have occured if realistic expectations had been in place, or acknowledged.

What does this have to do with DSA?

poet123

sh1305 wrote: »

What does this have to do with DSA?

The fact that for some students (disabled or otherwise)no amount of hardware, help, benefits, loans, etc will make them academically or emotionally suited to University. So it is a waste of time, effort (theirs and everyone else)and money. They are being sold a line, that everyone can achieve a degree, which is simply not true, nor should it be.

There are plenty other worthwhile avenues which some people are more suited to.

Indie_Kid

poet123 wrote: »

The fact that for some students (disabled or otherwise)no amount of hardware, help, benefits, loans, etc will make them academically or emotionally suited to University.

DSA doesn't do this. It simply removes the barrier and gives extra help needed.

poet123

sh1305 wrote: »

DSA doesn't do this. It simply removes the barrier and gives extra help needed.

It was a general comment prompted by observation.

Isis_Black

sorry but it does take a lot of work in the first place to get into university be that going through A levels as a teen or like me through an intensive 1 year access course so not everyone will get into univeristy but if it is something that someone wants to do and they have the skills to do so then they should have all the help and assistance to do so be they able bodied, disablied or have a mental illness, just because someone has some difficulity some where does not make them incapable of doing things!
For me my problems are one and off, i can have good days and i can have bad days but i will never know when these days will occur so i need to be prepared for anything to occur and the help i have been provided with wil assist me in making sure that if i do have bad days and i cannot get in then i am still able to do the work at home
I do not feel like i have an advantage over others i jsut feel that it has put me on a level playing field, and yes i am sure some are thinking how on earth will i cope with work in the future, there is a great range of things i could go into especially being self employed, but it does actually help if i am doing something i really enjoy as that helps to keep the depression at arms length.
But i will tackle anything that occurs and try to overcome the difficulites and i will get through my degree and come out the other side a much better person and have the ability to fully control, to the best of my abilities, my depression.