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

foreveranon

skipsmum wrote: »

I don't need a laptop etc (have my own) but I am going to have a mentor full time for the first few weeks to help me find my way around etc, so that I don't get too panicky and leave the course. She will then stay with me part time for the rest of the year.

See, that's the kind of thing that probably could help me :j I'm not so worried about the start of the course (I'm usually okay then). My main problems are usually two-fold. Talky classrooms where EVERYONE IS TALKING AT ONCE and my ears try to follow 4 conversations and I stress and meltdown (particularly bad in quiet rooms where I'm meant to be working without talking at all -- I've started taking my ipod to the college library in self-defense!) is one problem. The other is that a few months in my self-confidence somehow goes !!!!!! and I convince myself with no reason whatsoever that actually I'm crap and going to fail and why am I here anyway and not working? It's been suggested that the reason this gets SO BAD a few months in is that some of my problems are SAD-linked (not all of them sadly -- I did TRY insisting they were but uh, meltdowns in summer proved in wrong). I don't want shiny equipment so much as I do people who spot when I get all up in my head and start falling apart.

dmg24

cirrusmp wrote: »

I have not queried yours or anybody else's entitlement to what they receive as individuals.

...

My opinion certainly has never gone anywhere near the extreme of suggesting that someone who needs help be denied it.

So you have not queried my entitlement? Did you not write the following? Maybe it was one of your friends? :rotfl:

cirrusmp wrote: »

Laptop
You say that you are unable to use the library/computer facilities at the university. I do not know what your disability is, but from reading your posts it seems strange to me that you are unable to sit at a computer in the university - but are able to sit in lectures and seminars. And you are more than able to get there and back because you have a travel allowance - presume this is for taxis?. Also, I'd be willing to bet good money that your laptop far exceeds the specification required to complete your course, the ones I saw supplied were from a company charging over £1200 for each unit - why do you need that and not one that costs £400?. Have you considered how that £800 difference could benefit other students?. Did you own a laptop when you claimed?.

A printer, for the above reason
A printing/ internet allowance, because I cannot take advantage of the much cheaper printing facilities available at uni

Again, you are in university for your lectures and seminars - why do you need to be given a printer at home?. Why can you not just print on campus, while you are there?.

The cost of your printing at home on the inkjet printer supplied far exceeds the cost of printing on campus. Particularly since all universities operate a print credit system. When I was at Bournemouth it cost 5pence per page of b&w, which I know from working I.T, exceeds the actual cost by around 2p per page depending on the hardware.

The cost of your printing, is being passed to other students. Why can you not contribute your own cartridges and paper?. If you need a printer why can you not pay for it out of student loan?.

A dictaphone, because my concentration is very poor
Say we were to take exactly the same course, and graduate with a middle of the road 2.1 - if we were both to present a C.V to an employer, he would assume that we were equally skilled - surely I am more skilled because my concentration is better and I do not require these aids - your actual performance on the job would be lower than mine because you have poor concentration and I don't, but the employer would have no knowledge of this until you were hired, because you had the same qualification as someone that didn't have that disadvantage?. Do you write on applications under disability "poor concentration"?.

A travel allowance, as I cannot use public transport
Once again my question would be why are you not made to pay this out of your student loan?. Say I couldn't get to university on public transport because it didn't run near my house - I'd have 3 choices - pay rent on accommodation nearer the university, pay for taxis myself or run a car - I accept running a car may be impossible for someone with a disability.

Keep digging that hole!

dmg24

cirrusmp wrote: »

To clarify, I am a graduate, I have worked in two graduate jobs for large companies since graduation.

Being a graduate does not equate to maturity. Perhaps you should do some voluntary work and experience what living with a disability is really like?

cirrusmp

<Please Delete>

Indie_Kid

cirrusmp wrote: »

I don't need to do voluntary work to understand limitations and disabilities, myself, my brother and my mother cared for my dad in the 4 years leading up to his recent death from a lung cancer.

Disabilities are different for anyone. You only have to read forums like disability & dosh to understand that. Plus, I don't think you can really understand unless you've got it.

I'm sure disabled students [in general] would love to give up the equipment they've got and buy their own if it meant not being diabled. I know I would.

I am going to have a mentor full time for the first few weeks to help me find my way around etc, so that I don't get too panicky and leave the course.

This was suggested to me at an open day due to my physical disabilities. (mental health has only really become an issue in the last few weeks, again)

Taiko

Above poster clearly doesn't understand the DSA process. Students, in order to get anything, go for an assessment of their individual needs. It isn't just a case of "You have dyslexia, here's a laptop", the case has to be justified.

As an experienced assessor for this, I can safely say not all students are awarded these things. Most, but not all. Anything awarded has to have reason to it, and it's designed to make things so that students are on a level playing field ability wise.

WolfSong2000

cirrusmp wrote: »

I have not queried yours or anybody else's entitlement to what they receive as individuals. All I have said is that people should not claim for what they do not absolutely need (which is part of what the OP was asking) and that I have first hand experience (as has another poster on this thread) of people at university claiming and being given things which they do not need, in many cases being given things they already have.

Suggesting that I need to see full medical records for someone to make a decision on whether or not they need what they have been given when I lived with them for 3 years is nonsense, they themselves freely admitted that they did not need anything they were given and agreed fully that it is wrong that the money for the provision of these things be taken from the fees of other students.

I would welcome somebody else's take on both sides of the argument, but I will not respond to any personal attacks as I have not made any myself and feel this is unfair.

My opinion certainly has never gone anywhere near the extreme of suggesting that someone who needs help be denied it.

I totally agree with this, having been in the same position. It really grates. Very few people actually *need* their own laptop - special software, yes, I can understand, but at my Uni that's loaded onto at least some of the computers anyhow, and there as personal coputer rooms that can be booked if you prefer to be on your own for whatever reason.

A dyslexic flatmate who has given a laptop (mentioned this before) told me she was offered free paper, cartridges, etc and just said yes as they offered it for free - she didn't ask for it/need it. She didn't need the laptop in the first place as parents could have easily bought it for her (special software should have been provided, though). In her case she has one-up on regular students because she's getting more than she needs. When her laptop broke, she had the gaul go complain that she wasn't allowed to get another one free! Another flatmate who's deaf also got a free laptop - again, didn't need it as is evidenced by the fact that it has no special software, and her parents have recently bought her a very expensive Sony PC to replace the laptop. She also get a free bus pass, on the understanding that she cannot drive because she is deaf, yet she takes driving lessons and is set to pass her test relatively soon? If that's not taking the p*ss, tell me what is?

metalgal

im heading to university in september and suffer from mental health issues. i telephoned the disability advisor as i know i will need some help. When i phoned she told me that i would need to apply for the DSA and if i was awarded it then she could help me with other things. Im not interested in a laptop etc, but i do want the pastoral support and to be placed in the smallest tutor groups etc. I also want them to know that i have difficulties and am not being lazy. Im applying for the DSA to get the support from the university. My husband is of the opinion "take it if its free" but i don't need it. What a weird system.

Indie_Kid

metalgal wrote: »

My husband is of the opinion "take it if its free" but i don't need it. What a weird system.

I was told to do this too; but one of the pieces of equipment I was offered doesn't help me at all. So taking it is rather pointless.

atypical

dmg24 wrote: »

So you have not queried my entitlement? Did you not write the following? Maybe it was one of your friends? :rotfl:

Is it wrong for someone to query your entitlement? I don't mean to personalise it to you, but generally, it appears there is a stigma against querying disablement matters. The fear is that when something isn't open to rational debate things often become irrational e.g. offering assistance that isn't needed once the right disablement box is checked (I realise this mightn't be the case but it appears that way to some, though Taiko went some way in clarifying this).

You obviously feel cirrusmp is misguided, in which case explaining to him/her why his/her arguments are irrational would be your strongest argument wouldn't it? Of course if you don't want to then say so, rather than resorting to ad hominem attacks.