Around 13% of Royal Holloway students have a disability - that's over 1400 students, a big part of our community here on campus. VP Wellbeing and Diversity, Nisha explains what services are in place at Royal Holloway to ensure all students have the best possible university experience!
Nisha Bundhun
VP Wellbeing and Diversity
Around 13% of Royal Holloway students have a disability - that's over 1400 students, meaning there is a big community here on campus.
A disability is defined in law as 'a physical or mental condition which has a substantial and long-term impact on your ability to do normal day to day activities.' This could take many forms and includes visual impairments, hearing difficulties, physical/mobility issues, neurodivergence, and learning difficulties such as dyslexia - as well as mental health problems and other hidden disabilities.
This blog will explain what services, support and communities there are in place here at Royal Holloway to try and ensure all students have the best possible university experience!
The Disability & Neurodiversity Team
Within our Wellbeing team at Royal Holloway, we have a dedicated Disability & Neurodiversity team. They are here to ensure all students are supported during their time at the University. Their job is to support all students who have disclosed a disability, long-standing medical condition, specific learning difficulty or mental health condition.
They are a friendly and welcoming team who provide advice and guidance to students.
The advisers will help organise the right support for you including liaising with your academic department, external providers or specialist support services.
To access their support, you will need to declare your disability and register with the team. They will then work with you to implement appropriate support as soon as possible.
How they can support you
- Exam Access Arrangements
- Reasonable adjustments
- Diagnostic Assessments
- Disabled Students' Allowance
- Accommodation
How to get in touch
During term time, the Disability and Neurodiversity team run confidential daily drop-ins (weekdays) from 11am-2pm on Zoom. Join with this Zoom link. They also offer face-to-face drop-ins and online sessions (Monday and Friday).
Face-to-face sessions take place in FE153 on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 11am to 2pm. You can also call them on 01784 414621 or email them at disability@royalholloway.ac.uk.
Financial Support
The Disability & Neurodiversity team can help you apply for financial support such as the Disabled Student Allowance (DSA).
The DSA covers the study-related costs you have because of a mental health problem, long-term illness or any other disability.
You can claim DSA in addition to your Student Finance loans and grants to cover any extra study-related costs. It is neither a benefit nor a loan, so it doesn’t need repaying and is not means-tested. The amount you’ll receive depends on your individual needs not on your income or that of your parents or partner. The DSA is available to both full-time and part-time students studying undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
Please note that only students who have lived in the UK for three years prior to the start of their course are eligible. Check your eligibility
You can find out more about DSA and how to apply on the Disabled Students' Allowance website.
For help with your application, please contact disability@royalholloway.ac.uk.
Your department
To make you feel comfortable and included in seminars and lectures, there are a number of measures that your department can take, including:
- Reasonable Adjustments
- Recording Lectures
- Course Material
- Seating
- Additional Time
- Marking Guidelines
- Reading out loud in class
- Work Placements
More information on how your department and the Disability & Neurodiversity team can help you can be found on the Student Intranet.
The library
The library can also assist you in a number of ways:
- Extended book loans
- Book retrieval service
- Disabled Students Allowance - help to claim back printing costs from DSA, if applicable
- Alternative formats service - these include audio, braille, electronic or large print versions of standard print such as educational material, textbooks and information leaflets
- Appointments to meet with a Library Information Consultant
- Access to an Assistive Technology Suite for registered students
- Robobraille software to convert documents into alternative formats.
Find out more on the Student Intranet!
Disabled Students Community
Brand-new this academic year, we also have the Communities to bring together students from underrepresented groups on campus. The Communities are led by an elected Community Officer, including the Disabled Students Community.
Your Disabled Students Community Officer for 2023/24 is Alana Penney (she/her). Her job is to to improve the experiences of disabled students through awareness-raising events and activities to promote, defend and extend the rights of disabled students, and to promote diversity, inclusion and equity. Her goal this year is to build a strong and visible community of disabled students on campus, in addition to creating a platform for disabled students to voice their needs. She wants to establish designated social events that are welcoming to disabled students and to use this platform to allow students to educate others on their experience with disability. By collaborating with the other Community Officers, she hopes that campus can become far more educated, inclusive, and exciting for everyone.
You can get in touch with Alana on her Instagram (@RHSU_Disabled_Community) or by email (disabled.community@royalholloway.su).
Links to further support
So, as you can see there are a lot of services in place to ensure you have the best possible university experience and all students at Royal Holloway feel heard, represented and valued!
Stand up for students
Do you want to play a lead role within the Students’ Union and help improve life on campus for students? Are you passionate about creating the most welcoming and inclusive environment to nurture student life and lead campaigns that create long-lasting change? If so, we think you would be the perfect candidate to run for a Sabbatical Officer position in the Leadership Elections 2024! Keep an eye out for more information coming soon!
If you have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at voice@su.rhul.ac.uk.