Thursday - Disability
What is a disability?
It’s all too easy to associate wheelchairs and hearing aids with the word disability, as they are so visible. However the majority of disabilities in the young are ‘hidden’, including things like specific learning disabilities, mental health disorders and chronic health disorders. Disability is defined as any physical or mental impairment that has a substantial, adverse and long-term effect on his/her ability to carry out normal day to day activities. For example, conditions that are classified as a disability can include:
- Mobility difficulties
- Aspergers and autism
- Dyslexia and dyspraxia
- Chronic health conditions, for example asthma, diabetes and epilepsy
- Deafness or blindness
- Depression, schizophrenia and eating disorders
It’s not about labelling- if someone with chronic depression doesn’t want to call it a disability, that’s fine. However, acknowledging it as a disability means you may be eligible for additional support. It’s about knowing your rights, and specifically that you are not discriminated against because of your condition and that you have equal opportunities to resources that your peers do.
Things that may be available to disabled students at Imperial, depending on their circumstances, include:
- access to lecture notes in advance
- special examination arrangements
- financial support from the Disabled Students Allowance
- continued eligibility for accommodation in halls
Things like depression and specific learning disabilities are surprisingly common in the student population and it’s a shame that few people will talk about their experiences of it and admit they may need help. There are a number of services available but the first point of contact should be the College’s Disability Advisor. Every person’s requirements are unique so support will be tailored to you, and they will be able to suggest other services which may be of benefit and advocate on your behalf.
Having a disability shouldn’t hold you back! Here are some famous people. Can you match them to their disabilities? (Answers underneath)
1. Heather Mills, Amputee 2. Michael J Fox, Parkinson's Disease 3. John Prescott, Bulimia Nervosa
4.Billy Connolly, ADHD 5. Stevie Wonder, Blind 6. Stephen Fry, Bipolar Disorder 7. Richard Branson, Dyslexia
8. Stephen Spielberg, Aspergers 9.Halle Berry, Diabetes