Lu's Story - Student, challenging University Accommodation decisions
With no immediate support from university services, Lu made a formal complaint to her university with support from Disability Rights UK and won the case. Read more below.
What led you to where you are now?
I was applying for second-year accommodation when I stated that I needed a wheelchair-accessible studio room. I had medical evidence saying I required this but was still assigned an ensuite room. After a lot of emails and in-person meetings, they agreed to give me the accommodations I needed; I thought I was done and could spend the rest of my year focusing on my studies, but then I saw the price: £11,642.
There are different band types at my university. 4 bands, each increasing in price based on the quality of the room. When you’re disabled, you can get a subsidy where you don’t pay for the ensuite, so if you’re in band 3 ensuite, you'd pay band 3 non-ensuite. Studios are different, even with the subsidy it’s band 4 large ensuite. The original price I was quoted for my room was £11,642; disability subsidy brought it down to £9545. Which I still couldn’t pay.
I went to disability services, financial services, student union and accommodation services, and none helped with my situation, so I made a formal complaint. I got advice from Disability Rights UK after I saw them mentioned in a news article about disabled students having similar problems to me. I argued that I shouldn’t have to pay any more than band 3 non-ensuite because I require a studio and ensuite due to my disability, so can’t be charged for that. About a month before the start of 2nd year, I got an email confirming that I had succeeded and that I would be paying £7,304.
What advice would you give to others experiencing this?
I would tell other people in similar situations that they are right to think this is wrong, when you’re being told “it’s just the way it is” or “nothing can be done about it”, it can feel like no one’s on your side. Don’t think you’re asking for too much, you deserve to be accommodated for; university shouldn’t be made harder or more expensive just because you’re disabled.
What do you think most needs changing about the education system?
I'm happy that I succeeded, that I’m paying less now, that I’m getting policies changed, but this never should’ve happened. I spent half the academic year fighting to get suitable accommodation at a reasonable price; it took away from my studies, and my grades suffered because of it.
When I originally said I was being overcharged, the accommodation team told me, “This is how it is done with other students in studios” and since then, I’ve talked to so many other disabled students, and most have a story like mine. Being overcharged, being given an accessible flat but the kitchen isn’t accessible, electric doors not being fixed, not being given d/Deaf friendly fire alarms, red emergency chords being cut, being put on the third floor with no lifts when you use crutches and so much more.
I do what I can as an individual at my university, but this is a UK-wide problem; how UK universities treat disability needs to change.
-Lu
If you are experiencing something similar and are unsure on your options, you can read more about your available support on the Disability Rights UK Resource: Accommodation Support for Disabled Students. You can also contact the Disabled Students Helpline for additional support.