Student Finance and Exams

[Stace234]

Hi i am in the process of applying for student finance for my second year of university and i know that you can receive extra funding for disabilities. Does anyone know whether or not it is worth pointing out i have KC which refuses to stop getting worse!? I have trouble reading lecture white boards and handouts and i am starting to struggle reading anything at all without the page touching my nose! I know there are options that can improve vision but was wondering if anyone had been through the whole university funding thing and looked into support for people with KC?

Also this sounds really silly but i'm embarrassed to tell staff at the university that i have KC and therefore have problems reading notes etc. I don't really know how to bring it up. Just makes everything more frustrating and think its because i don't know if i am entitled to get any help. I have my first set of exams soon some on computer and others on paper and am worried i wont be able to concentrate or even be able to see the paper to complete them! i struggle with computer exams anyway as after a while of straining to read the words my eyes refuse to focus. I just feel a bit stuck and down with all this at the moment.

Anyone been through this?

Thanks xx

[Anne Klepacz]

Hi Stace
Yes, we have lots of students using this forum and who have had help from their uni's disability unit. Please do download the 'Supporting students with KC' leaflet that you'll find on the home page of this site http://www.keratoconus-group.org.uk/sit ... tions.html and give it to your uni. I know it's hard to admit that you need help, but you really owe it to yourself to do the best you can in your exams and I'm sure you'll find there are lots of ways your uni can help you.
And if you're not already on our postal mailing list, do e-mail your postal address to anne@keratoconus-group.org.uk There's lots of information I can send you about KC and all the various options for it.
I've also moved this thread to the general discussion forum where I hope more students will see it and tell you about the help they've had.
All the best
Anne

[Lynn White]

Stace...

First ... This is NOT silly!! There is a bit of a hitch in this country where KC is not recognised officially, outside of a hospital eye department, as a condition that causes visual disability.

Although this may be a hard thing to accept, it may be best, at the moment, to get yourself registered partially sighted, if you qualify, as this will bring you into the official fold of visual disability. For this to happen, you need to be registered by an ophthalmologist. So, if you are attending an eye hospital clinic, you need to contact them for a visual assessment. If you get registered, then you can work with your university who will then know how to help you. Without registration, there are no "official channels" that your Uni can refer to.

If you need further assistance..please contact me!

lynn

[space_cadet]

...

re DSA - hell yah is the short reply to are you entitled to it.

you are also eligable for extra time, seperate room, someone to read the questions, a scribe, computer to do the exams, and obvioulsy larger text.

with DSA you will probably know more about KC than the assesor, it is worth asking for Eden Skills to teach you how to use the equipement as they are much better than uni's and assesment centres.

I was on NUS disabled students committee in 08/9 so feel free to PM me. I have also spent the last 3 years as accesbility officer at leeds met.

Lea
xox

[Lynn White]

To clarify what I said before, now based on some of your other posts.

You can get registered partially sight (or even blind) if your vision is poor enough - it doesn't matter from what cause. However.... if you are fitted with contact lenses which brings up your vision to "normal", this immediately takes you OUT of registration qualification. I only suggested registration as this is immediately classifies you as having a visual disability without you having to prove it and you did not, in this post, explain you were about to get lenses.

What Space Cadet explains above only applies if your vision is poor and there is no way of improving it. If you wear contact lenses and get normal vision, then you are not considered having a disability. If you can only wear your contacts for a short space of time or have to wait to GET your contacts and thus need help in the meantime, then you have to explain the situation to your Uni and probably get written confirmation from various health professionals.

Lynn

[space_cadet]

erm Lynn the base for DSA works the same as DLA you explain your worse day.

I know of someone who gets all kinds of help due to once on average every 8 months getting a migrane that leaves them in bed unable to do anything, ye tthye rest of the time this is controled via pain meds.

NUS Disabled Students Policy is clear that if a condition impacts on your ability to study to the best of your potential then you are eligable for DSA.

Leax

[Amarpreet]

Hi

I'm currently doing my A Levels, and I only found out recently that I was entitled to extra time, extra large fonts on the exam paper, a private room to do my exam in and even a person to read the paper to me! I only opted for the extra time and a private room, as my vision seems sufficient right now. You should be entitled to all of these too, providing that you give some sort of medical note which verifies that you have KC (you can get this from the NHS or an eye clinic if you go to one.).

Best of Luck!

[Amarpal]

Hi Stace

I had similar problems when I started university. I too was a bit reluctant to bring up my vision problems, but I soon realised it was affecting my studying. I would suggest going to your university's disability service. I assume it will work the same in most universities. I had a meeting with one of the disability staff and we discussed what I was finding difficult e.g. reading papers late at night/lecture slides etc and what sort of things would help me. In the end, I recieved help for a large screen computer monitor and some software for the computer to help with reading things out aloud. I still use these today and no longer go in to see the disability service. They informed the faculty I am in about my vision and my tutors etc will be told beforehand about it beforehand which helps with the embarassing bit!

Hope you manage to get something sorted out!

[clare f]

Hi, im just doing my 3rd year nearly finished now at leeds met.
You definately can get extra time, and special considertions with a consultant note provided, they have been very good to me. I'm sure if you just explain your situation to your uni they will be fine, and will help where ever they can-- also they maybe able to help with info on the funding etc.

good luck x

[Stace234]

Hi

Thanks so much for all the replies, i didn't even know i was entitled to extra time and a private room! I have finished my exams now and fingers crossed they went well! Because i hadn't applied for extra time/enlarged papers early enough they couldn't provide these but they did show me how to make the type on the computer larger and put me on a wide screen monitor which helped alot. Hopefully my appointment with the eye hospital will come through soon so i should be able to get an letter to confirm everything soon that i should be able to hand in to the university in time for November exams. Thanks for all the advice. This forum is an excellent place to come to support and talk to people with KC.

Stacexx