Moving On Up

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Posted on 12 September 2012

Moving on Up

This weekend Disability and Dyslexia Support, supported by staff across the University delivered a residential pre-arrival event for disabled students and their families. The event was great success with students feeling confident about what awaits them when they return to campus to start their degree proper at the end of September. The parents left feeling pretty positive too – the measure being that they are all now Facebook friends!

 

A Pre-Arrival Event for Severely Disabled Students

Transition to university can be difficult for many students. Severely disabled students are no different and can experience a range of emotions from excitement to apprehension and fear about this new world they are about to enter and the barriers they may face. Disability and Dyslexia Support recognises that those fears can be allayed with pre arrival familiarisation and reassurance. Building upon the success of the first ‘Moving on up’ event in 2011 15 students accompanied by their parents spent 3 days from Friday 7th September on campus.

After arriving on Friday evening (one family travelling from as far away as Switzerland) with dinner and then socialising with the Keele SU Elected Officers it was time for some much needed sleep before commencing a very busy weekend schedule.

Saturday started with a session on Hopes and Fears, enabling both students and parents to talk about what they expected from university life, both good and not so good. Students raised concerns about being smart enough, making friends and getting into debt… one student saying “I don`t want to end up a pauper”

The hopes, though,  by far outweighed the fears – the focus being very much on getting a degree and a good career.

Students enjoyed a lecture on “Finding a Dead Body” delivered by Jamie Pringle, Lecturer in Physical and Geographical Sciences.

Students and parents were then able to discuss challenges they had experienced in accessing an academic lecture for the first time, and more importantly identify solutions for them, for example, using a digital recorder, using a note taker and a prompt.

Following a busy Saturday afternoon with a tour of the campus and information seeking tasks we ended with a barbecue in the wonderfully refurbished Keele Students’ Union, all designed with disabled students in mind. A balmy summer evening, lots of good food and quiz; what more could we have asked for? Oh yes, a few games of highly competitive pool, and that was just the parents!

At the end of the weekend the students and parents hopes and fears were revisited to find out if they had been met/resolved. Students planned to set up their own face book page. Parents did the same and also talked about ‘Moving on Up’ reunions.

What we wanted most for the weekend had happened: fears had been allayed, student friendships had been forged and parents had established a support network.

The students can`t wait to come back to Keele – Job done!

Thanks to all our wonderful colleagues across the University and Keele SU for their energy and enthusiasm in making this such an amazing weekend.

 

Maureen Cook

Disability and Dyslexia Support Manager

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