Your experiences of university study with chronic/long-term ill health?

Those of you with chronic illnesses, do you feel supported by your university? Or are there areas you feel supported in, but perhaps not in others e.g. Your department are really understanding but the wider uni administration isn't or perhaps you have a great disability equality department but your department doesn't do much to support you?


The university experience can vary a lot for students with chronic illnesses, not just based on the severity of your symptoms but also on what level of support you receive, both academically and pastorally. I'm just wondering what your experiences have all been like, both good and bad?


I don't feel particularly supported by my university due to the level of bureaucracy involved in even granting a 24 hour extension, nevermind the rules and regulations involved in trying to manage a case where someone misses several hand ins due to ill health. My university is very strict when it comes to chronic illnesses, and will not grant any leniency based on that alone and will only support you further if you're suffering from a particularly bad episode/flare up. However my department do their best to support me, but often their best isn't good enough because they are bound up by the same red tape that governs the rest of the university.


So tell me about your experience? I really want to make things better at my university, and the best way I can do that is to learn from others in similar circumstances and to learn how other universities and departments cope with students with long term health problems.