Ask a Disabled Student

Original post by 04MR17

I'm disabled, and I'm a student. With that out of the way please welcome to ... (drum roll please)...

Ask a Disabled Student! :blow:

My disability:
I'm MR, I was born with one working ear (left side) with a condition called microtia on my right. Leaving me partially deaf.

I do have support from DSA and my university's (Keele) disability support service.

Feel free to ask me anything about being disabled at university. :smile:

Hope you don't mind that my question isn't related to being a student but just a human in general!

I've always been told (never researched if it's actually true or not) that when you have one of your senses that's not working properly or is partially not there it makes or can make your other ones stronger. Do you think this has happened with you, or have you not noticed anything because you were born disabled?

Reply 2

OP

Original post by DrawTheLine

Hope you don't mind that my question isn't related to being a student but just a human in general!

I've always been told (never researched if it's actually true or not) that when you have one of your senses that's not working properly or is partially not there it makes or can make your other ones stronger. Do you think this has happened with you, or have you not noticed anything because you were born disabled?

Not at all. :biggrin:

Interesting. :hmmmm:

I've never been told that I have a stronger sense of anything else :colondollar:

It probably isn't sight because I'm colourblind too :lol:

My sense of smell is quite awful.

I'm not sure how you'd measure the other two so honest answer is I don't know. :redface:

Not to gatecrash @04MR17's fab thread but if anyone has any questions about mental health DSA and uni life am more than happy to answer :ninja:

Reply 4

Milax1x

15

My friend who is virtually entirely blind apart from only been able to see really bright lights was once called a fraud because she wasn’t “totally blind”. Do you feel like “only” being partially deaf makes people look down on you compared to someone paralysed in a wheelchair, for example

Reply 5

OP

Original post by Milax1x

My friend who is virtually entirely blind apart from only been able to see really bright lights was once called a fraud because she wasn’t “totally blind”. Do you feel like “only” being partially deaf makes people look down on you compared to someone paralysed in a wheelchair, for example

I don't encounter many people who are physically disabled quite severely, so I've never really experienced that sort of thing. Though your friend's experience sounds terrible. :redface:

Everyone has different disabilities and it affects them differently. I never pretend to be severely disabled and think it's appalling when people who are perfectly fine do so. But I am less able (to hear) than somebody with no hearing, and therefore I am disabled to an extent. Just not a great extent.

Does that answer your question?! :bricks:

Reply 6

OP

Original post by CoolCavy

Not to gatecrash @04MR17's fab thread but if anyone has any questions about mental health DSA and uni life am more than happy to answer :ninja:

The more the merrier. :biggrin:

I've added your name to the OP, if anybody else reading this also wants to share their experiences as a disabled student, do let me know.

Or join in our chat thread...
https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=4845796

Original post by 04MR17

Or join in our chat thread...
https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=4845796

a not so subtle plug :ninja:

Reply 8

OP

Original post by CoolCavy

a not so subtle plug :ninja:

#Shameless :colone:

Reply 9

random_matt

Original post by DrawTheLine

Hope you don't mind that my question isn't related to being a student but just a human in general!

I've always been told (never researched if it's actually true or not) that when you have one of your senses that's not working properly or is partially not there it makes or can make your other ones stronger. Do you think this has happened with you, or have you not noticed anything because you were born disabled?

That's a myth. Your brain merely compensates, stronger is the wrong word to describe the process.

Reply 10

DrawTheLine

Original post by random_matt

That's a myth. Your brain merely compensates, stronger is the wrong word to describe the process.

Oh I see, thank you!

Reply 11

random_matt

Original post by DrawTheLine

Oh I see, thank you!

Although some research will use the word stronger etc, I myself do not like that description. The part of the brain already had that capacity to begin with, so when you lose a sense, others will have more activity to compensate (areas of brain). It goes through a process call plasticity, or neuroplasticity if you prefer.

Reply 12

OP

Original post by random_matt

Although some research will use the word stronger etc, I myself do not like that description. The part of the brain already had that capacity to begin with, so when you lose a sense, others will have more activity to compensate (areas of brain). It goes through a process call plasticity, or neuroplasticity if you prefer.

I've been told that my brain would naturally "compensate" over time and use my working ear more and my deaf ear less. :smile:

Reply 13

random_matt

Original post by 04MR17

I've been told that my brain would naturally "compensate" over time and use my working ear more and my deaf ear less. :smile:

Correct.

Reply 14

The_Lonely_Goatherd

Happily gatecrashing this to say I'm also up for answering any questions about mental health at uni generally, or being a postgrad at uni with mental health problems :yes:

Reply 15

OP

Hi, I'm a disabled student starting Wolverhampton university (Walsall Campus) in September I just wanted to see if anyone had any tips for disabled people on how to handle the workload? Any tips would be appreciated

Reply 17

hannah199711

3

Hi, I'm a disabled student starting Wolverhampton university (Walsall Campus) in September I just wanted to see if anyone had any tips for disabled people on how to handle the workload? Any tips would be appreciated thanks :smile:

Reply 18

The_Lonely_Goatherd