Sitting Disability

I currently have offers for foundation entry Biomedical Science as well as Human Biology and infectious diseases at the University of Salford, and Foundation entry Biomedical Science, as well as Pharmaceutical Science at Teesside University. I currently have a disability (degenerative disc disease and chronic pain) which makes it difficult if not impossible to sit down normally. I'm wondering if anyone with experience on the above courses can advise me the expected classroom time, specifically what a typical week may look like in terms of how much time would be spent in lecture theatres, regular level-floored classrooms and in the labs. I currently have a much easier time standing than sitting, which makes the lab work theoretically easier, and I'm working with the disability support at both Uni's to look at reasonable adjustment plans, as well as exploring options such as saddle seats.
If anyone has experience of the above courses, or experience attending university with a similar disability I would be extremely grateful for any and all advice.
Thank-you for taking the time to read my rather wordy question.

Reply 1

University of Salford

Official Rep

12

Original post by NoSitChris

I currently have offers for foundation entry Biomedical Science as well as Human Biology and infectious diseases at the University of Salford, and Foundation entry Biomedical Science, as well as Pharmaceutical Science at Teesside University. I currently have a disability (degenerative disc disease and chronic pain) which makes it difficult if not impossible to sit down normally. I'm wondering if anyone with experience on the above courses can advise me the expected classroom time, specifically what a typical week may look like in terms of how much time would be spent in lecture theatres, regular level-floored classrooms and in the labs. I currently have a much easier time standing than sitting, which makes the lab work theoretically easier, and I'm working with the disability support at both Uni's to look at reasonable adjustment plans, as well as exploring options such as saddle seats.
If anyone has experience of the above courses, or experience attending university with a similar disability I would be extremely grateful for any and all advice.
Thank-you for taking the time to read my rather wordy question.

Hey @NoSitChris,

Congrats on your offer from us! 🤩

It seems like you are already in contact with our disability support team, which is the main piece of advice I would give to you.

Expected lecture/seminar times can vary based on the course's individual timetables, which change year by year. However, the maximum time you would be in a lecture would be three hours.

To get a better idea of timetabling I have linked here the current timetable for BSc (Hons) Human Biology and Infectious Diseases so you can see visually what an average week on the course could look like.

There is also the option to visit our campus and facilities, which you can arrange with our course enquiries team.

To email our course enquiries teams it would be [email protected] they take up to five days to respond to any email.

You can also give them a call on 0161 295 4545 between the hours of 10 am and 4 pm, Monday - Friday.

If you have any more questions I am more than happy to help.

Katie 😀
(Offical Salford Rep)

Reply 2

NoSitChris

OP

2

Hey Katie
Thank you for your thorough response! It far exceeded my expectations and is exactly what I needed. The ability to view a timetable is incredibly helpful and has given me a good understanding of how much time I may spend standing in a day for classes. I really appreciate that you provided contact details and expected time scales in your response – it is incredibly helpful and makes me feel very supported to reach out in the future if I need to. I’m incredibly impressed with my experiences with Salford university and would feel confident recommending the university to other prospective students, even at this early stage.
Thank you again for all you help,
NoSitChris

Reply 3

Teesside University

Official Rep

17

Original post by NoSitChris

Hey Katie
Thank you for your thorough response! It far exceeded my expectations and is exactly what I needed. The ability to view a timetable is incredibly helpful and has given me a good understanding of how much time I may spend standing in a day for classes. I really appreciate that you provided contact details and expected time scales in your response – it is incredibly helpful and makes me feel very supported to reach out in the future if I need to. I’m incredibly impressed with my experiences with Salford university and would feel confident recommending the university to other prospective students, even at this early stage.
Thank you again for all you help,
NoSitChris

Hi @NoSitChris

Congrats on your offer from both us and Salford! :flower2:

The Disability Services team at Teesside University are here to support you throughout your studies and help to arrange tailored support with long-term health conditions such as yours and others, including sensory impairments; physical and mobility impairments; mental health conditions; autism spectrum conditions; and, specific learning difficulties.

We should be in touch with you to discuss the type of specific support you'll need during your studies. Between you and your Disability Adviser, you'll create a Student Support Plan which contains information about the impact of your condition/s and the support package that has been explored and recommended for use throughout your course.

Our learning spaces are really flexible and can be changed to accommodate your needs. Academic staff are advised of your support plan and will understand when allowances need to be made.

If you would like to see a copy of last year's timetable to understand how much time is spent in the classroom and labs then drop up a DM and we can get this for you.

Please get in touch if you need any further info from us.

Good luck!
Kate

Sitting Disability

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