Wheelchair User - choosing a Uni

1

Hi, am looking for guidance around this. Full time power wheelchair user. I would really like to go somewhere that has good accessibility and a decent number of fellow disabled students. I have the grade predictions for Oxbridge but hear really mixed things about accessibility and community. Any advice on Cambridge or Oxford for wheelchair users would be much appreciated. Otherwise, I am fairly open to other places if they are in the Russell group and have a great wheelchair accessibility and community. So hard to know where to start finding out about it so thought I might start here! Would really appreciate any advice at all. Thank you!

Reply 1

threeportdrift

Careers Forum Helper

20

Original post

by Debra B

Hi, am looking for guidance around this. Full time power wheelchair user. I would really like to go somewhere that has good accessibility and a decent number of fellow disabled students. I have the grade predictions for Oxbridge but hear really mixed things about accessibility and community. Any advice on Cambridge or Oxford for wheelchair users would be much appreciated. Otherwise, I am fairly open to other places if they are in the Russell group and have a great wheelchair accessibility and community. So hard to know where to start finding out about it so thought I might start here! Would really appreciate any advice at all. Thank you!

Everywhere should be making all reasonable efforts to be accessible. If you want more details that are specific to your needs you may have to visit to get facts rather than opinions.

If you are looking at Oxford (I've no specific knowledge) or Cambridge, then you best bet is definitely one of the more modern Colleges. Robinson, for example has a powered wheelchair user on the Fellowship and is fully, if not quite perfectly (some longer routing required) accessible. I suspect Murray Edwards and Fitz are better than most, based on their architecture. Newnham is probably quite accessible, but the pavements outside are a disaster, even if you have the agility of a mountain goat! Presumably Caius has thought about their access in some detail, but generally the older the College, the harder it is to adapt Grade 1 and 2 Listed buildings. This doesn't mean they are inaccessible, just the detours and routings may be more substantial, or require ramps to be put in place.

Try the Disability Services in the universities you are interested in, and ask if there are any wheelchair users with whom you might be able to discuss experiences and choices.

Reply 2

McGinger

20

As above, check with Disability Services at each Uni before you apply - look on the Uni website and email/phone with any questions - but you will probably find that more modern Unis, or a more modern building within an older Uni, will be more wheelchair friendly than most older campuses. Make sure you also check Uni accomodation options, and think about the town/city itself - see if you can find a relevant website for disability info about each place

Wheelchair User - choosing a Uni

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