Students' Strategies

I have spent a long time watching a series of videos (captioned/subtitled) of disabled students talking about their experiences of being a disabled student. I found these two the most interesting and engaging because the students gave a very honest and revealing insight into their most personal struggles and that helped me from a professional standpoint but also from a personal one.

BBC Ouch diaries

From Where I Sit

I've begun to engage with the learning points in our tutor group forum but here, I want to think about my own experiences of being a disabled student and compare them to what I've just been watching. The most obvious difference is that I am engaged in an online programme with no face-to-face activity at all, whereas these students are all at 'brick unis'.

Time Pressure

Almost all the students talked about time issues. For some, it was about concentration; for others, it was about getting all their resources in time. For me, it's different again. I know that because my disability fluctuates and pain levels can vary, it is likely that I will lose a week or two during any one module. I solve this by starting the module early and building in a two-week buffer. In both my previous modules, I have needed to use that buffer and by the end of the course, I've met deadlines but been quite tight on time.

I find it extremely stressful if I have to study whilst feeling ill or in pain. I lost a couple of days this week because of that, though it really affected work more than study because I do most of my studying at the weekend. I know I can ask for extensions on assignments but I don't want to and Yvette (in one of the videos) summed up why. I want to be held to the same high academic standards as everyone else. I have very high standards for myself, both at work and in study. I would expect to be marked down on a late assignment, whether that would actually be the case or not. I feel like it is my responsibility to manage my disability so that it doesn't negatively impact on others or on my studies.

Yesterday, I ended up having a chat with my line manager at work, at the end of a very busy and chaotic fortnight. She encouraged me immensely by acknowledging how hard I work and that I am 'highly effective' at my job. What made this even more significant to me though, was that she holds me to the same high standards as everyone else in the organisation. She never expects less of me because of my disability and certainly doesn't make allowances when evaluating my work. That said, she is usually the first to support me in any requests for 'reasonable adjustments'.

I guess that what I hope for, is that our whole organisation treats all our learners in the same way that my boss treats me. I hope we have high expectations of what they can achieve, make judgements without lowering our academic standards but that we make sufficient adjustments to allow all our learners to achieve their full potential.

The Physical Environment

I'm not sure how well I'd cope at a brick uni. All the things Yvette was talking about rang true for me. Even at work, tutors often rearrange seating or tables and then I struggle to get around the room. Every day, something or other will remind me that I need more space or better access to participate fully. Sometimes that is quite minor and just a case of asking someone to move. Other times, it's like engaging in some kind of extreme sport to get past all the obstacles. I accept it. It's just life. People don't mean to cause difficulties but they don't always think about the needs of others.

This is why I love studying with the OU. I look forward to it. I get up on a Saturday morning and engage with all the learning materials before I even get dressed. I can do it all at my own pace. I can take breaks. I'm in control of my time and it feels like a perfect solution. I sometimes wonder why anyone would ever want to 'go' to brick uni.