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>> CATRIONA: Come to Caledonian if the academic course is the right one for you. Don't worry
too much about any of the potential barriers that you might face
'cause that's what we're here to help with. >> ANDREW: Had it not been for the Disability
Service, I wouldn't have been able to access materials
easily at all, you know? Having general support has made me much more
equal, I would have said. >> CATRIONA: There are lots of particular
things that you would be asked to do at university which you won't have to do anywhere else,
and that's when a condition or an impairment can suddenly become disabling.
>> TOM: Our aim is to support independent learning for the students that come and see
us and to make sure that their needs are addressed. >> CATRIONA: The vast majority of students
that we see in our service have unseen disabilities. In most aspects of their life it wouldn't
have an impact. I think that can be quite a difficult thing
for students and it might be the only time a student would ever access a disability service.
>> TOM: We actually support a number of different software programs, and those can really help
quite a lot with students that are visual-focused. We also offer support with general sorts of
assisted technology software.That software can help with spelling, with grammar, with
referencing. >> ANDREW: They're really good at making sure
their students are prepared. They give a lot of help, you know, when we
need it. >> CATRIONA: One of the approaches that we
use to help students to develop skills in time management and organisation would be
mentoring support. >> DAVID: It helps me organise what week I've
got ahead and the mentor helps me to conquer that and come up with some solutions for it.
I'd probably have left if I didn't have the disability team to help me through,and the
support of the lecturers. >> CATRIONA: There's lots of different ways
you can engage with us. We've got information on the website.
That might answer a lot of the questions or concerns that you have.
We also meet with students on a one-to-one basis.
We can do that in a very confidential way, so if you're not sure if our service can do
anything for you or you're not sure if you're disabled, you can come in for a very informal
chat. >> TOM: We're trying to take disability out
of the equation, so that students look at the academic content
of the course and say 'that's for me', and they know that the other part that's related
to their disability and their needs, that's all taken care of.