I would suggest that you speak to the disability officer or the head
of student services. The institution could legitimately fund the
extra cost of your accommodation by making an award to you
through their Hardship fund. £2000 or so is what you / the
accommodation service require, which is well within the limits of
what individual students can be awarded through this fund.
On 6 Sep 03, at 6:10, Rob Powell wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> A question for you guys, with which I could do with some
> advice/guidance.
>
> I'm a totally blind student starting at Bristol Uni in September. (oh
> it's September now)!. I've got a flat, owned by the university that
> has a garden, and is bigger than normal student accommodation, because
> I have a guide dog.
>
> The problem is, to put it bluntly, that I can't afford the rent, but I
> need the flat. The rent is £105 per week, plus bills. The cost of a
> normal room in university accommodation would be about £45 including
> bills.
>
> I'm not in a position to fund the extra costs of this lat from my DSA,
> because I could only fund it from the general allowance, which I've
> used for other things. The equipment allowance is also over-spent,
> and the non-medical allowance is near it's maximum.
>
> My point to the university is that a reasonable adjustment to enable
> me to study is that they give me the flat for the same price as a
> normal room on campus, I.E. that they subsidise the flat by £60 per
> week. I'm prepared to foot the bill for the bills, as a compromise.
>
> Does anyone know of any case law that would support this argument, any
> other universities that have made this sort of adjustment for disabled
> students, or any specific part of the SENDA/DDA codes of practice that
> I could quote on this one?
>
> It's fair to say I think, that the university are generally
> sympathetic to the problem, but they need a hook to hang the thing on.
>
> Thanks for any help, because I have to take a 50 week let, the amount
> involved is about £3000 per annum, so it's significant.
>
> Rob
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Bryan Jones
Disability Support Services Manager
Tel: 020 8411 5367
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