Andy/Chris,

As a recent (disabled) graduate, this issue has come up on several
occassions.  I have not heard of a student being provided with
mobility equipment ie chairs/scooters through DSA however I am
aware that the Access to Work Scheme (the equivalent scheme for
working disabled people) does provide mobility equipment for
exactly the reasons stated by Chris.

Yes the DSA can provide technology to enable a student to sit at
home and complete academic work 'on a level playing field' with
other non-disabled students however, there can be no substitution
for enabling a student to take part in the full 'student experience' of
university life whether this be attending lectures or being able to go
to the same pub as fellow students during the lunch break which
may not be the closest option for food but would be perfectly
possible with the appropriate mobility equipment.

(I fear I may be getting rather passionate about this one...I only
meant to write a couple of lines!)  Mobility equipment can also have
ramifications for study outside of taught time for example if you
have an hour and a half break between two lectures which are
taking place in the same building, a disabled student without the
appropriate mobility equipment would be less likely to use this time
constructively in the library (which for arguments sake is 500yds
from the lecture building) either because it would be too tiring for
them to do the return trip AND the research/reading within this
time, or it seems like a massive undertaking to get in a car, move it
nearer to the library (perhaps with no guarantee of a parking space
at the other end) and then back (again, to possibly find that
someone has taken your parking space and so you are unable to
attend the second lecture)...it is simply too risky, therefore they
might be more likely to effectively waste the hour and a half, going
instead to the library after the second lecture (by which time it is
perfectly possible that fellow students will have taken all the core
books out on loan), the disabled student therefore goes home later
(ie more tired) having not had access to the same range of
literature as other students...

For those of you who don't know, there is a wheelchair voucher
scheme (manual or electric) which I'm guessing could be coupled
with funding from the DSA therefore meaning that a student could
be provided with a piece of equipment for around 60% of the
standard retail price depending on their Wheelchair Service
Assessment.  In my case I contributed (from my own money not
DSA) £1300 whilst the NHS contributed £760 towards a manual
wheelchair (which is supposedly custom-made but nevertheless
fairly 'standard' for an active chair user).  Depending on the Health
authority, they will give vouchers either every three or five years and
there is an option to have the Wheelchair maintained by the NHS
although in my experience this is not necessary and only reduces
the value of the voucher leaving more money to be found from
elsewhere.

Anna Charles - Jones
Project Assistant
Centre for the Promotion of Social Inclusion
Manchester Metropolitan University