As far as I can see, DSA's cover the cost of essential strategies to enable a disabled student to attend a course of study.  If travel is an essential strategy DSA's should cover it.  I also agree with the last message.  Bridging he gap does refer to this issue. 


Simon Morris 
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Direct Dial 01642 342279 
Fax 01642 342289 


-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Sebastian Beaumont
Sent: 16 September 2005 13:21
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Social Services support for travel costs

Hello there

I'm interested by your (or presumably the student's LEA's) assertion that
'the DSA does not cover travel costs for this support worker person'.

When I worked for an LEA, we had a similar case, and we paid the travel
costs for a carer to accompany the student on the train each day.

Page 13 of Bridging the Gap clearly refers to 'extra travel costs to attend
your university'.  If a student would not be able to attend university
unless someone accompanied them on public transport, then the cost of that
person would come under 'extra travel costs' and should be claimed via DSA.

Of course we did not pay the travel costs of the student, as he would have
had to pay this anyway.

I hope this is helpful.

Sebastian Beaumont
Learning Support Officer
Disability and Dyslexia Team
University of Brighton
The Manor House
Moulsecoomb Place
Brighton
BN2 4GA
Tel: 01273 643 523

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-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff.
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Pauline McInnes
Sent: 16 September 2005 13:06
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [DIS-FORUM] Social Services support for travel costs

Dear All,

WE have a case that I haven't struck before here and need a bit of advice
on.  

We have a student with quite a serious mental health difficulty and also a
physical disability who lives in Gloucester, he is hoping to attend a course
here three days a week and he is planning on travelling down from Gloucester
each day as he does not want to live in London, he is a student in his
fifties, so he is fairly settled where he is.  

Unfortunately, he cannot drive down himself because of his various
disabilities and nor can be travel alone, he needs someone to travel done
via train with him each day and back again.  The problem we have is that the
DSA does not cover travel costs for this support worker person and although
they will cover the cost of this person taking notes for him they will not
cover costs of paying the person to travel with him.  

Unfortunately, Social Services don't seem to cover the costs of a carer to
travel with a disabled person either, or at least they won't in this case.
Can anyone advise what they have done in a similar situation or where we
might go for funding to cover this sort of expense?  It's likely to cost
£10,000 a year, we're already considering ALF and the Snowdon Award but that
won't give us enough.

Hoping for some suggestions.

Regards
Pauline


Pauline McInnes
Disability Co-ordinator
Disability Team
Student Services
St Mary's Road
Ealing
London
W5 5RF
Tel:  0208 231 2058