Overview

I have been studying at The University of Strathclyde since August 2022 and I have never felt so well cared for. As a wheelchair user, getting around is always a problem and in a city like Glasgow with all it's hills, even more so. The School of Education staff and the Disability and Wellbeing Team have worked really hard to make my year a successful one.

Transport & Parking

Parking is a problem in general in Glasgow, especially when roadworks are happening. That being said, I was given a parking permit which allows me to park in any university car park. Some buildings unfortunately are situated in areas where parking is a problem, the Royal College building is one of those. As a result, it was arranged that none of my classes would be in the Royal College building. If you need something, just ask and it can be arranged.

Access

Throughout the many buildings there are accessible routes set out. These assist anyone with a disability to move between buildings without the need to return to a vehicle and drive around the corner or wherever. I use these often to travel between the three main buildings my classes are in. If there is additional support required, students can have a Personal Support Assistant assigned to them to help them get from building to building and from room to room. There are lifts in every building and ramp access for most. Some ramps might be a little steep to get up, especially in poor weather but generally they are good. The accessible routes can mean additional time is needed to get from one class to another but all the tutors are understanding about this. Braille is available, as is large print. There is a loop system throughout the university but I do not know about BSL because so far, the loop has been sufficient. There is plenty of seating and most classrooms have two screens, one on either side of the room for the PPT etc to be projected onto. This means that wherever you are, you have a good view of the lesson.

Toilets

There are accessible toilets in every building, some of these have now been designated gender neutral which means nothing different from what is was before. These are always large rooms with a single toilet. Some have showers in the room too. There are some toilets which do not have the standard flush system to accommodate people who might not have hands. These have long rectangular buttons which can be operated by an elbow or other part of the body.

Staff

All the staff are friendly and do their best to accommodate your needs. The system is not perfect but they do all they can. The staff have always said "ask, if you have a need. If you do not tell us, we do not know and therefore cannot do anything to help." From the very beginning I was welcomed and people saw me and not the wheelchair. If I felt I could do something myself, options were explained for if I ever felt I needed some help.

Anything else you wish to tell us?

There are sanitizer stations around campus. If people wish to wear masks or don't wish to, that is their choice but if masks become mandatory again, they will be made mandatory.