What’s uni life like for people with disabilities?
8 July 2025By Jack Williams, Staff writer at Unite Students
What’s uni life like for people with disabilities?
Jumping into uni life can feel like a big leap in any circumstance – whether you’re thirty minutes from home, or several cities away. It comes with a lot of concerns and considerations, especially for disabled or neurodiverse students.
Don’t worry though, many students have excelled and succeeded before you, and both campus and accommodation support is better than ever. Get ahead of your worries, with our Unite Students guide for students (and worried family members).
Read on to learn more about accessibility options at your uni accommodation, as well as on campus and in your social life. We’ll also explore some of the best ways to get around uni and what support Unite Students can offer you.
In this guide:
Accessible accommodation at Unite Students: What to expect
When you go to university, or live at a Unite Students residence, you’ll be supported throughout your stay.
We make a variety of accessibility accommodations, including ensuring sufficient wheelchair access, offering ensuite wet rooms and adapted kitchens, and sensory-friendly designs. Depending on the location, we also offer things like quiet areas, too.
Everyone is different, so we understand that there are a variety of needs to be accounted for. If you ever feel stuck, our support officers are on-hand to help you get the advice you need. They can assist you in finding the right services to help you with your neurodiversity and disability needs, both at your accommodation and on campus.
If you’re looking for specific accessibility accommodations, don’t forget to flag your requirements early. At Unite Students, we work with both families and students to meet accessibility needs. If you have any questions, you can contact us at supportrequest@unitestudents.com for more information.
To search our accessible accommodation, just select ‘Accessible Rooms’ in the ‘Room types’ drop-down when exploring our accommodation options.
Can I bring my support animal to uni?
Bringing your support animal to university depends on the support animal, and your university’s specific policy. Assistance dogs are usually okay, but emotional support pets may not be accepted. Check with your university, and they’ll be able to let you know.
At Unite Students, you may be entitled to bring an assistance animal to support you during your stay, as long as you meet the criteria. We evaluate requests on a case-by-case basis, so you’ll need to get in touch with us beforehand.
Know your rights as a disabled student in the UK
As a disabled student in the UK, you’re protected by law to ensure you have the required support needed to combat any disadvantages you might face. There are legal requirements in place for both student accommodation providers and universities in the UK to help protect you. We’ll explore these below.
You’re protected by law under the Equality Act 2010
Without exception, all UK universities and accommodation providers are legally required under the Equality Act 2010 to consider and make reasonable adjustments to reduce or remove disadvantages that disabled students may face. These include:
Physical access
Communication
Support during study
Accommodation needs
As a disabled student in the UK, you’re protected by law to ensure you have the required support needed to combat any disadvantages you might face. There are legal requirements in place for both student accommodation providers and universities in the UK to help protect you. We’ll explore these below.
You’re protected by law under the Equality Act 2010
Without exception, all UK universities and accommodation providers are legally required under the Equality Act 2010 to consider and make reasonable adjustments to reduce or remove disadvantages that disabled students may face. These include:
Physical access
Communication
Support during study
Accommodation needs.
Reasonable adjustments in student accommodation
Landlords and accommodation providers, including private halls like Unite Students, are required by law to take disability-related needs and requests seriously. These accessibility accommodations can include providing an adapted room, allowing a support animal, or providing flexible tenancy options.
Unite Students works closely with students to adapt rooms, prioritise placement, and ensure support needs are understood and actioned on. Many of our accommodations now also offer designated quiet areas and sensory rooms, in addition to other accessibility-friendly adjustments.
Accessibility is a right, not a bonus
Accessibility shouldn’t be viewed as an extra – disabled students must be able to access lecture theatres, student unions, libraries and accommodation buildings as easily as anyone else.
While reasonable accessibility accommodations must be considered, if an adjustment isn’t possible immediately, alternatives must be offered. For example, relocations, additional support, or assistive technology.
If something isn’t right, speak up
When you speak up, you shouldn’t need to shout – universities and accommodation providers must have a clear complaints process in the event a student feels they’re not being supported. If something feels off, reach out as soon as you can.
Most organisations will be able to handle and accommodate for any issues. For example, Unite Students has a dedicated team to handle any accessibility queries quickly and respectfully.
Studying with a disability or neurodiverse condition
Studying with a disability or neurodiverse condition can be intimidating, especially if you’ve had a bad experience before. But universities have resources and services in place to support students with conditions like ADHD, autism, chronic illness and mobility challenges, just to name a few.
However, support isn’t the same across every university - some do more than others, or do things differently. That means you might want to do some research to ensure that your university of choice offers the right support for you.
Support options can be both internal and external to your university campus, and could include:
Registering with university disability support teams
Mentorship programmes
Support and social clubs
Teaching aids or flexible methods
Exam arrangements
Placement support
Alternative material forms (e.g. Braille).
Let’s explore some more specific scenarios, to help you find the support you need.
ADHD at university: Managing focus and note-taking
Zoning out, missing key points and struggling with linear note-taking are common issues for those struggling with ADHD at university. But this doesn’t have to be the norm in lectures or seminars.
Learning is a process, and it takes time for people to learn what works best for them. You could try asking the lecturers if you can record their classes or access their presentation slides to ensure you heard and understood everything. Other tips could include using colour-coded notes to parse information and even sitting on the front row, where there are fewer distractions. Many universities now allow assistive tech and may even provide notetakers via DSA.
Most, if not all, lecturers are going to be supportive if you ask for lectures to be more interactive or segmented into smaller chunks, and they will be open to suggestions or requests. Just like you, they’re always learning what works best for students. ADHD at university is more understood than ever, so don’t worry about seeking support.
Autism and seminar anxiety
Seminars can be overwhelming, both socially and sensorially, but there are things you can try to ease that feeling. Preparing discussion points in advance can be a major help, and many students prefer to speak early to “get it over with”. In more intense scenarios, you could even try to request an alternate format. This could be smaller groups, written contributions, or other adjustments. Don’t ever be afraid to talk to your lecturers or a disability advisor.
Autism and neurodiversity societies will exist on campus and can be a great place for peer support. They can also help you get a better grasp on what you can do if you feel a bit lost.
Managing sensory overload on campus
University can be an exciting time, but sometimes that can be overwhelming. Busy, noisy and bright spaces, as well as excitable students and large crowds are sometimes just too much.
While you can’t cancel everything out, there may be things you can do to try and help your feelings of sensory overload. Noise-cancelling headphones, quiet study zones, indoor sunglasses and sensory-friendly student events can help you enjoy university life, without the intensity.
As sensory overload is becoming more recognised (and as more people share their experience), sensory rooms or designated quiet zones, as well as sensory-friendly events are becoming more popular. Likewise, Unite Students also provides these safe spaces too – so that you’ve got an escape, even when you’re not on university grounds.
Getting around campus and your new city
Ever feel like you can’t wait to flee the nest – only to find the forest is even bigger than you thought? Getting around your campus can be intimidating enough, never mind an entirely new city. But this is an exciting time. Even if you think you may struggle to manage the change, there’s always someone there to help – or something you could do to make things easier for yourself.
Here are some tips to help make navigating your new campus and city a bit more comfortable:
Check your transport options.
Try to search for blue badge schemes, accessible buses and bus routes, and see what options there are for train cards based on your usage and needs.
Campus maps.
Most campus maps should highlight any accessible entrances or routes, so that you can get around a bit easier. Try to look out for any lifts, or accessible paths, too.
Try city-centre locations.
If you’re worried about travelling in, it might be worth trying to get accommodation in the city centre. At Unite Students, we provide accessible rooms in great locations, so you can be closer to where you want to be
Use apps.
There are some handy apps that you can use for wayfinding and managing mobility or disability logistics. Try AccessAble and Citymapper to see if they can help you navigate.
While getting to a lecture hall or social event may come with hurdles along the way, they can be worth the anxiety or logistical legwork in the long run. Remember, even if you’re a little late, no one cares, as long as you get there safely.
Social life, nightlife and finding your community
You know what they say, uni marks some of the best years of your life – the learning, and all those wild social parties. But uni life is so much more than that. And, if the party scene isn’t your thing, you don’t have to do it.
Societies can be a great way to make friends and memories – and they come in all shapes and sizes. Many of these are themed around hobbies, but there are others too. For example, there are disability societies that can provide support and advice, quiet socials, and neurodiverse mixers.
Plus, nightlife venues and SU events are often designed with inclusion in mind. There’s nothing to say you can’t mix it up, depending on how full your bucket is.
Managing sensory overload, overstimulation and social burnout can be an important part of juggling university. Try to consider some of the following, so you can make the most out of your time away:
Understand your triggers. Learning what triggers you is the first step toward managing them. Experiment, and try to take note of when you were feeling a certain way. You might not get it right every time, but you’ll begin to learn what your triggers are.
Recognise the signs. Once you know your triggers, you can better evaluate the signs of overstimulation, overload or burnout. By taking note of this, you can better set boundaries in the future and give yourself what you need to get through those stormy moments.
Find quiet spaces. Try to take note of quiet nooks at your accommodation, around town or at your university. While some spaces are dedicated, you might find some surprise spots to mix things up.
Invest in sensory aids. If you want to visit a local open mic, but things are too rowdy, then earmuffs or headphones can be helpful. Weighted blankets can help with sleep, and fidget rollers can be great for anxiety or stress.
Don’t be afraid to say no. Boundary setting is an important way for you to look after your energy and comfort levels. Anything that will be overwhelming, just say no if you don’t have the spoons to spend.
Schedule breaks. Don’t wait until things have become too much to schedule breaks. Give yourself something to look forward to, plan in recuperation time, and try to do things that are healing after stressful stints or big events.
How Unite Students supports you
Unite Students is all about giving you a safe, cosy, and liveable space. Our history of working with disabled and neurodiverse students has allowed us to adjust our accommodation in a proactive manner, leading to features like:
Adapted rooms
24/7 staff for support and security
Safe buildings, with gated entry
Quiet zones
Flexible tenancy support and more.
Parents and students are always welcome to contact our team directly with any questions. At Unite Students, safety, communication and support is always available.
