Starting University with a Physical Disability

From 20 November to 20 December, the UK marks Disability History Month. During this time, Freya – a Creative Writing and English with Integrated Foundation Year student – opens up about what life is like at university with a physical disability that means she relies on a wheelchair and faces challenges with dexterity and speech.

I’m not going to lie to you, university is tough. It’s not easy for anyone, no matter if you are sociable or not, but it’s especially hard for people like me.

I have always considered, and I thought long and hard about whether I was strong enough to face all the challenges and emotions that university life would bring. First of all, the excitement about all the new adventures awaiting you, then the nerves about whether you’ll make friends and fit in with the crowd, and finally, the thought of leaving what you’ve known your whole life behind and starting something completely new. 

However, I never expected that the feeling of homesickness would be so present and partially ruin my first few weeks at uni. No matter how close you are to your family, living with a disability makes you more reliant on them and also draws you even closer together. 

I had attended a boarding school from the age of sixteen, although this was only Monday to Friday, and so I knew I would be home and see my family every weekend, whereas university is a great deal more permanent. 

Disability can have many different variations and meanings. But in my opinion, having a disability that affects not only your mobility but your speech as well, may have to be up there for one of the hardest challenges when starting university.  

I get so intimidated and nervous when talking to new people, especially if they are the kind of person who I can see myself becoming friends with, and therefore making a conversation and stepping (or wheeling) out of your comfort zone is extremely nerve-wracking.

Another issue that you have to overcome when you have a speech difficulty, is having the constant thought in your head of ‘are they going to understand me?’ And then to be faced with the reality that you have to make the effort, is not only tiring but incredibly overwhelming. 

All this aside, my first few weeks at university have taught me rather a lot. And if I can give one piece of advice, it’s to never give up. 

Most of my life, it’s almost like I’ve been living in two different worlds. One where I am disabled and the other where I’m trying and failing to fit in. And I don’t want to get too deep, but for the first time, I’m starting to feel like I can be myself here. And I’m hoping and praying that university will be the new chapter that I have been looking for.