Key Information: Physical and Sensory Impairments
Physical Impairments
Common issues with physical impairments may include the following:
- Transition into university life
- Travelling between different locations and learning environments
- Pain and fatigue
- Issues with and access to facilities
- Carrying materials
- Functional difficulties with:
- writing or typing
- writing or typing speed
- accessing written resources
- reading standard sized print
- use of IT such as PCs and laptops
- mastering technical equipment
- Note-taking may be impacted
- Participating in practical activities and tests
- Answering or asking questions – it may, for example, take extra time for a student to formulate questions or answers.
- Absences – students may need to attend medical appointments
- Student confidence may have been impacted by past experiences or feelings of separateness in the learning environment
However, as always, the expert in these situations is the person themselves so discuss with them how they may best be supported.
Sensory Impairments
Common issues with sensory impairments may include the following:
- Transition into university life
- Orienting and travelling between different locations and learning environments
- Difficulty in getting to destinations and around the built environment
- Accessing unfamiliar buildings and environments
- Issues with and access to facilities
- Negotiating areas with inflexible lighting
- Issues with accessing printed materials
- Difficulty in accessing the internet and electronic devices
- Finding, organising, transcribing and reading materials (reading speed may be slower than their peers, even when transcribed)
- Participating in practical activities such as lab work, tests and fieldwork
- Functional difficulties such as:
- Note-taking
- Reduced writing or typing speed
- Difficulty reading standard sized print
- Use of IT such as PCs and laptops
- Difficulty in mastering technical equipment
- Answering or asking questions – it may take extra time for a student to formulate questions or answers.
- Lack of awareness among peers and teachers
- Confidence may have been impacted by past experiences or feelings of separateness in the learning environment
However, as always, the expert in these situations is the person themselves so discuss with them how they may best be supported.