A letter to tutors on the necessity of accommodations and empowerment.

Studying as a protective factor for disadvantaged students, when education brings meaning to a sometimes ‘purposeless’ life.

I dream of a cottage, one with a roaring fire and mountains surrounding me, with peace from noise, respite from busy places, and a feeling of security and calm. I dream of no longer looking out of the window and seeing a concrete city with houses built up around me, so I am hemmed in like a bird that cannot fly, with every noise echoing through my soul.

 I dream of sustaining myself financially and being fully self-supporting, with a job that suits my health and allows me to help people while enjoying freedom. I have been turned down for many jobs. Once the uncomfortable conversation occurs, the question is asked, “Do you have any disabilities?” I think… “Where do I start?” Then, I became less useful to employers than I was before. For a long time, I believed this story too that I was ‘useless’; only trained in jobs which I could no longer physically do.

Or so I thought, until I began studying- because educating myself is my key to my dreams.

 Once someone loses purpose, it is devastating. We all must have a purpose to live a meaningful life, and hold hope close to our hearts to keep it alive. As stated by Fuller (2022) “Individuals who have a strong sense of purpose and meaning in life tend to have better mental health, overall well-being, and cognitive functioning compared to those who lack a sense of purpose”.

The purpose of life for some must change abruptly when faced with health conditions that require adaptations to life as they know it. For me, this came when physical health conditions rippled through my life like an obnoxious and entirely unwanted tsunami.  I lost my purpose, as I was no longer able to work in roles I once held. My direction was gone, doctors relentlessly boxed me into categories of someone who was simply a statistic, one who could not work, nor offer anything useful to society.

Statistics show that for people with long-term health conditions, particularly with complex intersections of disability and disadvantage, their outcomes are significantly lower than those of others. In 2022, only 53.5% of disabled people were in employment, compared to over 81% of people without disabilities. Sadly, the unemployment rate for people who have autism, mental health issues or learning difficulties was even lower than that of other disabled people (OFNS, 2022). Disabled people were roughly half as likely to hold a degree, compared to the rest of the population (OFNS, 2022), with three times more disabled people having no qualifications at all, compared to those without disabilities. The OFNS (2022) also highlights that disabled people have lower well-being than the rest of the population, perhaps as their circumstances induce a lack of purpose and meaning due to society’s general lack of accessibility.

These statistics are shocking and are clear indicators of a lack of inclusion for disabled people. Not all people with disabilities can work, but many can find meaning and purpose by studying at home part-time.

This is where accessible universities step in to change life outcomes for people who need new meaning and purpose. This may be achieved by retraining in a new field of employment to source work that suits health, or simply by studying to fill time via something positive to focus on. Much like it did me, studying keeps my dreams alive and affords me respite from the challenges in life. When I study, I am free to be who I was meant to be, useful, and worthy. I am not defined by the symptoms of my health conditions or the statistics the doctors predicted for me. Instead, I am passionately invested in the topics, engaged and feel myself coming alive. Writing the essays and awaiting their scores and feedback gives me goals to hold in my heart and offers me motivation. I have adapted my life around these essays; they give me purpose and meaning. Mind (2025), the mental health charity in the UK, states people need 5 things to live well they are 1) Connection, 2) Activity, 3) Take notice/be mindful, 4) Learn and 5) Give. The OU gives me 4 of these, and the motivation for number 2!

My hope remains alive, knowing that one day I will be able to move to that precious cottage. Thanks to gaining qualifications, I would have had no chance of gaining suitable employment to do this without my degree. Recently, my health has flared up, so sometimes I must lie down and study; if I were not studying, then I would simply lie there focusing on the pain and upset; it would be a miserable existence.

 Instead, I am studying in a situation that works for me, and I passionately enjoy learning; I cannot believe how lucky I am. Recently, the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) provided me with various equipment to assist me. These items enable me to study, so these simple accessibility gadgets literally bring my dreams to life. I also have a study mentor assigned to me, and meeting with her means I must set myself goals each week. If your students are struggling, please recommend DSA; it is life changing. Prior to having their support, I withdrew from 2 modules.

How tutors respond to students is significant too. I recently expressed to my tutor them that I could not complete my dissertation on my final module as I could not use my hands to type properly. They responded positively and informed me that I could use special software, which would type it for me. The joy I felt was immense! I needed to be kept motivated and never pitied me, never put in a box that focused on what I ‘cannot do’.

Instead, I needed to be reminded of what I can and the things I do well. Students who live with complex health issues need this empowerment because sometimes we may not feel we are capable, especially after meetings with medical professionals. We do not want to be placed in a box or pitied; we very much want to be treated as fully capable people, as we are, if we are given adjustments to enable us to be! Again, much like the DSA I cannot believe the OU offers me this much support.

I am forever grateful to the OU and the incredible people who have helped me along the way change my life outcome from being a statistic to becoming someone who will one day reach my dreams. I urge you, as you read this, to be the person who helps a student break free from the restrictive barriers placed upon them and to empower them, so that they too can achieve a life with meaning, purpose, and belonging. It will not always be easy for those met with disability or disadvantage, but via empowerment, good practice with accessibility and linking students to DSA and disability support, you can really change people’s lives. I should (all being well) graduate this year with a first-class honours degree, it may have taken me 12 years to complete, but I did it, with immense gratitude to those who kept me motivated and told me “You can” when everyone else told me I could not.

Please, help your students keep their hope alive, too; it really is life-changing.

References:

Cook, B,. Machuel, P,. Riley, E and Sparkes, I. (2022). ‘Outcomes for disabled people in the UK: 2021’. [Online) Available at: Outcomes for disabled people in the UK – Office for National Statistics (Accessed 09/01/2025)

Fuller, K. (2022). “How Creating a Sense of Purpose Can Impact Your Mental Health”. [Online] Available at: How Creating a Sense of Purpose Can Impact Your Mental Health | Psychology Today United Kingdom (Accessed 09/01/2025)

Mind (2025). “5 ways to wellbeing”. [Online] Available at: 5 Ways to Wellbeing | Mind – Mind (Accessed 09/01/2025)