For 19-year-old Sam Wood, a third year criminology student at Edge Hill University in Liverpool, technology is an essential part of his degree.
“I use lots of different software which is really crucial for me being able to access my lectures and degree content in the same way as my peers,” says Sam, who is visually impaired. One of the types of software I use reads academic literature for me, another is mind-mapping, which breaks down text and helps plan essays… I would not be able to keep up in lectures without the software.”
Sam is able to access this life-changing technology via a grant called the Disabled Students Allowance that helps students with additional costs they may face in higher education because of their disability. In 2023-24 more than 88,000 students benefited, at a cost of £203 million.
But in June, the Department for Education announced it is looking to cut support for specialist software except in “exceptional circumstances” – because advances in technology mean there are now free, mass-market tools available.
