Cesare's story

Below is Cesare's story in his own words. We have changed the student's name to protect his privacy.

When I applied to York in 2019, I was anxious about the support I would or would not receive. I was concerned that my disability would seriously affect how I could keep pace with my fellow students. These misgivings were understandable given that my experience at school had been very mixed with little or no support available. On top of this, I had the added difficulty of being a foreign student and English not being my mother tongue.

I am visually impaired and it takes me more time to study and complete assignments. I can only access books digitally and I require a screen reader to be able to read them. From the very beginning, even before arriving at York, my mind was put at ease when I was contacted by the university so that they could understand my needs better. All my books were immediately available digitally, I was provided with a note taker which for some lectures and seminars was particularly useful, I was allowed to have extra time in exams and there was someone to type for me which was fantastic. If I felt it was necessary, I could ask for extra time for assignments too, although I haven’t needed that to date.

I definitely think I have made great steps in my understanding and use of technology since I began my journey and whenever I encountered a problem the IT service was quick to come to my rescue. I would say, however, that I have become more aware of the almost infinite possibilities of computers and I think it would be useful for someone like myself to be better informed of ways IT could help me overcome my obstacles, perhaps with one-to-one IT sessions.

I also think that having the possibility of meeting other students with similar needs would be helpful to exchange tips on studying tools and routines.

On the whole I am really happy I chose York and all the staff have been extremely helpful.