The Disabilities, Accessbility and Neuro-Diverse fund can be used to purchase item(s) or fund other expenses that may help disabled and neuro-diverse students to access daily life. This could include items such as fidget toys, walking canes, and compression socks. However, this is not an exhaustive list, and various items could be purchased through this fund, although there are some exceptions.

The fund does not function as an alternative to Disabled Students Allowance and cannot provide similar support to this.

If you are interested in applying for the Fund, please read the rest of the information provided, before filling out the application form at the bottom of the page.

Items that allow disabled and neuro-diverse students to access a non-disabled and neurotypical world come with additional expense, but can have such a positive impact on quality of life.

This fund was set up by the Disabilities, Accessability, & Neuro-Diverse Officer to help improve the quality of life of disabled and neuro-diverse students at BU, and help to break down barriers that they can face in their daily lives.

To be eligible for aid by the Disabilities, Accessibility & Neuro-Diverse Fund a student must:

• Be currently studying a course at Bournemouth University
• Self-identify as disabled or neuro-diverse
• Have reasonable need for items or expenses to be covered by the fund (i.e. not already have lots of the item they are requesting unless they are needing to replace it) - this is trust-based and self-declared by the student and not under investigation by SUBU.
• Have not used the fund excessively before (with the option to justify if there is a reasonable explanation like extreme hardship, or change of circumstances)
• Not be requesting items with excessive costs e.g. custom products, unless explicitly necessary
• Agree to return products that are unsuitable and in a condition to be returned/reused to either the vendor or SUBU in order to help other students.

It's pretty simple, all you need to do is fill out the Disabilities, Accessibility and Neuro-Diverse Fund Request Form linked at the bottom of this page and our team will take it from there! You will be contacted about your application when it is approved and have discussions with the team in order for them to order the items or provide the financial support you have requested.

Only your Disabilities, Accessibility and Neuro-Diverse Officer and their SUBU staff support, SUBU's Student-led Action Co-ordinator will have access to the information you submit via the form. The only time this may differ is if the Student-led Action Co-ordinator is not available for the application review panel at which point another member of the Democracy and Student Action team will assist. This information is kept in strict confidence.

1. Approximately once a month a panel consisting of the Disabilities, Accessibility & Neuro-Diverse Officer and the Student-led Action Co-ordinator (or another member of the Democracy & Student Action team, if the co-ordinator is unavailable) will meet to approve suitable applications that have come in over the month prior to the meeting
2. Once your application has been approved, the team will get in contact to inform you and discuss the next steps
3. Items will then be ordered and either sent to you directly, or left at the Student Centre for you to collect

Any costs over the £50 from SUBU will need to be settled by you after you have recieved your items either with a one off payment or via a payment plan agreement with us. Non-payment of additional costs may result in the Disabilities, Accessibility & Neuro-Diverse Fund no longer being able to be offered to disabled and neuro-diverse students in the future. This is to make sure it is fair on all those requesting from the fund as items can vary in price.