BBK Manifesto 2025: Provide reasonable adjustments for students with serious injuries

Universities must offer disabled and severely injured students reasonable flexibility so they can fairly access education – a point we’re calling for in our latest Manifesto for Injured People.

Disabled students make up a significant part of the UK’s higher education community, yet many still face unnecessary barriers to getting the adjustments they need. A 2024 survey by Disabled Students UK found only 37% feel they have the support required to study on equal terms with non-disabled peers.

This is not a marginal problem. It is evidence the system is still failing too many students.

The barriers are well known. Staff are often not fully trained to understand or implement reasonable adjustments, while students may not know what support exists or how to access it. Application processes can be complex and slow, decisions vary between departments, and stigma and ableism still influence how requests are received and handled.

My story

I experienced these barriers first-hand during my final semester of university in 2021 when I unexpectedly had an ischaemic stroke. I was hospitalised, had to relearn how to walk, and faced ongoing symptoms including fatigue, reduced concentration, visual disturbance, reduced movement in my left hand, and ongoing weakness in my left leg.

When I returned to my studies two months later, I had missed almost four modules. I applied for a Reasonable Adjustments Plan, asking for 25% extra time to help with typing and fatigue. My request was refused on the grounds that the deadline had passed, despite my stroke being a medical emergency.

Over the following months I sent repeated emails, escalated my request to senior leadership, and endured a stressful appeals process before I was finally granted the adjustment and later awarded a First-Class degree. The fight for something so basic was exhausting and it exposed deep flaws in the system.

What this reveals

Applying for reasonable adjustments should never be a battle. The process is too often inconsistent, poorly explained, and governed by arbitrary deadlines. Some departments issue adjustments quickly, while others require repeated follow-ups and appeals. For a student recovering from illness or injury, this adds unnecessary stress to an already difficult situation.

If reasonable adjustments are not accessible, then they are not truly reasonable. And if they are not reasonable, universities are failing in their legal and moral duties under the Equality Act.

Change is needed

There must be a sector-wide commitment to ensuring that reasonable adjustments are a right, not a favour. That means clear and consistent policies across all departments, flexible deadlines for students whose needs arise suddenly, staff training on disability rights, a straightforward process for appeals, and transparent monitoring of where adjustments are granted and where they are refused.

Disabled students cannot be left to navigate a system that is stacked against them. Universities must make support easy to request, easy to understand, and quick to deliver.

For students who need support now

If you are currently facing barriers to getting the adjustments you need, there are steps you can take. We have set out practical advice in our blog, Are UK universities doing enough to support disabled students?, which includes tips on researching your rights, making applications, speaking to advocates, and persisting when the system pushes back.

The bottom line

Disabled students should not have to fight for basic fairness. Universities have both the legal duty and the resources to ensure that no student is disadvantaged because of their health or disability. The current reality is falling far short of that standard and change is long overdue.

This blog is part of our 2025/26 Manifesto for Injured People. At Bolt Burdon Kemp, we support injured people not only by winning their cases but by driving change. Guided by our clients’ experiences and partnerships with charities across the UK, we are raising awareness of the change we need to see to better support injured people. We will continue working with politicians from all parties to ensure injured people’s needs are not overlooked in Westminster or beyond. You can read our full manifesto here.