Where student poverty exists for other students, it can be worse for disabled people. On top of the complexity that existed for others, disabled people had to get a complete support package together including finding themselves a personal assistant. This has repercussions for mental health as well as those who experience fatigue because of disability as it is very stressful and it has almost stopped people from being able to study. Some of these issues were compounded by the failures in the system such as the poor level of advice and information. There is a general lack of joined-up thinking between different departments of government.
Some areas require actual change rather than just reorganisation.
There is a need to consider the shortcomings of the disabled student allowance and work placements, which are not covered by any system, and to come up with solutions. Morag McNeill spoke of her experience as a disabled undergraduate and post-graduate in the higher education system. Her disability had progressed as she went through her undergraduate course. There was a lack of information and it was difficult to find out about entitlements. As a post-graduate applying for the disabled student allowance through SAAS she had been grilled about her disability before she could even get an application form, an experience which was embarrassing.