Applying to social studies as a mature student with a disability

afterglow

Hi everyone
Hoping for some help here.
I am currently in the process of filling out the suplammentary information form for the social studies/social work degree, hoping for entry this September coming.
I am a little stuck on something however, and need some help, and or advice.
The part I am having trouble with is of course the personal statement type sections.
On the part where it says about any words of support for your application, what exactly is it looking for there?
The other part I am having trouble with, is where it asks, what aspecffs of the subject interested you most?
I know it would be wise to download all 4 handbooks for all 4 years of the degree, so as I can get a more in depth look at what's studied, but they are in pdf, and as I'm visually impaired, my screen reader can't read them which means they are inaccessible to me.
Is there any way I can get these documents in an alternative format, does anyone know?
Thanks so much for taking the time to read, and hoping for some responses, trinity is my first choice of college, so definitely don't want to not even make it past the first stage just because I can't read handbooks everyone else has access to.

Ravelleman

I would contact the school office about this directly. They should, hopefully, be able to help you with this.

languagenerd

Just to note - visually-impaired students get help from the disability office once they're in college, so you hopefully won't have too many problems. My friend could email any PDFs and drop off photocopies and handouts to the disability office and someone there would turn them into a format she could read with the screen-reader. All core text-books were sent to her to the same way, as far as I remember. So you could try contact the Disability Office directly if you have no luck with the school.

Good luck!

afterglow

languagenerd wrote: »

Just to note - visually-impaired students get help from the disability office once they're in college, so you hopefully won't have too many problems. My friend could email any PDFs and drop off photocopies and handouts to the disability office and someone there would turn them into a format she could read with the screen-reader. All core text-books were sent to her to the same way, as far as I remember. So you could try contact the Disability Office directly if you have no luck with the school.

Good luck!

Hi.
Thanks for all responses.
Just wanted to say I have actually managed to download and read the first year handbook in Ibooks so here's hoping the other 3will be the same with any luck.

The Black Oil

If you declare your disability, and are eligible for support, your Disability Officer will write a LENS (Learning Education Needs Summary) report based on your needs. I think this goes to your tutor or course director.

Re resources, iirc, there's a room that has computers with impairment related software, though it may be for learning disabilities, I'm not sure. It's the Assistive Technology Information Centre (ATIC) near the Ussher library. Not sure if there's more than one ATIC, been a few years since I was a student.

emuhead

Ravelleman wrote: »

I would contact the school office about this directly. They should, hopefully, be able to help you with this.

+1 to contacting the school office

Any documents available to other applicants that are key to your application should be provided in accessible format to you on request. I don't know much about screen readers but I would imagine they could provide you with the documents in an alternative format that is compatible with your screen reader. Best of luck with your application. There are a lot of supports for students who have a disability once you start the course.

edit - Sorry, I see you got the docs

byrnem31

What does social work mean to you personally?
That's what it means. Be familiar with the course content but don't look too much into it. Most importantly, know what social workers do. I interviewed one before I was called into the trinity interview.
I finished the degree this year and I'm now qualified as a social worker. It's a very good course and I also used the disability service which is excellent. Best of luck.