Disabled student’s struggle to find suitable housing in city
MAIZE HAS EVEN CONSIDERING COMMUTING FROM BARNSLEY
A DISABLED student in Nottingham has spoken about her frustrating experience of looking for accommodation in the city.
Maize Graham, now in her second year at Nottingham Trent University, has shared the “disheartening” experience of house-hunting as a student in a wheelchair.
Despite her efforts to find a suitable flat in the city, the 20-year-old has never found accommodation that she could move into with her friends.
The depressing journey started back in October 2019, when Maize requested support from Nottingham Trent Students’ Union.
“Last academic year I went into the student union building and asked if they could help me with finding accommodation,” she said.
“They said I should look online – they didn’t seem very supportive.”
Back in her first year of university, she contacted Glasshouse, a private student accommodation that is just minutes away from the city campus.
She now lives in a room that is suited to her needs, but the lift is causing her problems.
“We did finally find that Glasshouse does provide an accessible bathroom with a shower chair and a wet room which was great, but then I was contacted by the manager who told me that the lift breaks often,” Maize added.
The second-year fine art student tried to speak to other private student accommodation providers, but so far with little success.
“I tried to look online for places to live that aren’t halls,” she recalls. “We finally found a place, and it had a great location, the tram stop was nearby – it was perfect.”
However, she was told the flat was already occupied when she tried to book in.
Maize was offered a studio to move into by herself, but she refused as she sometimes needs assistance from other people.
The studio is near Rock City, up a hill that is inaccessible for people in wheelchairs.
“They offered me a studio, but I cannot live by myself because sometimes I do need help – so a studio would not be suitable for me,” she said. “There is no bus stop either and it would be impossible for me to get up on the hill.”
The only alternative would be for her to move into student halls, which is something she is desperately try
I am very limited with options, I look for anywhere now because I learned I cannot be picky in my situation
Maize Graham
ing to avoid.
“The problem with the accommodation provided by the university is that they only offer basic living, and the flats are quite expensive in the city centre”, she adds.
“But if I do not have any other choice, I will probably move there and my friends will choose to live together.
“I am very limited with options. I look for anywhere now because I learned I cannot be picky in my situation.
“It was quite a lot of us looking to move in together, but because of all the issues we had last year, they kind of branched off.
“But I do not blame them because it is very difficult to find accommodation in my situation.
“So it is just me and my two other friends now that are looking for flats, but even then it is not sealed and done. It depends on whether we will find a place that is suitable for me.”
Maize says she has even considered commuting from her home address in Barnsley, an hour and a half’s drive from Nottingham.
She adds: “My mum said she would support me if I have to pay more money for more expensive accommodation. We even considered commuting, which I really do not want to do.”
Maize lost her mobility aged 15, when she was diagnosed with a virus called transverse myelitis, a neurological disorder that inflames the spinal cord, damaging it.
Within half an hour of feeling pain in her back, she was paralysed.
“It was a virus that wounded my spine. If it wounded anywhere in my immune system I would have gotten chickenpox”, she recalls.
“It was not necessarily something that could be prevented, and it is not something that someone could be blamed for.”
A spokesperson from Nottingham Trent University said: “Our accommodation services team work with providers across Nottingham to identify suitable accommodation for students with additional needs who wish to live off campus.
“Our disability services team are also on hand to help any students who require any assistance in sourcing accommodation suitable for their needs, and we encourage any student to get in touch to discuss their individual circumstances.
“In this particular instance, we are supporting Maize with her search, and have also offered her accessible accommodation on campus, but are yet to hear back from her.”
The Nottingham Trent Students’ Union has also addressed the problem voiced by disabled students like Maize: “It has been drawn to the union’s attention that some students with disabilities have encountered problems with sourcing suitable, affordable accommodation.
“In response to this, we have raised this with senior university management and have further meetings scheduled to progress this.
“Unfortunately, the union does not have any student accommodation of its own. However, the union will continue to advocate on behalf of students, both generally in relation to university policy and specifically for students with individual concerns.
“Students who have current concerns should contact us directly.”