My name is Andrew George, and I am the Director of the study abroad program at Queen Mary College.   I’ve been here for seven years, and we get a large amount of students from the States and that amount increases each year.  We have a well-structured program that can cater to most students’ needs for various levels of disabilities.

Queen Mary is nice because it is in London .  It is not the traditional British experience as many students imagine; London is an international city.  London is atypical of Britain .  It is so varied and ethnically and socially diverse, and our school particularly.  It is great for any student of the University.  Outside of New York , I can’t think of any city that is as diverse as London .  People from all over the world want to come here to settle.  That can be an eye opener and challenge for all students, and it takes some students awhile to get used to it.  However, that can be a reason for coming here.  You can travel the world just by traveling to London because of all the students you’ll meet here. 

Having made the decision to come to London , the best choice of schools is clearly Queen Mary.  One of the main reasons for choosing us is that our campus sets us apart.  We are a part of the University of London, a larger multi-faculty college, but we are the only one in central London with an integrated campus so study abroad students can have guaranteed housing on campus. 

What kinds of disabilities have you seen over the last few years?

The majority are learning disabilities, such as dyslexia and attention disorders.  They are not usually obviously manifested, so those students come in and we don’t normally hear any more about it.  We put them in touch with the disability coordinator, who lets the departments know in advance so that they are aware as well.  They get into our system and utilize our learning and reading support services.  We also have reading and writing academic support systems, which is used not only by students with disabilities but also international students that have a hard time with the language.  So while it may be a general program, there are other services there for students with specific issues with reading or writing.

We had a blind student recently from the States, who prompted us to increase our technology available to students with visual impairment.  We now have the JAWS program for blind students.  The student got on very well with the program.  We’re fortunate with having a campus which makes it possible because it is an enclosed campus with only one public road that goes through it.  The campus is flat and compact, and easy to maneuver.  Our wheelchair users also appreciate that fact; we also make sure they get rooms adapted to their needs.

One thing about London is that it is an ancient city and the infrastructure is old.  It can be difficult to get around the city.  We do what we can on campus, but obviously, we cannot control the wider environment.  Very few of the Tube stops are useful for wheelchair users, but there are various taxis and buses nearby.  There are particular taxis that can be aware of your needs and always be on call for you.  There are ways around any issue.  London transport does what they can to serve its population. 

What kinds of services does Queen Mary provide?

One thing you have to realize is that we have a lot of government legislation in this country, meaning we have to abide by these laws and accommodate for these students.  That means there is pretty good level of service, where if you look through the website, we focus on different disabilities.  This includes both those with physical disabilities and learning disabilities; we are constantly getting more and more students from the States with those needs. 

One thing that does need to be made clear is that when a student comes to us with dyslexia, for example, and is used to having more time they have to fit that in with what we would do for our students with a similar disability.  In most cases, they do not get as much time as they did at home.  It seems to us that they should fit in with the students on our campus.  It never seems to be a problem at all. 

In your experience, what could we in the States do better to help you help our students?

It is all about getting information quickly and as far ahead of time as we can, particularly when our people who are actually working with these students are so pressed for time.  The more information we can have upfront, in advance, the better.  We do have situations where students come up and surprise us by letting us know when they arrive that they have disabilities. 

It just helps things run more smoothly when we know in advance.

We do need to see psychiatric reports, or anything that has allowed them to get provisions in the states so then we can make appropriate provisions as well, or deny students if we are unable to meet their needs.  There are few areas where we have to do that, and let students know that they would be better off not coming than not receive their accommodations.  We have not yet come across any students that we have had to turn away, fortunately.

Once you get an applicant with a disability, how do you work with the university disability office?

The first thing we do is notify the disability officer.  We are a study abroad office and the first point of contact, then we put the students into contact with the different departments and offices that will best meet their needs.  It is good if we can get a student talking directly to the disability office via email before meeting them face-to-face upon arrival.  We know what the disability coordinator is going to need, including history of the need and paperwork to prove the disability.  Where we need to help, we do that as well.