'I want to be treated the same as other students'

A visually-impaired student said she wanted to be treated the same as others during university.

Tilly Gerra, 20, who was born with under-developed eyes, is studying journalism at the University of Northampton.

She uses braille for her coursework and a cane to move around the campus.

"I’m just like everyone else. We need to treat everyone equally and assume disabled people are independent unless they tell you otherwise."

The student said she made the deliberate choice not to get a guide dog, joking that she would not be allowed entry into local nightclubs and was not keen on picking up dog poo.

However, Ms Gerra acknowledged that being disabled can come with challenges, particularly in higher education.

"Support for disabled students isn’t as prevalent at [secondary] school," she said.

"It’s tricky because [schools] are constrained by what they can provide due to their budget."

Every disability is different, she added, and delays in financial support could severely impact a disabled student’s ability to continue their studies.

"If I was in a situation where I needed more support, I wouldn’t know what to do," she said.

"Luckily, I’ve been able to borrow equipment when needed, but if I hadn’t been able to, or didn't have access to my [specialist] laptop, I don’t know what I would have done."

Amendment: This article has been amended to clarify that Ms Gerra's comment about constraints referred to schools and not the University of Northampton.

Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.