Accessibility in halls
It’s important to consider what adaptations or adjustments you may need while living in NTU / UPP-managed accommodation if you have a serious health condition or disability.
Talk to us

We recommend that you email us at accommodation@ntu.ac.uk before booking a room, if you have a condition that will affect you living in halls. We may need to request evidence to make sure we understand your needs fully.
If you declare medical or accessibility needs when using the booking system, we will get in touch with you to discuss your needs and availability. If none of our rooms meet your needs, we may be able to make some adaptations to your accommodation.
Examples include:
- flashing lights or other alert devices for hearing loss
- en suite wet rooms or rails
- power-assisted doors
- decorative features to help with visual impairment
- adjustable furniture / hoists
- adapted kitchen features
- a mini fridge for medication
NTU's Disability and Inclusion Services also provide advice around accessibility, both in halls and at university.
Have you already booked a room but you didn’t declare your disability or long-term health condition? Email accommodation@ntu.ac.uk and let us know.
Costs
We understand that affordability is an important factor and we are committed to supporting students with medical requirements.
If you have a disability with mobility/physical impairment and require significant adaptations to your room, we may be able to offer you a room at a discounted rate. We review all requests for accommodation and will tell you if you qualify. Please note that this rate will only apply to the room occupied by the student.
In some cases, you may need to apply for items through other means such as the Disabled Student’s Allowance
Accommodation for personal carers
If you require daily or 24-hour personal care, we can provide a room for your personal carer under the same terms and conditions as other residents. You will need to ensure the cost of the carer’s room can be met. You may be able to access funding through your local authority personal budget if you have one.
Returning students
Students who have a disability are prioritised for accommodation bookings in all years of study. If you’ve disclosed a disability to the accommodation team and are currently living in NTU / UPP halls, you will automatically be invited to rebook accommodation. Your disability must mean you would be disadvantaged if you could not access suitable private accommodation. Any offers are subject to availability and payments must be made to secure the booking.
Support for students living in NTU / UPP halls
Our Student Accommodation Support Officers are here to help students living in NTU / UPP halls of residence. They can support you in working through issues with your flat or your room, and help if you’re struggling to settle in, feel lonely, are worried about your studies and other areas. If you require support or are worried about a friend in halls, please email support4halls@ntu.ac.uk.
Considering what accommodation to choose
Not everyone who has additional needs self-identifies as “disabled”, but still needs help or adjustments from Student Accommodation Services. This support is for anyone included under the definition of disability under the Equality Act (2010) which applies if you have a “physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities”.
In this section, we’ve put together considerations you might like to think about when choosing what type of accessible accommodation to book, based on what students with these conditions have told us in the past. You might like to discuss these questions with someone you live with now.
We have also suggested the accommodation that best suits those requirements.
If your condition varies day-to-day, it’s important to consider both what your answer might be on a good day and on a more difficult day. Some of these considerations might inform which hall or room type is most suitable for you, but some might inform adaptations you need to ask for.
- How many students are you comfortable living with?
- Are you comfortable sharing a bathroom with strangers?
- If you lived alone, would you find it easy to socialise with students either on your course or at a society?
- How would it make you feel if your flatmates interrupted your daily routine, maybe by using the cooker when you planned to make dinner?
- How confident are you in travelling to lectures independently?
- How sensitive to noise are you? Do different types of noise impact you differently?
- If there was a fire, would you need someone to help you evacuate?
Recommended accommodation:
- Do you have an assistance dog?
- If there was a fire, would you need a visual or vibration alarm to tell you to evacuate?
Recommended accommodation:
- Do you rely on remembering where you’ve put something to find it again?
- Would you find it difficult if your flatmates moved things in your kitchen?
- Do you have an assistance dog?
- Do you need lighting adaptations?
- Do you need adaptations to your flat such as high contrast edging and braille signs?
- If there was a fire, would you need help to evacuate?
Recommended accommodation:
- Are you comfortable sharing a bathroom with strangers?
- Can you manage stairs?
- Do you need a different type of bed?
- Do you need bathroom adaptations?
- Do you need a hoist or grab rails?
- Does your kitchen need to be adapted?
- Do you need additional space for medical, rehabilitative or specialist equipment or activities?
- If there was a fire, would you need help to evacuate?
Recommended accommodation:
- Are you comfortable sharing a bathroom with strangers?
- Do you struggle if your sleep is disturbed? Do you sometimes sleep in the day?
- Do you need to sterilise medical equipment regularly?
- If you experience fatigue, how do you find using stairs?
- Do you need a private fridge for medications?
- Do you need additional space for medical, rehabilitative or specialist equipment or activities?
Recommended accommodation:
- Are you comfortable sharing a bathroom with strangers?
- If you lived alone, would you find it easy to socialise with students either on your course or at a society?How many students are you comfortable living with?
- How confident are you in travelling to lectures independently?
- If there was a fire, would you need someone to help you evacuate?
Recommended accommodation:
Before booking your accommodation please call +44 (0)115 848 2894 or email accommodation@ntu.ac.uk. We’re here to help make the transition to living in university accommodation as easy as possible.