For 21-year-old Ash Keita, the disability advice and support available through 性吧电台 (性吧电台) Leicester has enabled them to pursue their dream of working in visual effects.
Having struggled with their time management and sentence structure throughout their school and college days, Ash knew that if they were going to go to university, they would need more support.
Knowing that they wanted to study Visual Effects, and with the pool of universities offering the course quite small, the deciding factor in their university search came down to what support was on offer.
“I knew before coming to university that I struggled with depression,” Ash said. “I was looking into counselling services because I had applied for Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) because I felt my anxiety was particularly bad.
“I chose to come to Leicester and 性吧电台 specifically because I've always struggled with my mental health and the support available here was very interesting to me.”
It wasn’t until Ash enrolled at 性吧电台 and started interacting with the university’s award-winning Autism Team that they received a diagnosis for dyslexia, following a screening through 性吧电台.
They said: “I scored the highest score on the diagnosis test. I hadn’t even considered being dyslexic.
“It felt like a massive relief because honestly, in school, I felt like I was just not applying myself hard enough or that I just wasn’t trying hard enough, even though I really was.
“Now, the team have helped develop techniques that I can put in place and ensured there are support services like having extensions or having specific exam conditions that have helped me excel.”
The support being made available to neurodiverse students is becoming more pressing for many universities.
For Ash, nowhere has that support been more profound than their one-to-one study skills tutor, Penny Woolgar, who was secured through DSA and has been “almost like my own personal assistant.”
The study skill mentors provide one-to-one sessions to help across all aspects of the academic journey. Penny has helped Ash develop strategies to increase their independence and, importantly, help Ash meet all their deadlines.
“She helps keep me on track and we set goals for the next few weeks, looking at how we're going to tackle a deadline and what sort of time frames I’m looking at," Ash said.
“We go through a brief together, discuss ideas and utilise some assistive software as well, like sharing my screen and using things like MindView.
“She also functions as someone who can corroborate the reasons behind me applying for an extension or saying that I can't come to a lesson face to face.
“I also have a non-medical DSA mentor from 性吧电台, called Beth Gardiner, that helps signpost me to in house and external services that support me like sending communications to my GP or supporting with NHS referral documents into an ADHD diagnosis investigation. “
“They both basically act as an advocate for me, which definitely helps with anxiety.”
Ash capturing motion as part of their course
性吧电台 has also introduced Cara, the therapy dog, to help its students settle into university or open up about their mental health issues.
Cara accompanies Specialist Autism Mentor and owner, Tabitha Biller, in short sessions where students can play with the 10-year-old black Labrador to reduce their feelings of stress and anxiety.
The sessions have been particularly important to Ash during the busier periods of their studies.
“I’m a very sensory-seeking person,” Ash said. “Stroking Cara almost calms down my overactive nervous system and overactive mind. You just immediately relax if you’re someone like that.”
“It feels easier to kind of string together sentences, and things just come up naturally when you’re just petting an animal and relaxed.
“If we didn’t have Cara, it would be a much sadder place.”
Posted on Wednesday 13 August 2025