Across the next few weeks, the Union and University are raising awareness of disabilities and neurodivergence, facilitating positive and transformative conversations, and celebrating the diversity and differences of the disabled community.

To find our full programme of events, please click here: Disability and Neurodiversity Awareness Month 2025

This has been put together by students, the Union and the University, and provides more information about the activities, events and learning resources available across this month- and beyond. This programme is here to enrich the experience of our students and staff, so get involved!

The Union and You: 

The Union is passionate about supporting our Disabled and Neurodiverse students, and uses student feedback to help better shape our approaches, decisions and wider community. Please find some examples of Union wins submitted by our officers below: 

• Last year the Disability & Neurodiversity Network raised the issue with the Wates Lift being broken, after it being highlighted by a student in a meeting. This was raised as a main Union Forum topic in May 2025 and escalated to the University Executive Board. 
• Following a Senate meeting where the topic of in-person exam invigilation was raised, the VP Voice consulted with members of the Disability & Neurodiversity Network to gather the student voice on this. Members of the network raised concerns about the accessibility of in-person exams and issues with invigilation, which were shared with the Chief Student Officer. 
• One of our Voice Zone Officers from 24-26, Jenny Jackson, has lobbied the University to ensure pre-recorded lecturers are captioned, which is an ongoing project. This concern was raised in the Student Disability & Accessibility Group, and the University has been working on trying to implement this across faculties. 
• Our VP Support led on the creation of a dedicated Sensory room on Stag Hill campus . 

Disability & Neurodiversity Subnetwork: 

This group provides a space for students to raise any issues, comments or concerns regarding accessibility on campus, and support for disabled students to succeed at university. You can discuss your thoughts and experiences about disability, neurodiversity, non-visible illnesses, mental health, and more.

The goal of the subnetwork is to provide an open space to network with other students passionate about equality, share experiences and feedback, and help improve the experience for disabled and neurodiverse students at Surrey. 

Find out more about the Network here. Join the Network here. 

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Although we are highlighting these events and resources across this month, our work doesn't stop here. We're dedicated to ongoing action and engagement throughout the year to ensure our student community feels seen, supported and heard. For more information, please review the Disability & Neurodiversity Microsite page and keep an eye out for upcoming news stories, opportunities and events.