Disabled Hampshire student had to pay for university bed

Izzie Stevens is studying a foundation year in biomedicine at Reading University

A student with cerebral palsy had to pay for her own specialist equipment to allow her to attend university after her local authority refused.

Izzie Stevens, from Fleet in Hampshire, paid more than £2,000 for a hoist and a bed so she could go to Reading University to study biomedicine.

She was reimbursed after "months of fighting" to get the money back.

Hampshire County Council said it was "sorry to hear of the frustrations experienced with the service provided".

The 20-year-old, who needs a carer 24/7 along with a "few pieces of equipment", is studying a foundation year at Reading in Berkshire with a view to going to medical school.

"In the next 10 years I might be a doctor," she said.

Ms Stevens said 10 days before she was supposed to be moving she received an email that said the equipment she needed was being refused because it was "out of delivery and servicing area".

"They said 'we don't provide equipment to students at university outside of Hampshire'." she said.

"I felt like I'd moved to a different country, when in fact I'd only gone 13 miles down the road."

Izzie Stevens bought her bed at university with her own money after she was told it could not be supplied

The equipment she needed included a special profiling bed, to alleviate her chronic pain when she sleeps, and a hoist in case she falls onto the floor.

Ms Stevens was able to buy the the items she needed with savings, but said it had been a fight to get the money back.

She said: "It took three months to persuade them I was entitled to the money, because I shouldn't have had to buy it in the first place.

"If I hadn't have pushed them I don't think they would have given it to me."

And she said the episode had taken a toll on her mental health.

"Able-bodied people aren't restricted on where they can go, so why are disabled people restricted on where they can go, it's just not fair," she said.

A spokesperson for Hampshire County Council said: "Supporting people with disabilities to fulfil their potential is extremely important to the county council so we are sorry to hear of the frustrations experienced with the service provided in this instance.

"We would like to review the maintenance arrangements for the equipment that was purchased - and will be in touch shortly - with a view to ensuring local authority support for servicing is put in place going forward."

Izzie Stevens was told she was moving out of the servicing and delivery area and could not be supplied with local equipment