Fostering Disability-Inclusive Societies: How Student Creators on TikTok Are Transforming Awareness of the Disabled Students' Allowance

Every year, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities invites us to reflect on how far we’ve come, and how far we still have to go, to build a society where disabled people can fully participate in social, cultural, academic, and economic life.

The 2025 theme, “Fostering disability-inclusive societies for advancing social progress,” underscores a truth we see every day in our work with disabled and neurodivergent students: Progress only happens when disabled people are not just included, but empowered.

At Estendio, we’re proud to support disabled students through our accessibility tools and through our student-led TikTok community, This Student Needs. And today, we want to share how this movement is reshaping the way students learn about one of the most important support systems available to them - the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA).

The Barriers Disabled Students Still Face

Around the world, persons with disabilities continue to experience systemic inequalities. They are more likely to live in poverty, face barriers to employment, and encounter patchy or inadequate social protection systems. Even within education, where support should be a given, many students still struggle to receive the accommodations and tools they need.

In the UK university sector, these inequities often show up as:

• A lack of awareness about the DSA

• Confusing or inconsistent information from institutions

• Long waits for support

• Students dropping out before ever accessing the help they’re eligible for

• A culture where asking for support still feels daunting or stigmatised

This is exactly why the DSA exists: to level the playing field and ensure that disabled and neurodivergent students can access the tools and support they need to succeed.

But here’s the problem - many students don’t even know it exists.

And when they do know, the process can feel overwhelming, isolating, or unnecessarily complex.

A New Approach to DSA Awareness: Meet This Student Needs

In 2022, we launched This Student Needs, a TikTok community led by disabled and intersectional student creators. Our goal was simple: Create a space where students could share their experiences authentically and help others feel less alone.

But something bigger happened.

Students didn’t just watch, they connected. They shared their stories. They asked questions. They supported one another. And together, they built a platform that speaks openly about the realities of university life with a disability.

Most importantly, they turned the DSA from an acronym into something human, relatable, and accessible.

Why TikTok Works for Disability Inclusion

Traditional awareness campaigns rely on leaflets, posters, and long web pages that most students will never read. But TikTok flips the script.

On TikTok, students encounter information:

• In a format they already consume

• From people who feel like peers, not institutions

• With honesty, humour and lived experience at the centre

• In short, digestible, visually accessible bursts

• At moments when they actually need support

A 30-second TikTok explaining the DSA application process can reach and resonate with students in ways traditional channels rarely can.

We’ve seen videos where student creators:

• Break down how DSA assessments actually feel

• Explain the difference assistive technology can make

• Share tips for navigating overwhelm, executive dysfunction, and imposter syndrome

• Celebrate their wins and speak openly about their challenges

Students Are Not Just Recipients of Support, They’re Leaders of Change

The 2025 theme for IDPD focuses on inclusion as a driver of social progress. This is exactly what we see in the This Student Needs community.

These students aren’t waiting for top-down change; they’re creating it.

They’re demystifying support systems. They’re normalising disability. They’re advocating for accessible technology and inclusive teaching practices. They’re shaping the narrative around what it means to succeed at university while disabled.

And they’re doing it all publicly, boldly, and creatively on a platform built for authentic human connection.

Awareness is just the beginning. We’re committed to continuing our work alongside disabled students, listening to their needs, and building solutions - from assistive technology to supportive spaces - that amplify their voices and agency. Because fostering a disability-inclusive society isn’t a slogan: it’s a collective responsibility. And students are showing us exactly what an inclusive future can look like.