Wednesday 06-05-2026 - 10:58

“Seek support when needed. This can be a trusted colleague, a trusted friend or support services that are available to you” 

– Gwyneira Davies, London and Birmingham Campus President

 

As part of our conversations with advice series, your Students' Union Advice Service is tackling the topic of self-advocacy. In collaboration with the London and Birmingham President, Gwyneria Davies, and the London Disability Part-time Officer, Galina Bleidere, we hope to show how students can use self-advocacy when navigating challenging times during their university experience.

What is self-advocacy? 

Self-advocacy is the ability to speak up for yourself and communicate your needs and rights effectively. It is important because it enables students to speak up for themselves, improves communication skills, and boosts students' self-confidence.

Why is self-advocacy important for students?  

Self-advocacy is a vital tool that students can use when navigating tricky conversations. Students will use this skill in a variety of ways during their time in higher education. Whether that be as a Course Representative when providing feedback to the university, or as a student who wants to highlight an experience which has had an impact on their educational journey. 

How self-advocacy relates to university processes  

Self-advocacy allows students to understand their rights and responsibilities. It might be that students need clarification over what to submit with an Academic Appeal or it could be that they have things going on in their personal life which are having an impact on their ability to study. In this instance, self-advocacy could be utilised by asking the Advice Service for more information on extenuating circumstances if you do not understand how to apply for it, or the criteria for doing so.

Tips for Self-advocating

Your Birmingham and London President and London Disability part time officer shared their own tips for self-advocating: 

“Seek support when needed. This can be a trusted colleague, a trusted friend or support services that are available to you” and “know your rights as a student.”  

- Gwyneira Davies

 

Make sure to talk to someone as soon as you can instead of letting it build up

- Galina Bleidere

 

Contacting the Advice Service  

We have a range of online resources to help students on our Union website, including our academic process toolkit which breaks down university policies and processes for students. 

As an Advice Service, we can help students with the following:  

• Breaking down university policies 
• Signposting to other departments or services 
• Help students to understand their rights  
• Guidance on how to approach difficult conversations  

If students need any further clarification on processes or issues they are facing, please contact the Advice Service at su.advice@uwtsd.ac.uk