Individual needs accommodation and parking

Student accommodation is available at both the Colchester and Southend Campuses.

When you have received and accepted your academic offer from the University, you will be able to apply for accommodation online via the myEssex Applicant Portal. Please make sure you apply by the deadline.

If you have individual requirements due to your physical disability, sensory impairment, mental health or long-term medical condition you should also contact the Student Wellbeing and Inclusion Service (SWIS) so that you can discuss your accommodation requirements in more detail. Contact SWIS: include@essex.ac.uk

Types of individual requirements

Individual requirements may include:

  • needing a wheelchair accessible room
  • visual or tactile alerts to emergency alarms for hearing impairment
  • a ground floor room if you cannot use stairs
  • needing certain accommodation due to sensory or allergy difficulties

You will be asked to complete an accommodation on medical grounds application form to give SWIS as much information as possible about your specific requirements. You may be asked to provide medical evidence.

SWIS can liaise with Accommodation Essex and arrange a visit for you to view rooms and/or for these to be available for a care assessment by an external occupational therapist or other health professional. In some circumstances, we may need you to ask your doctor or specialist to organise an occupational health assessment of where you will be living so we have this specialist advice about any essential adaptions.

Find out what is available in our adapted accommodation.

Returning students

You may be eligible for accommodation for the duration of your course. You may need/wish to remain in the same room for the duration of your studies, SWIS can liaise with Accommodation Essex to arrange this.

Current students can apply for accommodation on medical grounds at any point in their studies if you are not already tied into a contract with a private provider.

Parking - Blue Badge holders and individual needs

Colchester Campus disabled parking. Regrettably, it is not possible to permit students or partners of students, living in University accommodation to park on campus unless you have a Blue Badge. If you are a student, resident on campus with a physical disability, severe diagnosed sensory impairment, mental health or medical condition which severely restricts your mobility or ability to mobilise off campus you can apply to park your car in the main campus car parks. Request an application form by emailing include@essex.ac.uk

Southend Campus – only public car parking available.

Loughton Campus

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Need help?

If you need any further help and advice, please contact or visit the Student Services Hub who will be happy to assist you.