Emma Diston – Head of Disability Services
I’m Emma Diston, I am the Head of Disability. I’ve worked with students who have multiple needs such as Dyslexia and Autism, Dyspraxia, ADHD, and physical disabilities. My job is to make sure that you can get the very best out of your time at Herts. My team and I are here to help you get reasonable adjustments in place, access support for your disability and liaise closely with your academic team to make sure you can access learning without barriers.
My team and I are really keen to support you, even before you are fully registered, so get in touch when you are ready, and we can introduce you to support at University!
Jess Popham - Senior Disability Adviser
My name is Jess and I am the Senior Disability Advisor here at the university. I am part of the Disability Team who strive to support and help students to succeed throughout their academic journey. Fun fact: you may have seen me in Student Wellbeing before as I have also been part of the Mental Health team!
Chris Addams – Disability Adviser
My name is Chris, and I am one of the disability advisors here at the university. We are here to help support students and help them excel to the best of their abilities. I really enjoy helping and supporting students to enjoy their studies and time at university, as I was once a student here also!
Vani Hann – Disability Adviser
My name is Vani, and I am a Disability Advisor in Student Wellbeing. Our team and I support students with disabilities and long-term health conditions during their time at university. I really enjoy meeting with students and being able to make a positive change through adjustments and advice!
Natalie Wood - Disability Advisor
My name is Natalie and I am one of the Disability Advisors at UH. Our team and I are here to support and advise students with disabilities and long term health conditions. I have been lucky enough to have worked in different areas across the Dean of Students, and I also studied Psychology here!
Poppy – Therapy Dog
Poppy is our wonderful therapy dog who really is queen bee of Student Wellbeing. She’s cool, calm, and collected – and such a loving and happy dog! She is not just in disability services, she also covers all of Student Wellbeing, please see below for how to spend some time with Poppy.
Across the year we organise ‘Pets as Therapy’ sessions where you will be able to meet and spend time with Poppy, and sometimes other furry friends! In the past we have also held puppy play dates, and recently held an event with Poppy and another wonderful therapy dog Nova. Please do keep an eye on our social media for upcoming events!
Please pop into the Student Wellbeing reception in the Hutton Hub on College Lane campus, and one of our friendly team will be happy to chat with you about the support on offer, and answer any questions you may have!
Student should self-refer into our service via our Self-referral form
If you have any questions do contact us via: studentwellbeing@herts.ac.uk or call us on: 01707 284453.