The Francis Napier Fund, aimed at supporting students with disabilities at Oxford, was established thanks to Mr Francis Napier’s generous legacy of £2 million. The fund pays for grants to students and covers the costs of the Disability Advisory Service.
Support from the Napier Fund has made Sophie Wedlake, fifth-year medical student at Merton College, much more confident in her studies. Having had problems with her hearing from a young age, she found it difficult to take in the teaching in the noisy hospital environment. With the extra support of the fund, Sophie bought new hearing aids and a new stethoscope, which uses Bluetooth to transmit the sounds picked up to her ears.
I feel I am now on a more equal footing with other students. I am extremely grateful to access this incredible fund.
Sophie said, ‘With my new hearing aids and stethoscope, I am now able to learn from what I hear and participate confidently in bedside teaching at the hospital. This has had an enormous impact on my studies – I feel I am now on more of an equal footing with other students. I am extremely grateful to access this incredible fund.’
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