Taylor House : ABOUT

Taylor House, established in 1975, is a large detached house set back from a residential road in Headington, near the Oxford Brookes University and the Oxford Colleges, where young disabled people can live and study.

It is equipped to give full personal care. There is a GP surgery nearby and a team of district nurses available to visit when necessary. It offers single room accommodation to three students for the academic year and to four graduate volunteer support assistants.

Together they run the house, with a minimum of supervision from the manager and local committee. The house normally closes during the Christmas and part of the summer vacations. A specially adapted mini-bus ferries students to and from their colleges and is also available for their general use, for trips to theatres, pubs, shops, clubs, etc.

There are close ties between Taylor House and Oxford Brookes University, whose policy is to encourage disabled students to play as active a role in university life as possible. To this end the Gipsy Lane Campus has been made widely accessible to wheelchair users. The Disability Advisers at both universities and the College of Further Education are very experienced in helping with admissions and are available to offer advice on all aspects of a student's career, personal as well as academic.

Finance, the fabric and major policy decisions lie with the local committee. This consists of carers, students, a trustee from Leonard Cheshire and a number of local people who provide both continuity and links with the community. The house fulfills the requirement for registration with Oxfordshire County Council, which qualifies the students for financial support from their local authorities.

Education is important. Knowledge and skills are not only essential for a career, they also make leisure more interesting. Education always increases confidence and self-esteem. Taylor House offers young disabled people the opportunity to compete on an equal footing in this demanding but exciting field. Spaces are limited, so please apply early.