Bilaal, BA (Honours) Accounting and Finance student, received an inspirational student award for his dedication and excellent grades. Bilaal is registered blind and found it hard to get work experience due to some businesses having limited support for his requirements. 

Despite facing barriers, he completed a placement at the Financial Times with assistance from the University and the Thomas Pocklington Trust, a charity supporting blind and partially sighted individuals in education and employment.

During his placement at the Financial Times, Bilaal gained experience in business plan creation, and built a valuable network of contacts.

Bilaal credits Sheffield Hallam's support, particularly in financial and disability assistance, for influencing his decision to study at Sheffield Hallam.

"At the start of my studies, I met my disability adviser at Sheffield Hallam, who helped me apply for Disabled Students’ Allowance, greatly enhancing my university experience. Without this support, I would have struggled. She continues to assist me throughout my academic journey, providing help with both my studies and well-being.

"Transitioning from my local college to Sheffield Business School on the city centre campus presented challenges with its numerous buildings and classrooms. To boost my confidence and skills in navigating unfamiliar spaces, I accessed cane training.

"I've used funding to purchase necessary equipment for accessing learning materials and to hire a note-taker during seminars and lectures. Additionally, I receive weekly support from a specialist support professional, who helps to capture what I would like to communicate in my assessments. 

"My tutors, though new to supporting visually impaired students, are dedicated to making a difference. They are friendly and ensure I don't miss crucial information by highlighting key information I don’t want to miss.

"Sheffield Hallam adjusted my approach to online exams, which were relatively new to me, as I had only one in college, whereas I had four in my first year at university. Initially, my note-taker read questions aloud, but I found this challenging to process within the allotted time, though I did pass.

“After sharing my experience, the teaching team now provides questions in a Word format, which allows me to review them multiple times before answering. This adaptation led to achieving 96% in my second online exam, which I am really pleased about.

“My lecturer helped me to secure my placement at the Financial Times. Where I and the other interns engaged in various activities such as networking, teamworking, and interviewing employees. The placement boosted my skills, networking and accommodated my visual impairment. I believe my experience at the Financial Times enriched my studies. 

“It’s important for me to pursue various opportunities to support my career journey, even though obtaining work experience has been challenging. I work hard to seize every opportunity to progress toward my goal of becoming a Financial Adviser”.