Careers fair accessibility
At the Careers Centre, we want disabled and neurodivergent students to make the most out of attending our careers fairs while feeling as comfortable as possible. Here’s a run-down of all the resources and services we have to support you.
Quiet time
Quiet time is a period that takes place 30 – 45 minutes before a careers fair officially opens (see below for full details). This is designed to offer a calming environment for disabled or neurodivergent students who may feel overwhelmed in large crowds or need further assistance when speaking with employers. Music will be turned off during this time and will run at a reduced capacity.
- JobFest: 12:00 – 12:30 (30 minutes)
- Careers and Placements Fair: 10:30 – 11:15 (45 minutes)
- Law Careers Fair: 12:30 – 13:00 (30 minutes)
- Built Environment Fair: 11:30 – 12:00 (30 minutes)
- Science, Health and Environment Fair: 12:00 – 12:30 (30 minutes)
- Graduate Recruitment and Internship Festival: TBC
If you need support during quiet time, our careers staff will be at hand throughout.
Fast pass
Our fast pass system gives you the chance to skip the queues and explore our careers fairs early. They will be available to collect via:
- Pre-booking via your MyJobsOnline account and collection from the Careers Centre and Disability Advisory Service reception in the Carrington Building
- Collection from careers staff on the day
When you arrive at a careers fair, please join our Quiet Time Queue and present your fast pass containing your student number. If you’re unable to find your fast pass but have prebooked, go to the ticket desk and provide your student number or card to register.
Quiet area
Alongside our quiet time, quiet areas will be open throughout our careers fair where you can sit down, relax and get away from the crowds if you feel overwhelmed at any point. The area will include fidget toys and extra resources. Please check the location for the quiet areas below, depending on the location of your fair.
Is your careers fair in 3Sixty?
3Sixty is within the 狼友社区 Students Union (RSU) on Whiteknights campus. To access quiet time, please arrive at the ticket office entrance. The main hall is equipped with wheelchair ramps and lifts are located to the left of the bar at the back of the hall.
The quiet area will be located in the Wellbeing room on the first floor for the following fairs:
- Built Environment Fair
- Law Careers Fair
- Science, Health and Environment Fair
For JobFest, the quiet area will be located in Flex in between our three, 20-minute talks.
TBC for GRIF
Is your careers fair in the Palmer Building?
The Palmer Building is located on Whiteknights campus next to La Dol.che Vita cafe. To queue for the fairs and collect your fast pass, enter via the double doors and go to the main desk to the left. Lifts are located on the ground floor at the back and to the left, and quiet areas are in rooms 105 and G05b.
Useful Resources
If you have any accessibility questions or accommodation requests before attending our careers fairs, book a 1:1 appointment with one of our Careers Consultants or contact us via careers@reading.ac.uk.
We will have our upcoming ‘’ workshop on Monday 29 September and ‘’ workshop on Friday 10 October. Learn more and sign up on MyJobsOnline.
For further advice on networking and talking to employers about your disability, view our most recent webinars on our Neurodivergent opportunities and events page.