Students with impairments feel the need to alter their behaviour to avoid hate crimes.

An NUS report reveals 24 percent of students with a physical impairment and 15 percent with a sensory impairment experience antisocial behaviour or crime motivated by a prejudice against their disability.

"No Place for Hate – Hate crimes and incidents in further and higher education: disability" is the second in a series of four reports on student experiences of hate crime.

Of the 1,000 students polled, 43 percent said they had altered their behaviour, personal appearance or daily patterns to avoid hate incidents. Just 12 percent of disability hate crime incidents are reported to police.

The report calls on universities to do more to reduce disability hate crime.

It has 10 recommendations for universities and colleges such as demonstrating a firm commitment to equality and diversity, strengthening existing support services and offering clear guidance on existing legislative framework.

Rupy Kaur, NUS Disabled Students’ Officer, said: "When one in four students with a physical impairment are the victims of prejudice it’s clear that more needs to be done by our universities.

"Whilst it appears that universities often do an effective job of responding to hate incidents they need to take note of our recommendations and be more pro-active in stopping hate crime before it happens.

"Our research shows that hate incidents and hate crime can have a profound impact on disabled students' mental health, affecting their study, social life and participation in societies, clubs and activities."