Disability Services

What does disability mean?

At university a disability means any health condition which has lasted, or is likely to last, twelve months or more which may have a negative impact on your studies even if it is fluctuating. This includes, but is not limited to, long term health conditions, sensory impairments, mobility difficulties, mental health difficulties (such as anxiety and depression) and autistic spectrum condition. It also includes specific learning difficulties such as ADHD and dyslexia. If you have, or think you might have any of these, please do get in touch.

What support is available?

Well, that is a difficult question as it really depends on your needs and what might help you on your course. But we are very proud of the level of support we provide so the best thing to do is to contact Disability Services so that your case can be assigned to the relevant practitioner. They will then discuss your needs with you one-to-one and explore what support is available. Typically, support falls into two camps:

1. The first are academic adjustments on your course. These are adjustments to the way the University delivers your education and assesses your abilities for example, accessible course materials or special examination arrangements.
2. The second camp is one-to-one academic support such as study skills tuition for students with dyslexia or specialist mentoring sessions for students with mental health difficulties or autistic spectrum conditions. These regular one-to-ones outside of your academic department are really valuable for many students to stay focused and manage their studies around their difficulties.

What are Disabled Student Allowances?

If you are a UK student you may be eligible for Disabled Student Allowances. These are government grants which can contribute towards the extra costs of studying at university with a disability. They may be able to fund specialist equipment, software, travel expenses or even human support. We strongly advise all students and applicants with disabilities to apply and we are happy to help you do so.

What other support does a university provide?

There are many people around the University offering support ranging from pastoral support, mental health support, financial assistance and advocacy. Check out the University's health and wellbeing web pages for links to all sorts of support for students both with and without disabilities.