Accessibility statement

Disability and Mental Health 

The Department of English and Related Literature is committed to supporting staff and students who have disabilities including those who struggle with their mental health.

Disability

The Department of English and Related Literature is dedicated to supporting staff and students who have disabilities and creating an inclusive community that promotes positive attitudes towards disabled people.

The Department’s dedicated Disability Officer is, ex officio, the Deputy Chair of the Board of Studies, currently Professor Richard Walsh (richard.walsh@york.ac.uk). The Disability Officer’s responsibilities include:

  • Offering practical advice and support to students with disabilities and neurodiversities, including specific learning difficulties such as ADHD and dyslexia, and advising their supervisors and tutors
  • Working with the Chair of Examiners to ensure that examination procedures for such students are helpful and equitable
  • Working in consultation with the University's Disability team, for example to ensure that admissions procedures are helpful and equitable for disabled candidates
  • Advising the Deputy Head of Department on matters of compliance

See also the following University links:

  • Disability support and advice for students: advice, support and resources to help staff, students and visitors, and to promote inclusivity across the University
  • INCLUDE Disabled Staff Network:  aims to promote the value of disabled staff and improve their working environment by raising awareness, sharing good practice and providing a forum for ideas and issues

Further information on Disability support:

Mental Health

We all have mental health, just as we all have physical health. They can both change throughout our lives and in response to external factors. The Department of English and Related Literature is supportive not only of helping staff and students when they feel unwell, but also of helping everyone to develop positive wellbeing and emotional health. 

Students

Supervisors

The following guide is available to help supervisors direct students to different sources of support:

In addition the University has launched 'Mental Health First Contact' (MHFC) for staff, which is an in-house network of trained members of staff who are a first point of contact if you are experiencing emotional or psychological distress. You can contact any of the members direct and don't have to be based in the same department.

Mental health links: