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Introduction
Around 20% of students in higher education have a disability. Some examples
are:
- Deafness
- Blindness or visual impairment
- Mobility difficulties
- Wheelchair user
- Mental health service user
- Medical condition, eg diabetes, asthma
- Dyslexia (known as a specific learning difficulty - see separate page on this site)
Having a disability should not be a barrier to considering university. As a disabled student you have rights under the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2002 (SENDA):
Before you get to University
You may be used to having the support you need in college or school.
You may also get support at university whether you are full time or
part time. The way it is arranged is different. Do not assume that support
will automatically be provided even though you may have indicated your
disability on your UCAS or enrolment form.
You should also think about your choice of course in terms of your
ultimate career aims. Some vocational courses are governed by a professional
body that will have strict criteria relating to disability and employment.
Nursing and teaching are examples. It is advisable for you to find out
about whether this will affect you before you apply.
Ideally you should start preparing 2 years before you expect to take
up your place! See the interactive section below for a checklist of
actions you should take before you go to university
On your course
If you have already started your course, or want advance knowledge of what support is available, below is a list of support to which you may be entitled:
- Examination concessions
- Extended deadlines for assessments
- Library services
- Note takers, research support, reading etc.
- Equipment - computers and software, mini disks etc.
- Personal care support
- Learning resources
How to use this site
- Look at some of the issues involved in university life before applying through UCAS
- If you have already applied, look at what you can do to prepare yourself for university before you start
- If you have not seriously considered university for any reason, look at what is available in terms of support and give it further consideration
- If you are already at university - check out what you might be missing!
- Use the resources and information to find out more about your entitlements
- Use the self assessments to identify skills you might want to improve
See the interactive section on the right hand side
for detailed explanations
How to get support
Support is usually funded through the Disabled Student Allowance (DSA)
for academic support and Social Services Dept funding for personal care.
To obtain your funding you should contact a Disability Adviser at your
chosen university who will identify the appropriate funding and if you
wish, apply for it on your behalf. Alternatively you may prefer to contact
your funding body (eg your Local Education Authority (LEA) or NHS trust
for DSA, or Social Services Dept. for personal care) yourself.
Remember that you must re-apply for funding each year, either yourself
or through your disability adviser.
See the interactive section on for details about
funding.
Moving on
You may still be eligible for support if you decide to opt for a post
graduate course. Check this out with your funding body.
If you have a career in mind, contact the university Careers Service.
They will have information about a vast range of careers and will provide
further information and advice for you. Ask them to help you to:
- Consider careers in terms of your disability
- Find out what support is available in the world of work, if you need it
- Draw up a CV or prepare an application form
- Create a presentation
- Understand how to deal with aptitude tests etc.
- Find out about employers who have specific entry schemes for disabled employees
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Case Study
Amanda coped well in her small A level groups at college. She was thrilled when her grades turned out to be better than expected and decided to try for a university place through Clearing.
The college had provided support and she expected the same thing would happen at university, once she had declared on her enrolment form that she was partially deaf. However, this information is not usually passed directly to the disability team at university.
The first that the disability office heard about Amanda was a telephone call from her personal tutor, three weeks into her first term at university.
An appointment with a disability adviser was immediately arranged. Amanda was able to explain to the adviser what she needed in terms of support. She clarified that her preferred method of communication was lip reading and using her hearing aids.
Her tutors were immediately able to implement the teaching strategies they had learned through the university's deaf awareness sessions, which included providing handouts and OHT copies in advance of lectures. Much of the work was available on the intranet for all students. Her lecture groups requested some deaf awareness training and this was provided by the disability team, resulting in improved communication with her peers.
There was a wait of eight weeks before Amanda's DSA funding was approved, as she also had to attend an access centre assessment to determine her support requirements. She was then allocated a note taker, enabling her to concentrate on the lectures and relax and contribute more in seminars. However, due to the lack of support in the early stages of her course, Amanda unfortunately failed her first piece of coursework. This caused extra pressure as she had to re-submit the coursework in addition to her other work.
As Amanda was living in halls her adviser ensured that she was equipped with useful gadgets such as a vibrating alarm and that her room was fitted with a flashing smoke sensor.
At the end of her first year, Amanda felt that she had begun to establish herself in higher education. She realised she would have settled more quickly and achieved more if she had been more proactive at the beginning of her course.
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