Disability support
We have a dedicated team of friendly and experienced professionals ready to support you in achieving your academic and personal potential. They have wide-ranging expertise spanning dyslexia, ADHD, Autism, physical and sensory disabilities and long-term health conditions.
Dyslexia advice and support
Dyslexia, aka Specific Learning Difference (SpLD), affects how the brain processes information. Dyslexic learners have many strengths, but certain situations can be challenging and call for a little extra support.
Our dedicated team of friendly and experienced professionals can help you reach your academic and personal potential.
When you have the appropriate diagnostic report, confirming your dyslexia, and meet our evidence policy criteria, we can discuss what support you’ll have access to throughout your studies.
Frequently asked questions
Will the University accept the assessment my school did which says I’m dyslexic?
It's unlikely. Most school evidence is not suitable for Higher Education. Please check our evidence policy for information on the assessments we can and cannot accept.
Should I wait until I start University to get a dyslexia assessment?
If you are displaying symptoms of dyslexia, we encourage you to have an appropriate assessment before starting your studies and share the results with us. This will give us more time to prepare the support you need, ensuring it's available to you from day one.
Does the University pay for dyslexia assessments?
Unfortunately, we're unable to contribute towards the cost of dyslexia assessments for applicants or current students.
Where can I get an assessment done?
The most up-to-date information about where assessments can be completed is available on our Student Services website.
Where do I send my dyslexia report to register for support?
We can only accept documents submitted via our secure Disability and Health Portal.
Disability and long-term health conditions
We know that choosing to go to university may involve significant life changes for you. That's why we're committed to ensuring that disabled students receive all the support they need. This includes everyone with a physical, sensory or long-term health condition.
During the application process, our specialist advisors will work with you to arrange bespoke and holistic support in all aspects of your university life.
To help our support teams to plan and prepare for your arrival, we encourage you to share information with us via the appropriate UCAS disability code on your applications. This information is not used as part of your application. It simply allows us to reach out to you to discuss your support needs.
Before you begin your studies, here are some of the things we can do for you:
- Review your initial health details and the self-assessed support requirements you submitted to us via the Disability and Health portal.
- Meet with you to discuss your individual circumstances. You are welcome to bring a family member or friend along with you to this meeting.
- Provide advice on the Disabled Students Allowance (DSA), a targeted grant that can help you pay for extra study-related costs that you may incur. Prior to registering, we recommend you apply for DSA as soon as possible.
- Help you to secure suitable University accommodation to suit your health requirements.
- Arrange orientation support to help you familiarise yourself with the campus.
- Advise on the diagnostic evidence you will need to supply in order to access support.
Long term health conditions
We’ve found that students with a long-term health condition – like cancer, Crohn’s disease, chronic back pain, chronic fatigue syndrome, diabetes, epilepsy or RSI – don’t always consider their diagnosis as a disability.
This means they can miss out on all kinds of support. For example, they may be entitled to extra time or to use a computer in their exams.
If your condition impacts your day-to-day life and has lasted for – or is likely to last for more than – 12 months, you are eligible for support from our professional disability teams.
A DSA assessor or one of the University’s Disability Advisors will take you through an assessment to understand your specific needs. Depending on the results, we can offer you different types of support during your studies, including:
- Providing advice on applying for and accessing your DSA.
- Liaising with your academic department to discuss reasonable adjustments to course delivery and assessment methods that will better suit your individual needs.
- Arranging for extended library loans.
- Delivering awareness training to your academic department.
- Providing mentoring or study support skills.
- Enabling access to assistive software on the University’s IT system.
- Adapting your physical environment or source additional equipment to meet your needs.
Visual impairment
A DSA assessor or one of the University’s Disability Advisors will take you through an assessment to understand your specific needs. Depending on the results, we can offer you different types of support during your studies, including:
- Orientation support around the campus.
- One-to-one library induction.
- Advice on applying for and accessing your DSA.
- Materials in accessible formats, eg large print.
- Liaising with your academic department to discuss reasonable adjustments to course delivery and assessment methods better suited your needs.
- Delivering awareness training to your academic department.
- Providing mentoring or study support skills.
- Enabling access to some assistive software on the University IT system.
- Adapting your physical environment or source additional equipment to meet your needs.
Deaf and hard of heading
A DSA assessor or one of the University’s Disability Advisors will take you through an assessment to understand your specific needs. Depending on the results, we can offer you different types of support during your studies, including:
- Examination and assessment adjustments.
- Providing advice on applying for and accessing your DSA.
- Access to Deaf Alerter and Deafguard fire protection systems.
- Arranging for communications support eg British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters.
- Access to a disability advisor fluent in BSL.
- Liaising with your academic department to discuss reasonable adjustments to course delivery and assessment methods better suited your needs.
- Delivering awareness training to your academic department.
- Providing mentoring or study support skills.
- Enabling access to some assistive software on the University IT system.
Autistic Spectrum Conditions, such as Asperger’s Syndrome
A DSA assessor or one of the University’s Disability Advisors will take you through an assessment to understand your specific needs. Depending on the results, we can offer you different types of support during your studies, including:
- Examination and assessment adjustments.
- Invitations to ASC transition and social activities.
- Providing advice on applying for and accessing your DSA.
- Orientation support around our campus.
- Mentoring or study support skills.
- Liaising with your academic department to discuss reasonable adjustments to course delivery and assessment methods better suited your needs.
- Delivering awareness training to your academic department.
- Enabling access to some assistive software on the University IT system.
Physical disability, such as cerebral palsy
A DSA assessor or one of the University’s Disability Advisors will take you through an assessment to understand your specific needs. Depending on the results, we can offer you different types of support during your studies, including:
- Examination and assessment adjustments.
- Providing advice on applying for and accessing your DSA.
- Authorising campus parking permits.
- Orientation support around our campus.
- Adapting your physical environment or source additional equipment to meet your needs.
- Mentoring or study support skills.
- Liaising with your academic department to discuss reasonable adjustments to course delivery and assessment methods better suited your needs.
- Delivering awareness training to your academic department.
- Enabling access to some assistive software on the University IT system.
Mental health and wellbeing
Mental health is critically important, and something we are determined to protect.
We understand that certain conditions such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and eating disorders can have a negative impact on your studies and personal life.
You will have access to mental health support, from wellbeing advisors to professional counselling.
Trauma
We understand that coming to university may be the first time you’ve had the personal space to reflect on past experiences. It may also be the first time you feel safe enough to report violence or abuse.
It is important for you to know that we have a caring and dedicated Duty Assessment and Inclusion Team. They are on hand to provide comfort, support and refuge to every student in need.
If you have been subjected to any of the following, they will listen, talk you through your options and help to formulate a short-term support plan, regardless of when the incident occurred.
- Recent or historical sexual or domestic violence
- Feel at risk of honour-based violence
- Harassment
- Bullying or hate crime including racism and discrimination relating to LGBTQ+
We have an online reporting tool which allows you to securely report an incident. You can complete the reporting form for yourself, on behalf of another person or about something you have witnessed.
It doesn’t matter whether the incident occurred one week, one month or one year ago – you can still let us know via the reporting portal.
All submitted incidents are treated seriously.
Even if you are hesitant or worried about reporting an incident, perhaps feeling it is not serious, we strongly encourage you to report it because it may impact your wellbeing longer term.
By reporting incidents you help us to identify and address wider issues or concerns about what is happening on campus.