Disabled student support

If you have a physical disability, sensory impairment, chronic medical condition or specific learning difficulty (e.g. dyslexia), which you feel may affect you ability to study effectively, you should contact the Disability Support Service as soon as possible.

• How is disability defined?
• The Disability Support Service
• Disclosure of disability
• What is the Disabled Students Allowance?
• Services and facilities
  • Initial screening and referral
  • Assessment of needs
  • Technical skills training
  • Memos to assessors
  • Loan of equipment
  • Specialist learning support
  • Group workshops
• Examinations and assessments

How is disability defined?

Disability can include a wide range of issues and conditions. Typically a disability would fall into one, or combination of, the following categories:

• Specific learning difficulty - e.g. dyslexia
• Visual impairment - partially sighted or blind
• Hearing loss - partial hearing or profoundly deaf
• Mobility difficulties - e.g. a wheelchair user
• Restricted use of upper limbs (inc. RSI)
• Mental health problems
• Condition that is not visible - e.g. epilepsy, sickle cell anaemia, HIV/AIDS
• Condition not listed above - e.g. a back injury

The above list should not be seen as exhaustive. If you feel that you do have a condition that is affecting your ability to study effectively, you should contact the University's Disability Support Service as soon as possible.

The Disability Support Service

The Disability Support Service provides advice and support to students with disabilities. It's services include (but are not restricted to):

• Advice on course-related study needs
• Undertaking assessments for students applying for the Disabled Students Allowance
• Arranging special provision during examinations (e.g. note-takers)
  
• Liaising with tutors and funding authorities

If you have any physical difficulty, long-term medical condition, sensory impairment or specific learning difficulty (e.g. dyslexia) and would like information about special educational provision, you should contact the Disability Support Service as soon as possible.

See: Provisions for students with disabilities and learning difficulties.

Alternatively, you can contact a member of Disability Support Service staff.

Bryan Jones
Disability Services Manager
Tel: (020) 8411 5367
Email: b.jones@mdx.ac.uk

Natalie Costa
Disability Support Officer
Tel: 020 8411 2514 
Email: n.costa@mdx.ac.uk

Confidentiality

The Disability Support Service operates under the strictest of confidentiality. Details relating to your situation will only be disclosed to other Middlesex staff with your express permission.

Provisions for students with disabilities and specific learning difficulties are also available from Middlesex Learning Resource Centres..

See: Learning Resources [weblink]

You may develop a disability or begin to suspect that you have a disability at any time after your studies have begun. You are encouraged to make your situation known at the earliest possible opportunity to ensure due provision is made.

Confidentiality will be respected and disclosure of relevant details will only be made with your permission.

What is the Disabled Students' Allowance?

The Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) is a grant, administered through Local Education Authorities (LEAs), which helps to fund the extra costs that students with disabilities may have to pay in order to fulfill course requirements.

If you are a student with a disability, including the specific learning difficulty dyslexia, on a full-time or part-time (at least 50% of a full-time course) higher education course, you can apply for the Disabled Students' Allowance through your LEA. An allowance is also available for certain postgraduate students.

For further information contact the Disability Support Service.

See: Disabled Students' Allowance [weblink]

Services and facilities

There are a comprehensive range of services and facilities aimed to support the efforts of students at the University. These include:

Students don't always know that they are dyslexic and often begin to suspect when they experience recurring problems with their academic work. If this happens, you should first consult with the English Language and Learning Support tutor at your base campus.

If the difficulties require further investigation, you will be referred for a screening. If the screening indicates that dyslexia or another specific learning difficulty is likely, you will be referred to the Disability Support Service for further assistance.

This may include a referral for a full Psychological Assessment, which serves as documentary evidence of a specific learning difficulty, both for special assessment arrangements and for applications for the Disabled Students' Allowance. If you apply for funding, you will also need to undergo an 'assesment of needs'.

The assessment is the meeting between you and an assessor - a person qualified by their experience and knowledge of the equipment and support that students with disabilities (including dyslexia) need to study successfully at university.

The Disablity Support Service is able to undertake assessments for students applying for the Disabled Students' Allowance studying at this or any other university in the UK.

Individual training in the use of equipment obtained through the Disabled Students Allowance.

If you wish, you can be provided with a personalised memo to tutors that will alert them to your situation and, where necessary, provide approprate advice to your course tutor.

Specialist learning support

Individual learning support sessions conducted by a tutor specially trained to provide dyslexic adults with a structured approach to a full range of academic tasks. Tutorials are available at all campuses, subject to availability.

Examinations and assessments

If you believe that you will require support when sitting your examinations, due to a disability, medical issue or injury you should contact the Disability Support Service, where your needs in respect of exams would be assessed. Posters will be displayed on each campus (by week four of the semester) detailing the date by which you should have made contact with the Disability Support Service for this provision. It may not be possible to provide the support you require should a request for additional facilties be submitted after the date specified.

Students who have a permanent disability and have previously received provision during examinations (and are happy with those provisions) do not need to have another assessment.

The following are examples of the facilities that can be available to students for whom they have been assessed as necessary and appropriate.

• extra time
• use of a quiet room
• appropriate seating
• use of a PC
• use of reader or questions placed on tape
• examination scripts on coloured paper
• use of reader or scribe, where necessary practice sessions to become familiar with necessary techniques. Please ask about them in advance if you want to know more.

If you wish to be considered for any of these facilities, please contact the Disability Support Officer, so that your needs can be reviewed and discussed. You will be asked to submit evidence of your condition which in the case of dyslexia should be a copy of your psychologist's report.

When you receive a notification form you must go to your campus student office to confirm the details. All students must confirm that the provisions made are as agreed.

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Please email Bryan Jones if you find information is out of date or insufficient.
© Middlesex University 2009.