Disability Support

If you have a physical, sensory, learning or mental health difficulty or disability, you may find it impacts on your ability to study or is exacerbated by studying.  

You may not think of yourself as disabled, but when studying in higher education, your condition is likely to be considered a disability and may be eligible for additional support. But do not worry, we have extensive experience in supporting disabled students, and we can help you access this support to enable you to reach your full potential.  

Eligible conditions include a sensory or mobility impairment, an ongoing long-term/progressive medical condition such as epilepsy or chronic fatigue syndrome; a mental-health condition such as depression, anxiety or borderline personality disorder; Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC), or a specific learning difficulty, such as dyslexia. If you are not sure you have a learning difficulty, you can use this guide to help.  

Universal offer for all students 

All students benefit from South Devon University Centre’s universal offer, but this may be particularly useful for students with difficulties or disabilities, which includes: 

  • Lesson resources being available on Moodle and/or MS Teams at least 48 hours prior to the lesson 
  • A varied range of assessments across your programme of study to allow students to shine in a range of tasks. Please note, courses regulated by professional bodies have less flexibility to develop their assessment tasks 
  • Inclusive assessments, where possible, that give all students the time and space to plan, research and prepare their assessments 
  • Recording of taught lessons, where practicable, with an audio transcription and the ability to turn on captions 
  • A range of online tools to help you develop your academic skills and assessment submissions
  • Access to one-to-one study skills support from the HE Study team, in the South Devon University Centre Student Support Hub. 

Additional individual support for your disability

How your additional individual support is organised will depend on the course you are studying and how it is being funded. If in doubt, contact [email protected] and they will be able to support you. Our team will guide and assist you from the initial enquiry, inform and liaise with external providers on your behalf, and signpost you to additional resources and services where required. 

Please choose from the options below.

You are studying a degree and eligible for funding by Student Finance England (SFE)

If you are a student, who is eligible for funding by Student Finance England (SFE), whether you receive it or not, you can apply for Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA). This is best done via your student finance account. Please be aware that the DSA process can take several weeks so we strongly encourage you to start it as soon as possible.

DISABILITY EVIDENCE 

You will need to provide evidence to SFE of your condition(s), which also explain how they affect you on a day-to-day basis. Examples of evidence could include: diagnostic assessment report, medical letter or report from a GP or medical consultant. 

NEEDS ASSESSMENT 

If eligible you you will be offered a needs assessment. The assessment will determine what the best support is that you need to aid you in your studies. 

ACCESSING THE SUPPORT 

DSA will tell you who to contact to receive your support. 

If you need any assistance or have any questions around the kind of support available, please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

 

You are studying as an apprentice

If you are an apprentice student, you can apply for Apprentice Additional Learning Support (ALS), which can provide the same level of support as Disabled Student Allowances. You apply for this via the HE Disability team.

DISABILITY EVIDENCE 

You need to provide evidence of your condition(s) to the HE Disability team, which also explains how they affect you on a day-to-day basis.

NEEDS ASSESSMENT 

If eligible, we book a needs assessment for you. The assessment will determine what the best support is that you need to aid you in your studies. 

ACCESSING THE SUPPORT 

The HE Disability team will book the support on your behalf. 

If you need any assistance or have any questions around the kind of support available, please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

 

You are applying for an Adult Learner Loan to pay for your course

In addition to the Universal Offer, if you have difficulty or disability additional support can be arranged on a case-by-case basis, please contact [email protected]   
 

 

 

Your course is paid for by yourself or your employer

If you or your employer is paying for your course, rather than taking out a loan, in accordance with our South Devon University Centre Course Fees Policy, there may be instances where a student with a disability may need to self-fund additional learning support if our Universal Offer cannot meet their needs https://www.ucsd.ac.uk/student-life/essential-information/consumer-rights-for-ucsd-students/

For more information, please contact [email protected]