Information for Disabled and Dyslexic Students

If you have a disability, medical condition, or specific learning difficulty, we seek to ensure that your chances of academic success are not reduced because of it. We strongly encourage you to contact the Disability and Dyslexia Support Service (DDSS).

DDSS is a confidential and friendly service which offers a range of support, including:

Liaising with academic staff and central services about disabled students’ support needs
Helping students to apply for Disabled Students’ Allowances
Organising support workers, e.g. note takers, readers, library support, scribes, interpreters
Advising on specialist equipment and technology
Referring dyslexic students for study skills support, at the English Language Teaching Centre
Referring students who think that they might be dyslexic for diagnostic assessments with an Educational Psychologist
Putting students in contact with local and national external agencies who offer support and advice on specific issues
Formalising alternative arrangements for examinations and assessments, e.g. extra time in examinations; reasonable adjustments to assessment tasks; or alternative assessment formats. (These cannot be organised by the department without DDSS involvement.)

The deadline for referrals for alternative exam arrangements is 12 noon on the Friday of week 9 of teaching each semester. This is usually the final week in November in Semester One and the final week in April in Semester Two. The earlier you contact DDSS the more likely it is that we can put arrangements in place for the January exams. See www.sheffield.ac.uk/ssid/disability for more information.