Accessibility and disability support

Disability Services can provide support, advice and guidance for those with a diagnosed disability, including specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, dyspraxia and ADHD, autism, visual and hearing impairment, physical disabilities, medical conditions and mental health difficulties, amongst others. All students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the service to discuss your individual needs and to recommend academic adjustments in a Student Support Plan (SSP).

If you had individual exam arrangements at school, college or a previous university, you will need to contact Disability Services to set up a student support plan. You must complete the Disability Services registration form and provide supporting documentation to be considered for adjustments in your exams.

Please let the department know as soon as possible if you have a disability and may require support. You can discuss this with your supervisor.

You may also require individual arrangements for formal examinations. See the information provided on formal examinations in the Assessment, progression and award section for further information.

What evidence do I need?

If you need academic adjustments or extra support because of your disability or long term health condition, you will need to provide medical evidence. In most cases this is a letter from your doctor (General Practitioner), or other appropriate healthcare professional.

The medical evidence must include:

• • • details of the diagnosis and the way in which it is likely to have a profound effect on your ability to study at University

    • confirmation that your condition has lasted, or is likely to last, twelve months or more

    • information about any treatment you are receiving.

If you have a diagnosis of a Specific Learning Difficulty you will need to provide evidence of this (such as an Educational Psychologists report) before reasonable adjustments and individual arrangements for formal examinations can be arranged.

It is essential that you contact Disability Services as soon as possible to arrange for a Student Support Plan to put in place as this enables reasonable academic adjustments to be organised. Please note that at least 6 weeks is required for adjustments to be put in place.

Support is flexible and based on needs. You will need to discuss your case with one of the Disability Advisers to determine reasonable academic adjustments for your course and explore what other support options may be available to you.

Your Student Support Plan will be shared with your Personal Supervisor and Academic Assessor to enable them to offer support and opportunities to review whether your learning needs are being met and that you are accessing and receiving appropriate support to meet those learning needs.

As you are enrolled on a professional programme, you are required to complete an annual self-declaration, disclosing any change in health (including disability) and character status. As this is a requirement of the professional regulator (NMC), please ensure that you declare your health or disability as part of this process. 

Within the Department, there is also a Departmental Disability Team whose role is to act as a point of contact for students and staff within the Department. The Departmental Disability Team can be contacted by email on dohs-academicsupport@york.ac.uk

If you do not have a diagnosis or evidence of your condition:

If you suspect that you have a long-term health condition, disability or SpLD that has an impact on your ability to study, it is essential that you contact the Departmental Disability Team as soon as possible, as they can offer support and guidance regarding how you can begin the process of clarifying this. The Departmental Disability Team can be contacted via email on dohs-academicsupport@york.ac.uk 

If you wish to seek clarification of this, we would recommend that you are assessed for this. Disability Services are able to signpost to local organisations that provide independent educational assessments. There is a cost to the educational assessment, but as an Apprentice learner, you will not be required to pay for this. You will be asked to make contact with the local organisation yourself to arrange a suitable date and time to undertake the educational assessment. 

Upon receipt of a diagnosis of a disability or SpLD, you are encouraged to contact Disability Services to discuss the development of a Student Support Plan, as this enables reasonable academic adjustments to be organised and put in place. 

Your Student Support Plan will be shared with your Personal Supervisor and Academic Assessor to enable them to offer support and opportunities to review whether your learning needs are being met and that you are accessing and receiving appropriate support to meet those learning needs. As you are enrolled on a professional programme, you are required to complete an annual self-declaration, disclosing any change in health (including disability) and character status. As this is a requirement of the professional regulator (NMC), please ensure that you declare your health or disability as part of this process.

If you have a Student Support Plan but may require additional learning support:

For those learners on Apprenticeship programmes, learning support funding is available meet the costs of putting in place a reasonable adjustment for Apprentices with a SpLD, long-term health condition or disability, where this affects your ability to continue and complete your apprenticeship. This includes costs associated with meeting any identified needs in endpoint assessment.

There are occasions when learners may have additional or complex learning needs that lay outside of the remit for the Student Support Plan. This may include the need for specialist equipment (e.g. a laptop or assistive technology and software and other aids to help with your studies), non-medical helpers (e.g. Specialist mentoring support or Specialist Study skills support), or other disability related costs (e.g. printing).

If you suspect this is the case, please discuss this with your Disability Advisor or contact the Departmental Disability Team as soon as possible to discuss this, as you may be eligible to apply for learner support funding and will need to have a Study Needs Assessment. The Study Needs Assessment is undertaken by an external organisation and there is a cost to this assessment, but as an Apprentice learner, you will not be required to pay for this. The Departmental Disability Team will offer guidance regarding the application, assessment and funding process.

For any equipment that has been agreed to be loaned to you as a learner, this must be returned in the same condition as when it was received, when your apprenticeship programme completes, or if you leave before completing your learning. Failure to comply can prevent progression to completion, professional body registration (where applicable) and award of the degree and apprenticeship.

Within our Department, the Departmental Disability Team acts as a point of contact for students and staff within the department. The Departmental Disability Team can be contacted by email on dohs-academicsupport@york.ac.uk