Information and advice for students with disabilities

If you have a disability or specific learning difficulty, you are strongly encouraged to make early direct contact with individual institutions before submitting your application.

Under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), universities and colleges must not discriminate against disabled students in areas such as admissions and the provision of student services. The DDA requires them to make 'reasonable adjustments' to their services so that disabled students are not placed at a 'substantial disadvantage'. In addition, all higher education institutions should now have a Disability Equality Scheme, setting out how they intend to improve disability equality across their institution.

Most universities and colleges have disability coordinators or advisers. You can look up their contact details on the Skill: National Bureau for Students with Disabilities website at www.skill.org.uk/into_hefe/into_he.asp.

The disability coordinator can tell you what support is available and help set up an information visit. This is an opportunity to talk to staff about any adaptations that may be needed. You might also want to talk to the head of department or other academic staff for specific course information.

If you visit a college or university, it might be helpful to take with you a checklist of questions to ask members of staff and students. What you ask will obviously depend upon the nature of your disability, but the following are examples of questions you might include.

  • Are all the buildings I need to use physically accessible?
  • Are there any particular facilities for disabled students?
  • Are there any current students with a similar impairment?
  • What support do they receive?
  • Who will help organise my support?
  • Can you help me apply for additional funding if needed?
  • Are the methods of teaching and assessment appropriate to my needs?
  • What would happen if I started the course and experienced a problem?

Telling the institution about your disability in advance can also help them to prepare and arrange support in time for the start of your course. If you are unsure what to tell your potential universities and colleges, you may find it helpful to read the Disclosing your disability booklet on the Skill: National Bureau for Students with Disabilities website.

The university or college will not always pay for everything itself. Instead, you may be able to get funding through Disabled Students' Allowances.

Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA)

DSAs are designed to help with the costs that you incur, in attending your course, as a direct result of your disability or specific learning difficulty. They are available to full-time and part-time students with disabilities, although part-time students with disabilities must be studying at least 50% of a full-time course.

How much you get does not depend on your income or that of your household. Unlike student loans, this assistance does not have to be repaid.

Depending on your needs, extra support from the DSA could include:

  • specialist equipment, for example computer software, digital recorders, CCTV
  • a non-medical helper, such as a note-taker, specialist tutor or sign-language interpreter
  • extra travel costs you have to pay because of your disability
  • other costs, for example extra photocopying costs, Braille paper, ink cartridges.

It is important that you let your awarding authority, eg Student Finance England, local authority (LA) in Wales, Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) or local education and library board (ELB) in Northern Ireland know straight away if you have a disability and think you will need extra help or equipment on your course. In England you can request an application form for DSAs at the same time as making your online UCAS application.

DSA forms

DSA forms are available to download from the sites listed below.

England: www.studentfinanceengland.co.uk
Wales: www.studentfinancewales.co.uk
Scotland: www.saas.gov.uk
Northern Ireland: www.education-support.org.uk/

Further information

The NHS Student Grants website contains further information for students taking a course which is funded by the NHS and leads to professional registration.

You may find it useful to contact Skill: National Bureau for Students with Disabilities. Skill publishes booklets and information sheets about DSAs and applying for higher education. Their information service answers enquiries on higher education and disability. Phone them on 0800 328 5050 or email info@skill.org.uk. Please also visit the disabled students' section on the Direct gov website for specific information about funding.

Contact UCAS

If you need help or advice on your individual application, you should contact your careers adviser or call our Customer Service Unit on +44 (0)871 468 0 468, open Monday to Friday, 08:30-18:00 (UK time). UK BT landline calls will cost no more than 9p per minute. Calls from mobiles and other networks may vary.

If you have hearing difficulties, you can call the RNID Typetalk service on 18001 0871 468 0 468 from within the UK, or on +44 151 494 1260 (text phone) or +44 151 494 2022 (for those with impaired hearing) from outside the UK. Calls are charged at normal rates.