Frequently Asked Questions
Invitations to visit staff across the university to deliver an information session are welcomed. Please contact disabilityadvice@bath.ac.uk
- What happens when a student is referred to or self refers to Student Disability Advice?
The student will be asked to complete a contact form which includes a confidentiality
and data protection statement. They will initially meet with a disability
adviser to discuss their support entitlements or query. The adviser
will then discuss what their options are and support them through any process
necessary.
Our
service is confidential and we are only able to provide information to academic
departments with the student's consent. If a student gives permission for
us to share information with you, this could include:
A Disabled Student Support Summary.
An alternative arrangements for assessment and exams form.
Individual emails about support needs or circumstances to relevant staff.
We do encourage students to disclose any disability to their academic department
- I have a student, who needs alternative exam arrangements, what should I advise them?
The student needs to contact Student Disability Advice and make an appointment to speak to a disability adviser. The student will need to provide supporting evidence, such as medical evidence or an educational psychologists report for a specific learning difficulty before alternative exam arrangements can be implemented.
- I have a student who thinks they might have dyslexia. What shall I do?
Information about dyslexia including the screening process is available on our website here. We also have an online guide for departments supporting dyslexic students.
- A student has disclosed that they are a wheelchair user/ has a mobility difficulty on their UCAS form and I am concerned that they won’t be able to get to some lectures.
It is advisable to speak to the student directly to make sure you know what their needs are, not all students with a mobility difficulty will be a wheelchair user. Make sure that we are aware of the student so that we can alert timetabling of their requirements. Please also refer the student to Student Disability Advice so that we can look at their other support needs.
- Where can I get information about supporting a student with Aspergers Syndrome on my course?
Please refer to the guidance leaflet available on our web pages “Supporting students with Aspergers Syndrome and High Functioning Autism”. This will give you some general information; other similar guides are also available on our web pages. For further or more specific advice, please contact Student Disability Advice.
- One of my tutees is struggling with essay writing; can you provide them with support?
We provide support to disabled students. If a student feels that they may have a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia we can provide screening for this and advice about getting a diagnosis. Any support for students needs to be funded and we can advise students and staff about this process.
- What support is there for International/EU students?
International students can access advice and guidance as well as alternative exam arrangements where appropriate. Students should be referred to Student Disability Advice to discuss their options, as they are not eligible for UK Government support.
- Why have I been asked to provide a student with copies of over overheads, PowerPoints and handouts in advance of lectures?
This is a reasonable adjustment to make the teaching accessible. By providing students with these materials in advance you are enabling a student to annotate documents, to familiarise themselves with the teaching material so that for a example a slow reading speed does not inhibit their ability to follow a lectures or so that a student can access the materials on the computer using assistive software. These are some of the reasons you might be asked to provide these materials in advance.
- A student in our department needs to use some expensive software when in the computer labs and I’m not sure how we can pay for this. Who should pay for it?
As an academic department you have a responsibility to make reasonable adjustments to make your course accessible, if the software is essential to the student, e.g., a visually impaired student needs magnification software, then you will need to provide it.
If you are not able to afford the software then a bid can be made to the
Disabled Student Fund. For further information contact Student Disability
Advice.
- Where is Student Disability Advice?
We are located in the 4 West Student Services Centre.
- I have been sent a Disabled Student Support Summary for a student, what is it, and what should I do with it?
The information is based on expert evidence from a medical practitioner, Chartered Psychologist, external assessor from a registered Assessment Centre and where necessary recommendations have been made by a Disability Adviser. You have been sent a copy with the consent of the student as some of the recommendations detail support which the academic department are responsible for providing. Please also make sure that relevant staff within the department are also aware of the student’s support entitlements. If you have questions about support for specific students please contact Student Disability Advice
- I want to find out if one of the students I teach is using your service, can you tell me?
Student Disability Advice provides a confidential service to students, and will not be able to pass on any information regarding them without the student’s consent, unless we need to break confidentiality because of a concern about harm to themselves or others. However we do encourage students to give us consent to speak to academic departments and other services to arrange support.
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