If you have a disability, long-term health or mental-health condition, neurodivergent condition or specific learning difficulty (SpLD), you may be able to access adjustments to support your studies. Many adjustments are available via a self-service process to our disabled students, while others are accessed through contact with the Disability Service.

The University’s approach to supporting disabled students is detailed in our Reasonable adjustments procedure for learning, teaching and assessment. The Procedure contains details of our Reasonable Adjustment Framework.

Anticipatory adjustments

Anticipatory adjustments are available to all disabled students and do not require a formal diagnosis or supporting documentation. The University has an agreed standard set of anticipatory adjustments, which include:

• providing all digital materials and multimedia content in an accessible format
• making key teaching and learning materials available no later than 24 hours in advance of a session
• providing recordings of live sessions where appropriate, or alternative materials to allow students to catch up or review taught content
• an inclusive approach to group work and oral assessment

These adjustments benefit all students and support students with disabilities, long-term health conditions, neurodivergent conditions and specific learning differences without the need for a formal diagnosis or supporting documentation.

Individual adjustments

Where students require further individual adjustments, these are typically accessed via our Disability Service who will meet with you to discuss your individual circumstances and adjustment needs. Individual adjustments are considered on a case-by-case basis, taking account of your circumstances and the academic or professional requirements of your course. Previous support or adjustments may help to inform this discussion, but adjustments are not automatically implemented and require consideration by the Disability Service.

Most individual adjustments will require consideration of the impact of your disability, long-term health condition and/or specific learning difficulty through supporting documentation. This is due to the nature of the adjustment, and the context within which it would be deemed reasonable.

Supporting documentation

We can consider a wide range of supporting documentation, and students will most frequently provide one of the below:

• confirmation of a diagnosis from a medical or healthcare professional
• evidence that you are currently being assessed or investigated for a condition that is anticipated to have a long-term impact. This could be a screenshot from your NHS App
• a diagnostic assessment report (for example, for ADHD, autism or an SpLD)
• a referral for diagnostic assessment for ADHD or Autism
• a Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) Needs Assessment report

If you have previously received examination arrangements at school or college, we may be able to consider evidence of these arrangements to make adjustments to your examinations at university. This could be:

• a Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) Form 8 (for SpLDs) or Form 9 (for other disabilities, including sensory and medical conditions)
• a letter or email from school or college, detailing your previous examination arrangement

In some cases, access to specific individual adjustments will not require you to provide supporting documentation. Additionally, where an urgent adjustment need is identified we may be able to make interim individual adjustments ahead of consideration of supporting documentation.