Disability support

Once you register with us we will look at your individual requirements. Some examples of what we can help you with are:

• Tailored Individual Support Plans (ISPs) which outline recommended reasonable adjustments such as exam arrangements, extensions to library book loans, note-takers or campus mobility support, books and journals in alternative formats and the ability to request extensions to work if required. 
• Advice and information on arranging a diagnostic assessment for a specific learning difference. 
• Assistance in arranging DSA non-medical helpers (such as Assistive Technology Training, Specialist Study Skills Tutors and Specialist Mentors).
• Information on additional funding which you may be eligible to apply for, such as Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs) and help applying for such funds. 
• Access to a range of assistive technology and specialist software in the library and across all campuses.

The first step to accessing support is to register with the Disability & Mental Health Team. You have the opportunity to disclose your disability on your UCAS form which informs the University that you have a disability. This will trigger an email to you promoting our service and inviting you to register with us.

You can register with our service at any time; pre-enrolment, during enrolment or any time during your studies. You can register with us using the Student Hub or call us on 020 8231 2739 or email wellbeing@uwl.ac.uk.

If you have any questions about registering, you can book a Quick Query appointment via the Student Hub or the Student Services reception desk.

We encourage you to disclose your disability as early as possible so support can arranged in advance and to help you reach your full potential. 

We are a confidential service, which means that any information you tell us is not passed on without your consent.

When you register with us you will be asked to complete a registration form to confirm your level of consent to sharing any information with other staff involved in supporting you. You can choose full or restricted disclosure.

If I choose ‘full disclosure’ what does it mean?

If you choose full disclosure we will only disclose and exchange information on a “need to know” basis in order to make reasonable adjustments to support you. We define ‘need to know’ as sharing sufficient information in order for us to be able to enable support and reasonable adjustments effectively and with people who are involved in that process.

Examples of who we may share your information with may include (but is not limited to) academic staff, course leaders, examination staff, library staff, health & safety staff and professional & regulatory bodies.

We ask the people with whom we share your information to respect your confidentiality and to not pass your information on to anyone else unless they are also involved in your support.

We will never share information about you with your parent/guardian or with other students without your consent.
 

If I choose ‘restricted disclosure’ what does it mean?

You can choose to restrict disclosure to any party or individual outside of the student support team.

If you choose to do this, please be aware this may limit the advice and support that the team and the University can provide for you. You can discuss how restricted disclosure may affect your support with a Adviser. You can make changes to your disclosure arrangements at any time by contacting the team.

Exceptional circumstances

The team may need to share information without consent in the following exceptional circumstances only:

• a student is considered to be at risk of harming themselves or others
• if there is a legal requirement to do so
• if there is a potential ‘fitness to practice’ concern (for students on a professional course)

A decision to breach confidentiality in the circumstances set out above would be made by a designated Disability Adviser with their manager.
 

The library works very closely with the Wellbeing Service to provide a variety of support such as a book fetching scheme, personalised inductions, sourcing books and journals in alternative and accessible formats as well as hosting an Assistive Technology suite with specialist software such as Dragon (speech-to-text), Claro Read (text-to-speech) and Mind Manager (mind mapping software).

Please see our Library webpage for more information.

If you think you may have a specific learning difference get in touch or book a Quick Query via the Student Hub to speak with an Adviser. We may be able to offer you a screening and if necessary a diagnostic assessment with a specialist. We can also advise you on any additional funding which may be available to contribute towards the cost of this.

If you are a student with a disability in or about to enter higher education who is from the UK you may be eligible for Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSA). Students from the EU may be eligible for DSA if they have lived in the UK for the last 5 years or more. DSA may be available to full-time, part-time, undergraduate and postgraduate students.

DSAs are government grants designed to contribute towards any additional costs you may have whilst studying because of your disability, long term medical condition, specific learning difference or mental health difficulty. They are not means tested, and you do not generally have to pay them back.

DSAs can help fund:

• specialist equipment and assistive technology
• non-medical helpers, eg assistive technology training, specialist study skills tutoring, mentoring and interpreting support
• other general disability-related costs of studying, eg printing allowance
• extra travel costs because of your disability, eg taxi allowance

Find our more about DSAs.

To apply for a DSA you need to contact the funding body for where you currently live, eg Student Finance England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Student Awards Agency Scotland. 

Applications can be made both online or via a paper-based application. Please visit the relevant website for more information on DSAs and either complete an online application or download an application form.

• England: Student Finance England
• Wales: Student Finance Wales
• Northern Ireland: Student Finance Northern Ireland
• Scotland: Student Awards Agency Scotland

If you are a part-time student and/or are not applying for financial support from Student Finance then you will need to complete the full DSA form. This requires the University to complete “Section 5” of the application form. If you contact us in person or by emailing your DSA application to wellbeing@uwl.ac.uk we can complete Section 5 for you. 

The whole DSA application process can take up to 14 weeks, therefore we advise you to apply as early as possible so that support is in place for the start of your course. We can advise and guide you through any points of the DSA application process.

Once you have been assessed as eligible to receive DSAs, you will need to arrange a DSA Needs Assessment. This is an independent informal meeting with a DSA Needs Assessor to decide what support you may need, due to the impact of your disability on your ability to study. The Needs Assessor will make recommendations on support and strategies available with DSA funding to help you study. This could be specialist assistive technology, non-medical help support or other study related costs you may have because of your disability. It is not an assessment of your disability. The Needs Assessment won’t cost you anything and will be funded by your relevant student finance provider. You will then finally receive a letter detailing exactly what support you are entitled to and how to order any equipment.

Once you apply and are notified that you are eligible for DSA’s, you will be invited to arrange a Needs Assessment. The University has a partnership with Star Assessments, so if you choose, you can have your assessment at the UWL Paragon campus. Visit the Star Assessment website to find out more and book an appointment. Appointments are offered either by telephone, video call or in person.

There are plenty of DSA Assessment centres throughout the UK, and you can choose to have your assessment at any of them to suit you. You can find out more by checking the booking instructions to on your DSA eligibility letter.

If you have any mental health difficulties during your time at UWL we are here to support you.

Our dedicated Mental Health Advisers and Welfare Advisers can help you with advice, information and support. 

We also provide a confidential university counselling service, which is free and accessible to all students. We also produce a range of health and wellbeing guides on the student portal and run a series of workshops throughout the academic year.

If you have a diagnosed mental health condition you can register with us and the Wellbeing Advisers can advise what support may be available through reasonable adjustments and whether you may be able to get Disabled Student Allowances (DSA). 

We also work with an Independent Advocacy service called Advent Advocacy who can provide you advocacy support if you are experiencing difficulties with a number of issues outside of University which is impacting on your mental health. 

If you don’t have a diagnosis, but think you may have a mental health condition, the team can provide support and advise you on how to get assessed.

Yes. If you need any adjustments to an admission test or interview because of your disability, you will need to provide us with evidence of your disability and adjustment request no later than a week before your admission test or interview. We will also require you to complete a registration form so that we have your consent to implement any relevant reasonable adjustments. 

Under GDPR legislation, we cannot share any information with a parent/guardian without the student's consent. If your child would like us to share information with you, we will require their written consent. Students can provide us with written consent either when they first register with our service or at any time during their studies.

We are able to discuss support available to students in general terms and answer any questions you may have. However, we encourage students to contact us themselves so we can talk to students directly about their individual support requirements.

There is a range of support available for exams at the University such as rest breaks, extra time, use of a computer or assistance of a reader or scribe. Contact us to discuss your requirements. The team will make recommendations for exam adjustments based on your individual needs.

You are encouraged to register with a local GP.  You can find your nearest GP surgery to your home address on the NHS website.
 

You can contact us by making an appointment via the Student Hub, phone 020 8231 2739 or email wellbeing@uwl.ac.uk.

The University is committed to making all our buildings, facilities and services accessible to all our students, staff and visitors. The University is working in partnership with AccessAble who provides advice and access guides for places and venues across the UK. Please visit the AccessAble website to view the Access Guides for the University of West London.

Yes. It’s good practise to review any current support you have to make sure it’s relevant to the new course you are studying and to ensure that support plans are communicated to the correct teams.

The University has a fantastic Study Support team that can provide support on a range of study skills topics and offer workshops and one-to-ones with a Study Support Adviser. The team can also offer support with English Language, Maths and IT skills, and writing support from the Royal Literary Fellows. There is also a Peer Mentoring Service to offer the opportunity to build your skills and confidence, either by receiving support from a Peer Mentor or volunteering to be one.

The Careers Service offers a range of advise and guidance services to all students at the University including CV advise or support with interview preparation. Careers Consultants can also offer drop-in support, workshops and one-to-one appointments. The Careers team also have a dedicated Careers Consultant with sole focus on supporting disabled students and can provide all the support above, as well as discussing disclosure to a potential employer or linking to specialist resources to support employment.

Yes. Apprentices can register with the Disability & Mental Health Team and get support like any other student at the University. Students on apprenticeship courses are not eligible to apply for Disabled Student Allowances (DSA). However, funding for support may be available from the ESFA for the study requirements of the course – your individual needs will be assessed by a Disability Adviser. You may also be entitled to apply for Access to Work funding for the employment part of your apprenticeship.