DISABILITY ADVISORY SERVICE

Student Welfare & Support Services

GUIDE FOR STUDENTS

The Disability Advisory Service provides confidential information and advice to disabled students studying, or intending to study, at the University of Oxford.

The service works with students, their colleges and the University departments to meet students’ individual needs and make reasonable adjustments to enable them to participate fully in academic life.

We provide:

confidential advice on the support available at the University for disabled students;

diagnostic assessments for students who might have specific learning difficulties;

Study needs assessments for students applying for Disabled Students Allowances;

help organising exam arrangements; support with process of applying for Disabled

Students Allowances; support workers such as specialist SpLD

tutors, note takers and mentors.

Many students eligible for support through the Disability Advisory Service never think of themselves as disabled. However, students we work with, both at undergraduate and graduate level, include those with:

specific learning difficulties (SpLDs) such as dyslexia and dyspraxia;

Asperger syndrome / Autism Spectrum Disorders;

mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and eating disorders;

chronic health conditions such as diabetes, epilepsy and chronic fatigue syndrome;

sensory impairments; mobility impairments.

If you are unsure if you would be eligible, please contact us and we will be very happy to advise.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR SUPPORT?

THE DISABILITY ADVISORY SERVICE

Getting in touch

The team is available all year around on weekdays from 9am to 5pm.

Tel: 01865 280459

Email: disability@ admin.ox.ac.uk

Address: 3 Worcester Street, Oxford OX1 2BX

Website: www.ox.ac.uk/students/shw/das

WHAT SUPPORT IS AVAILABLE?

The collegiate structure of the University of Oxford means that the different parts of the University have responsibilities for making adjustments for disabled students.

For example, the colleges are responsible for adapting accommodation for students, whilst the departments will be involved if support in lectures is required.

The role of the Disability Advisory Service within this structure is to advise on the most appropriate support and adjustments and help to co-ordinate arrangements across the different parts of the university.

This might include:

Permission for students to record lectures;

Arranging for lecture handouts to be provided in advance;

Provision of extended loans for lending materials in the University libraries;

Examination adjustments such as extra time, rest breaks and the use of a computer

Study materials in alternative formats;

Adapted accommodation. “I cannot thank you enough for all your help over the past year. I just received my results and got a 2.1! I really could not have achieved this without your support.

You have been so friendly and do a really wonderful thing for students with difficulties such as myself”

FUNDING FOR SUPPORT

“ I have been awarded a degree

with distinction and the ... prize for best

dissertation. I want to thank you for all

help. The Kindle and Dragon (voice

recognition software) helped very much. I

was able to do an amazing amount of

work and edit my dissertation very fast

with Dragon so that really helped me”

The Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSA) pays for the extra costs of studying which a disabled UK student might face. It is not means tested, it is not repayable and you can apply at any time during your course.

The University also offers a comparable disability related study support fund for non-UK students who are not eligible for DSA.

Funded support is based on assessed, individual need, but could include:

EQUIPMENT

computer, printer and scanner assistive software furniture used for study purposes recording devices

NON-MEDICAL HELPERS

training in the use of assistive technology note takers specialist SpLD tuition mentoring support

GENERAL ALLOWANCES

Book, printing and photocopying costs internet connection fees additional travel costs additional costs of en-suite accommodation

FUNDING FOR SUPPORT

DSA amounts:

Undergraduates are eligible the following:

Up to £5161 towards specialist equipment

Up to £20,520 non-medical helper allowance

Up to £1,724 general allowance

Postgraduates are eligible for a single allowance of up to £10,260

DSA is administered by different funding bodies across the country; usually Student Finance England, the NHS or the Research Councils.

To apply you have to demonstrate you are eligible for support; a diagnostic report (for students with SpLDs) or medical letter is usually sufficient.

For links to application forms and guidance about the kind of diagnostic report required, please see the Disability Advisory Service website www.ox.ac.uk/students/shw/das.

Once eligibility to claim DSA has been confirmed, you will be asked to arrange a study needs assessment. This is not a test, but an opportunity to discuss your support requirements in more detail with a specialist assessor.

Based on this discussion, the assessor will recommend the support agreed to be the most appropriate in meeting your needs.

The assessment will take approximately two hours and will be carried out at an accredited DSA assessment centre such as the Oxford University Assessment Centre.

The registration form available from the Disability Advisory Service website is a useful outline of what practical support arrangements might be useful.

The website also provides a number of disabled students’ profiles offering useful advice on the support and adjustments they found beneficial during their studies here.

Information provided to the Disability Advisory Service is kept confidential to the service. It is only passed on to the rest of the University with your consent, and then only to ensure that the support and adjustments you have agreed to are put in place.

Please get in touch to discuss your individual circumstances, either by email, telephone or in person at our offices in Oxford.

The team is available all year around on weekdays from 9am to 5pm.

Tel: 01865 280459

Email: disability@admin.ox.ac.uk

Address: 3 Worcester Street, Oxford OX1 2BX

The University encourages applications from disabled students, so your disclosure will not affect your chances of gaining a place here.

FORMS AND INFORMATION

CONFIDENTIALITY

GETTING IN

TOUCH

CONTACT US

“Being a fresher is a particularly daunting experience for those

of us with a long term illness or disability. I

am lucky to have benefited from the

support of the Disability Advisory

Service. The service is first-class, always

positive and friendly, and without their help

I doubt I would have been able to reach my current stage.”

DISABILITY ADVISORY SERVICE Student Welfare and Support Services 3 Worcester Street, Oxford OX1 2BX