Discussing & assessing your needs

Why disclose a disability?

Access to individual support

The University strongly encourages students to disclose their disabilities and to discuss their needs so that appropriate support can be arranged.

Beyond our responsibilities under the Equality Act (2010), we want to provide an inclusive and supportive environment, and to make reasonable adjustments to enable disabled people to study effectively, fulfil their academic potential, and get the most out of their overall student experience at Oxford.

The University makes anticipatory adjustments where possible (e.g. improving physical access to buildings and in course curriculum design), but we appreciate that individuals are different and you will need to let us know if further changes need to be considered.

Prevent delays later on

You can discuss your needs before starting your course at Oxford, or at any time during your studies with us.

We can usually arrange support quite quickly, but the earlier you contact us the more you are likely to benefit from the full range of support that is available.

What about confidentiality?

All students who register with the Disability Advisory Service will be asked to complete a registration form indicating what information about their disability they think we need in order to arrange appropriate support. Any information provided is regarded as ‘sensitive personal data’ and kept in accordance with the Data Protection Act (1998).

Students are also asked to state whether they give consent for us to liaise with relevant third parties. In order to make adjustments and support arrangements we may need to share details with certain college and department personnel so that key people involved in supporting you will have the information they need and may communicate with one another about your support arrangements. This is done on a need-to-know basis and in accordance with the University’s Confidentiality Policy.

However, we only share information with your permission and would respect any requests for confidentiality, unless there are serious imminent concerns about your own health and safety, or the health and safety of a third party.

A written record of your contact with the Disability Advisory Service and other relevant information will be kept securely and may be stored electronically in accordance with the Data Protection Act (1998). The information may also be used for statistical and monitoring purposes without your identity being revealed.

Will other students need to know?

It is up to you what you tell your peers about your disability. However, some students with unseen disabilities (such as epilepsy, Asperger syndrome, a hearing impairment, mental health difficulties or Crohn’s disease) have found it easier if their peer group are informed about specific issues by an appropriate member of staff.

Such information will never be passed on without your explicit permission. However, it can be communicated sensitively and with appropriate disability-awareness training if you feel that this will help you.

Assessing your support requirements

Complete the ‘DAS Registration Form’

This is available to download on the right side of this page and needs to be returned to us with supporting evidence of your disability. We may be unable to start the process of arranging support until we have received the disclosure form and evidence. Once we have received the form we will start liaising with your college and department (with your permission) to organise any support you require in relation to teaching, assessment, or any other aspect of University life.

You may wish to complete and return a 'Disability Study Support form' to help you to think about what types of support arrangements might be useful.

Provide evidence of your disability

A Doctors letter must specify:

What your disability is (including any diagnosis);
How long you have had the disability;
Any treatment or support you are currently in receipt of (or that is recommended);
If you are likely to require any alternative examination arrangements, your medical evidence should state what they should be (e.g. extra time, alternative seating, etc) and why it would be of benefit to you.

Students with a specific learning difficulty (SpLD)

The University Proctors require a diagnostic assessment report carried out by an educational psychologist or specialist teacher with a valid practising certificate. Your assessment must have been conducted after your sixteenth birthday and within three years (for undergraduates) or five years (for postgraduates) of the date that you are due to start your course at Oxford. It must also have been conducted on an individual basis – not as part of a group assessment – and have used adult tests, not tests designed for use with children. Students continuing directly from undergraduate to postgraduate study will not normally require a new diagnostic assessment but should contact the Disability Advisory Service for guidance on how to proceed.

Getting a new SpLD assessment:

If you think that you might have dyslexia, dyspraxia, or another SpLD but you have not been formally diagnosed or your report does not meet the criteria outlined above, you first need to ask a tutor who has seen your work to email the Disability Advisory Service outlining why they feel it would be appropriate for you to be assessed.

On receipt of a tutor referral, we can help you to arrange an assessment with one of the University’s approved chartered educational psychologists (EP). If it is not possible to get a tutor referral, please let us know so that we can help you explore other possible routes to an assessment. An EP report is required before you can apply for alternative examination arrangements or the Disabled Students' Allowances (DSA).

The university offers the Dyslexia SpLD Fund which can cover the full costs of the assessment (see ‘funding for your support’ for details of how to make an application to the fund). Waiting times vary throughout the year so it is best to arrange an appointment as soon as you think there is a need for one.

Apply for the Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA)

Once you have an offer of a place to study, you can apply for DSA from March of the year in which you intend to start your course, right up until a few months before you finish your studies. The Disability Advisory Service or your college/department disability contact can assist you with completing an application.

You should apply for DSA as soon as possible. Application forms can be downloaded from the DirectGov web pages

See section on 'funding your support' for more details about eligibility for the DSA (including what is available for non-UK and Research Council funded students), what is covered, and how to apply.

Getting a Study Needs Assessment (SNA)

On receipt of your DSA application, you will be required to have a study needs assessment at an accredited Assessment Centre. A list of centres is available from the National Network of Assessment Centres (NNAC) but an assessment can be arranged for you in the Oxford University Assessment Centre if you contact the Disability Advisory Service Assessment Centre Administrator.

The SNA is an opportunity to explore study aids strategies in detail and to determine whether you would benefit from technological support (including IT equipment, assistive software, audio recorders) and/or human support (note taker, dyslexia support tuition, personal reader, specialist mentoring, library support, etc).

The assessor will show you a range of technology and discuss with you how you study strategies to identify any difficulties you may have. They will then write a report making recommendations for study support and send a copy to you, to your funding body and, with your permission, to the University Disability Advisory Service. Your funding body should agree to pay for what has been recommended in the assessment report to help you to study (see section on ‘funding’ for more information).

On receipt of an SpLD diagnostic report or study needs assessment, the Disability Advisory Service will act on any recommendations and liaise with you, your college and department (with your permission) to implement any recommended support.