Welcome guide for disabled students

Welcome to UoG! This guide provides the key resources available to ensure your transition to University of Gloucestershire is as smooth as possible.

Joining university is an exciting experience, but it can also feel overwhelming until you find your feet and settle into your new student life.

It is completely natural to feel this way as you transition from one part of your life to another, so we have created this resource to help you know what to expect at University of Gloucestershire. Here you will find further information on the following topics:

University vs school/college

University is very different to school and college, so it is important to read this document as part of your preparation for starting your degree course. University will provide you with greater control over your learning and you will be expected to engage in much more self-directed study and research.

This can feel quite daunting for some students as they may struggle to understand how to begin self-directed study but this is something that your course tutors are there to help with. It is important to remember that self-directed study is something that will take time to develop.

When you join university, you will be seen and treated as an independent adult. This means that you are responsible for your actions and behaviour. At enrolment, you will be required to sign various documents and confirm that you adhere to the Student Code of Conduct.

Self-directed study

Although there is a level of expectation surrounding attendance and submission of work, lecturers will not be calling to find out where you are if you are absent for a lecture and will also not be chasing you up to submit your work on time. 


It is an expectation that you are able to manage these two areas yourself and keep track of when your lectures are and when your work is due. This can be quite challenging for some students but do not worry, we can assist with some strategies for this.

Once you have developed friendships with other students on your course this can help to serve as support and a reminder of where and when you should be in lectures and when work is due.

In addition to this, there will not be any bells or alarms during the day to remind you of when the next lecture is about to begin or when your lunch break is. We can work with you to create a resource that may help with time management, such as a visual timetable, for example.

Pace of learning

The pace of learning can be very different from school or college. It is unlikely that you will have lectures and seminars every day, which means that your contact time is likely
to be much less than in school or college.

This means that you will be covering a lot of material in class and moving through the material at quite a fast pace. It is important to remember that you can still access your tutors when they are not teaching you. They will have office hours where you can book a time to catch up with them and discuss any queries you may have regarding course content, assessments, etc.

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Support for disability, learning needs, or mental health

If you have disclosed a disability, long-term medical condition, specific learning need, or mental health condition we will be able to look at reasonable adjustments and create a plan for you and advise on other areas of support that you may be able to access.

You may have previously been in receipt of an EHCP (Education Health Care Plan) in your previous studies at school or college. An EHCP is provided by the local authority and outlines areas of support that the educational establishment must put in place for the student. When you leave school or college, an EHCP will cease even if you have not reached your 25th birthday.

When you move into Higher Education (university) you will be able to apply for something called DSA (Disabled Students’ Allowance). This is not a replacement for an EHCP but it is in effect, the Higher Education equivalent. However, there are quite noticeable differences. DSA can be applied for by you and does not entail an application process that is as rigorous as an EHCP application.

To apply for DSA you will need to submit some medical evidence of your need which can be in the form of a diagnostic assessment report, GP, or consultant’s letter which clearly states a diagnosis and the impact this has on you.

The Disability Support Team are currently able to assist with assessing for Specific Learning Difficulties, such as dyslexia and dyspraxia. In some cases, students are eligible for a bursary to cover some of the cost of this. If this is something that you feel would be of benefit to you, you will need to book an appointment to speak with a Disability Adviser when you begin your studies.

The changes in support can feel unsettling for some students who have become used to the support they are provided in school or college. Please don’t hesitate to contact us at any point if you have any questions, concerns, or worries and we will do our
best to reassure you.

Feeling unprepared

Due to the significant differences when you come to university, you may feel anxious about how you will manage your independence, the expectations from the course, assignment structure, workload, or competencies such as writing or study skills.

It is important to remember that everyone is different and will experience the transition to university in different ways. There is no right or wrong way and there may be a few students who will feel overwhelmed by a new situation.

If you are one of these students then remember that you are in control of your university experience, don’t be afraid to reach out for help and support. You can speak with your Personal Tutor, Course Leader, Student Centre or the Disability Support Team. There will always be someone who is happy to help.

A good tip to help if you are feeling overwhelmed is to make a list of any unanswered questions that you feel may be holding you back.

Exams

The majority of courses at the university do not have exams, however for those that do, almost all exams are held online and are often able to be taken where you live using your own computer or laptop.

To ensure that you have exam adjustments in place, you will need to meet with a Disability Adviser to register with the service and provide supporting documentation of your disability or medical condition. We can also accept a ‘Form 8’ as supporting documentation of previous exam adjustments you may have had.

Personal Care Support

The university cannot provide personal care support. If you have received this support in your previous education, you will need to speak with your Local Authority and/or Social Services Department to find out about this transferring over to assist you at University of Gloucestershire. Find local authority adult social care services.

Involving parents, carers, 
guardians, or other supporters

As you will be an adult when you start university, we will be unable to discuss you or your support with your family or friends due to data protection (UK-GDPR). You will need to arrange your own support although you can ask people to assist you with completing forms and accessing processes if needed.

If you would like a family member, guardian, carer, or other supporter to be able to attend meetings with you or to be able to speak on your behalf then you will need to provide written consent for this to happen. You can do this when you register with the Disability Support Team.

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Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA)

DSA is a government resource for students with disabilities, long-term medical conditions, specific learning needs, or mental health conditions which normally comes in the form of funded support.

The funding is paid directly to the suppliers for the support. It can finance assistive software, (for example, voice-to-text software) and human support in the form of Specialist Study Skills or Mentoring. There is no cost to the student, so definitely worth considering.

Please visit the DSA website for more information, including information on how to apply. DSA support is split into different areas:

1. Equipment & Software eg screen readers, ergonomic equipment  
2. People (known as Non-Medical Helpers (NMH) – eg study skills tutors or mentors 
3. General – this could be a printing allowance 
4. Travel allowance – eg taxi to and from university  

We would strongly encourage you to apply for DSA and access all the support this can offer. During the process, a large recommendations report is written and (if consent is given by you) shared with us. This is called a Needs Assessment Report. Within the report there is a recommendations section (D) for the university to consider, as not all support will be covered by DSA.

Applying for DSA

Applications should be made well in advance of your course starting as the full process can take several months. Applications must be made to your student funding body eg Student Finance England, Student Finance Wales etc.

There are two application forms – a SLIM form and a FULL form. All undergraduates (and PGCE students) who are accessing Student Finance (eg student finance tuition fee loan) should use the slim form or complete the application online. Once DSA has been agreed if you are an undergraduate student, you do not need to reapply (unless you change course or complete an additional year).

ALL postgraduate and part-time students have to complete the FULL form every year. There is a section (5) which requests information from the university. We would advise you to send the form off without this section completed. We will then be contacted by Student Finance for the required evidence.

On the FULL application, you have to add your passport details. If you don’t have a current passport, you must send in your original birth certificate and complete Birth/Adoption Certificate form (available on the Student Finance website). This can take time as the form has to be verified eg by a doctor, solicitor etc.

Evidence required

You will not automatically get DSA – you will need to provide at least one form of evidence. The different types of evidence are listed here:

Disabilities or long term health condition and mental health conditions: A copy of a report or letter from your doctor or consultant. Or you can ask them to fill in the DSA Disability Evidence form.

Specific learning difficulty
such as dyslexia: A copy of a ‘diagnostic assessment’ from practitioner psychologist or suitably qualified specialist teacher.

The application outcome 

Student Finance will email you with the outcome of your application. This will be sent to the email address for which you are registered with Student Finance. Attached will be a letter, called a DSA1 and if the application has been accepted, this will advise that you should now attend a Needs Assessment.

If the application has not been accepted it will state the reasons why. The letter should also be accessible on your Student Finance online account under ‘Correspondence.’

DSA needs assessment  

Once your application has been approved you will be advised by Student Finance how you can book your needs assessment. Student Finance pays the assessment centre directly meaning you do not have to pay any costs.

After the meeting, the Needs Assessment Report will be written up within 14 days and then sent to you, us as the university and your funding body for approval.

The DSA confirmation letter (DSA2)  

Student Finance will send out a letter to
you via email, copying us and the assessment centre in about 10-14 days after the Needs Assessment Report was sent. The letter will detail what support has
been agreed and how it can be arranged. 

The support will be split into different sections – specialist equipment allowance, non-medical helper’s support, general allowance and travel allowance
(if applicable).

Diagnostic Assessment

A diagnostic assessment refers to an assessment which is usually carried out to determine a diagnosis of a specific learning difficulty such as Dyslexia. These are
completed by fully qualified registered
assessors.

Depending on what the assessment is for it can take a couple of hours to complete but at the end of the assessment, you will be advised as to whether a diagnosis has been made and will be provided with a report confirming the diagnosis and advising of recommendations for support.

Diagnostic assessments for specific learning difficulties are something that we can help students with at the University. Once enrolled, if you would like to find out more information then you should speak with a Disability Adviser.

Supporting documentation

To obtain adjustments via the university all students requiring support need to provide supporting documentation such as a GP letter, Diagnostic Assessment report or a Form 8.

If you are struggling to get hold of any documentation you can download a medical evidence request form from the DSA website that you can then ask your GP to complete.

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Accommodation transition – disabled students

Moving away from home can be an overwhelming time for any student. To make this transition easier for you, we have provided some guidance below to ensure you get the right accommodation
for you. You can live in university accommodation throughout your years at University of Gloucestershire if needed.

Things you may wish to consider:

• Do you wish to live in halls or the private sector?
• Is your accommodation on campus?
• Do you need a disabled access room?
• Do you have any additional requirements?

Find out more about accommodation.

Halls of residence

There are lots of different types of halls rooms available and it is worth checking them out to see which best suits your needs. There are some rooms which are more suited for students with particular needs which include:

Pittville studios – These are not classed as disabled access; however, a lot of students find these studios useful for their needs.

Disabled access rooms – There are several rooms across the different campuses. The rooms are larger, have walk-in wet rooms and accessible shared kitchen units.

Find out more about halls of residence.

Applying for accommodation

Applications normally open in late
January prior to September arrival. For students on January courses, applications normally open in November.

You will need a Conditional or Unconditional Firm Offer with the University to complete the halls of
residence application process.

Accommodation work in order of receipt of application, however medical conditions are given preferential consideration where possible. Find out more about applying for halls of residence.

When applying please ensure you state any specific requirements you have. Please also email [email protected] and include [email protected] with your medical evidence so we have a record of your requirements.

To be safe in halls you must be able to self-evacuate in an emergency. If you are unable to do this you will need to have a full-time carer living on site with you.

It is vital you let us know about any requirements at the time of application so that we can do our best to support you.

These include adjustments such as:

• Flashing alarm
• Ground floor
• Amount of physical space needed
• Desk space/chair provided
• Allocating a specific room, type of room, or building

Residential Support team

The Residential Support team provide pastoral care for residential students living in halls. The team consists of full-time Residential Support Advisers, and Halls Reps who are returning student volunteers recruited by the University to support other students in halls.

The Residential Support team are on hand to assist you with a variety of issues that may arise while living in halls of residence, including welfare and maintenance issues. The halls are also supported by 24/7 security, cleaning and maintenance teams who aim to make your stay as productive and enjoyable as possible.

Private sector accommodation

Some students feel they would like to live in private accommodation but worry about whether their requirements would be met.

Landlords must ensure that there is no discrimination in the provision and letting of accommodation and that all tenants are treated respectfully and fairly.

We have a student housing platform, Student Pad. You can view university-approved private housing on Student Pad from across Cheltenham and Gloucester, and contact landlords directly via email, phone and SMS.

You will need to be a current student or applicant at University of Gloucestershire to register an account on Student Pad. If you find a property that is suitable for your needs, we have a dedicated housing team that would be happy to support you in liaising with landlords to discuss your requirements.

If you would like further advice on living in the private sector please email [email protected]

Find out more about university-approved private housing.

Top tips

Have a look at the accommodation tours online to familiarise yourself with the accommodation.

Attend an open day. If you require assistance to attend open days please let the recruitment team know when you confirm your attendance.

If you are worried about moving to halls, talk to your Residential Support Adviser or join the Facebook groups given to you by the Accommodation team to get to know your flatmates.

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Checklist for accessing support

• Ensure you have researched your chosen universities to find out about their disability support.
• Share information about your disability when you apply. You can do this by disclosing it on your UCAS application.
• Find copies of any diagnostic evidence or arrange to gather this supporting documentation.
• When prompted to do so, register with our service and provide copies of supporting documentation.
• If required, attend an appointment with a Disability Adviser.
• Speak with the accommodation team with regards to any disability related accommodation requirements – ensure that you also include this information on your accommodation application.
• Complete Disabled Students’ Allowance application when you apply for general student finance.
• Attend DSA Study Needs Assessment when told to by your funding body.
• Once you have received your DSA2 (Final DSA entitlement letter) contact the listed suppliers to arrange your support.

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