Accessing support
Find out whether you're eligible for support, how you can access our support, and how we might be able to help. If you're at all unsure, please get in touch - we want to help you succeed.
Am I eligible?
We can arrange academic support and adjustments for disabled students, including those who are neurodiverse. This may include students who:
- are blind or visually impaired
- are deaf or hearing impaired
- have a long-standing illness or health condition such as diabetes or chronic fatigue
- have a mental health condition
- are autistic
- have a specific learning difficulty (SpLD) such as dyslexia, dyspraxia or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- have physical/mobility difficulties
How do I access support?
In order to access Disability Services support, you will need to email evidence to us or complete our Disability Services Registration Form, providing supporting evidence when prompted by the questions. (Please note, that the registration form is for current UoY students only and not for applicants/offer holders. If you have already emailed the service, you do not need to complete the registration form).
Once we have received your evidence, a Disability, SpLD Practitioner, or a Student Wellbeing Officer will be in contact to complete a Student Support Plan.
If you do not contact our team and send appropriate evidence, you will not have exam arrangements or other support put into place at the University. If you have already emailed the team your email will have been logged and a practitioner will be in contact with you shortly.
Gathering evidence
You might find it helpful to check the evidence you have with the evidence requirements list which outlines what types of evidence we will accept for various disabilities, long-term health conditions, and specific learning difficulties.
If you do not already have suitable evidence, the best way to gather correct evidence is to ask your doctor (General Practitioner or GP), Consultant, or other appropriate medical professional to complete our Disability Evidence Form.
If you're unsure about what evidence to provide, or how to get hold of the evidence that you need, you can either pop along to one of our drop-in sessions or you can email us disabilityservices@york.ac.uk.
What support is available?
Support is flexible and based on needs. You will need to discuss your case with one of our Disability Practitioners to determine reasonable adjustment for your course and explore what other support options may be available to you. For example, you might benefit from having a support worker in your lectures, help meeting deadlines, or examination adjustments.
You may also be eligible for Disabled Students' Allowances, which can contribute towards the cost of useful technologies and other aids to help with your studies.
If you have dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, Irlen syndrome, attention deficit disorder (ADD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), please go to our Specific Learning Difficulty page.
Who offers support?
A Disability Practitioner sets up academic-related support, creates a Student Support Plan and shares this with people who need to know in the academic department. Also negotiates reasonable adjustments because of disability-related needs with a student’s department and assists students in applying for Disabled Students' Allowance
Open Door provides professional support to students with psychological and mental health difficulties.
Supports students to discuss any concerns or struggles you may be experiencing while you are at University. Provides support, information and guidance and can help you navigate the support available on and off campus.
Funded by Disabled Students Allowance, and sometimes Disability Services for International Students, help students plan realistically what is possible in terms of study and to set goals that can be achieved each week.
Funded by Disabled Students Allowance, and sometimes Disability Services for International Students, help students develop study skills strategies.
This member of academic staff is the point of liaison between the academic department and Disability Practitioners. They are a contact point in the department for disabled students.
Staff can offer practical support throughout a student’s studies such as help with student finance, bursaries, accommodation.