Accessing support
How to access support
Send your disability evidence to disability-evidence@york.ac.uk. Once we have received evidence a Disability or SpLD Practitioner, or a Student Wellbeing Officer will be in touch to complete a Student Support Plan. You can also send evidence by post (our address is on our Contact page).
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.
What evidence do I need?
If you need academic adjustments or extra support because of your disability, you will need to provide medical evidence.
In most cases this is a letter from your doctor (General Practitioner), or other appropriate health care professional.
The letter should include:
- information about your disability and/or medical condition, including a diagnosis and symptoms
- what treatment and/or support you are receiving
- the effect of the disability and/or medical condition on daily life
- confirmation your disability has lasted for 12 months or is going to last for 12 months or longer.
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.
Covid-19
At Disability Services we recognise that many of our students may be at higher risk of Coronavirus, for example students who have long term medical conditions. There are two levels of higher risk for people, clinically extremely vulnerable and moderate risk - clinically vulnerable. Definitions of each and categories can be checked on this webpage NHS Who's at higher risk from coronavirus. Guidance for people who are at increased risk is found at Guidance on shielding and protecting people who are clinically extremely vulnerable from COVID-19.
Please contact Disability Services if you would like your current Student Support Plan reviewing in terms of not being able to attend university because you are clinically extremely vulnerable, or you would like further support to be co-ordinated.