Sharing disability data

Where a mental or physical health condition or disability is not declared directly to us, but has been identified, we may also record this information in order to ensure reasonable adjustments can be made. 

In order to ensure we can meet these obligations, information relating to your disability will be shared on a need-to-know basis with those who are involved in identifying and putting in place reasonable adjustments. There are certain circumstances when we may need to share information with people in the University not included on the list below. This information will only be shared on a need-to-know basis in order for reasonable adjustments to be made and in accordance with Data Protection law.

Who do we share your data with?

The areas we may share data with are summarised below

• Staff within your academic subject area, including your personal superviser, Disability Contact/Rep, programme administrators and laboratory technicians (where applicable), to advise them of your support requirements; this information is held in a ‘Student Support Plan’ (SSP).
• Exams Team - if you have been recommended exam and assessment adjustments in your SSP so your adjustments can be uploaded to the student record system.
• IT Services - if you have been recommended assistive technology in your exams.
• Digital Accessibility Unit - if you have digital accessibility needs.
• University Accommodation and College staff – if you are staying in University accommodation and we identify a need that accommodation support may be required; only information relevant to accommodation will be shared.
• Estates and facilities staff - where we have identified a need that adjustments may be required to the campus estate or teaching and learning venues. 
• Open Door Practitioner and/or Student Well-being Officer – where you are being supported by both Disability Services and the wider Open Door Team, we may need to share necessary information between the two services to provide coordinated support
• Library staff – where you need support to use library facilities, we may share necessary information about your support needs with Library staff involved in delivering your support
• Other student support services such as the Student Hub - where you may benefit from wider support and advice on practical issues such as finance, benefits and academic progress issues in certain complex cases
• Support to Study - if there are concerns about a student's fitness to study, attend and fulfil academic progress requirements
• Careers Service - where you are seeking support with industrial placements, York Award, York Strengths and other short courses
• Campus Safety - if staff need to be informed of a medical condition that might require an emergency response
• Global Programmes - where you need academic adjustments whilst on a study year abroad.
• Student Administration and Academic Affairs - for statutory information purposes and data analysis.

Information sharing with external organisations:

Whilst we do not require your consent to enable us to arrange reasonable adjustments, we do require consent from you to liaise with external organisations for the purposes of arranging externally funded support.

For the purposes of assisting you with an application for Disabled Students’ Allowance, if you give permission, we will share your data with:

• Funding bodies (Student Finance England, Student Finance Wales, Scottish Awards Agency for Scotland, Student Finance Northern Ireland, NHS and research councils)
• Assessment centres – to arrange and provide assessment of needs

If you give permission to us sharing your information for purposes of providing support via third parties who are contracted to assist the University with this support (and it is appropriate for us to recommend this support), we may share your data with:

• Non-medical help providers – to provide tailored non-medical help support packages (eg note-takers, Library support assistants, readers, examination support, mentoring, study skills)

If you have been recommended and referred for interim non-medical help support (eg mentoring or study skills), whilst your DSA application is waiting for approval, the University will take steps to seek reimbursement of these costs from your DSA Funding Body once your DSA funding is approved.

For further information about how the University uses, stores and shares your data including disability information, please refer to:

• Privacy notice for applicants 
• Privacy notice for current students