💡 Declaring ADHD, DSA and Adjustments with Disability Team
👋 Disability Team
The Disability Team has specialist staff who can provide information, advice and guidance on support and adjustments that can be put in place for students whose disclosed condition meets the Equality Act 2010 definition of disability.
Our Disability Advisers are experienced in supporting students with:
- ♿ Physical/mobility disability
- 👂 Sensory loss
- ❤️🩹 Unseen medical conditions & long-standing health issues
- 💙 Mental health difficulties
- 🧠 Autism, ADHD & other neurodivergent conditions
The Team can assist in the following areas:
- 📋 Assessing appropriate support for you to access your course of study
- 🏫 Informing Academic Schools & the Exams Office of your teaching and exam arrangements
- 📝 Arranging SpLD referrals to Educational Psychologists or Specialist Assessors
- 💷 Advising on Disabled Students’ Allowance (for eligible UK students)
- 🏠 Liaising with Student Accommodation to allocate a suitable room where possible
- 🔗 Liaising with other University services (e.g. library) & external agencies (e.g. healthcare providers, funding bodies)
📢 How to Declare a Disability
If you receive a diagnosis of ADHD or any other disability or long-term medical condition that impacts on your academic or student experience, you may wish to declare this to the University.
To do this:
- 💻 Update your personal details on the student record system e-Vision (under disability status) or contact the Disability Team to discuss pending ADHD assessment by filling out our enquiry form here.
- 📅 Make an appointment with a Disability Adviser (face-to-face, audio, or video via Microsoft Teams).
- 📄 Provide evidence of your disability from a GP or specialist consultant. If you have concerns about providing evidence, contact a Disability Adviser to discuss.
- 🏁 Once you have declared and provided evidence, teaching and exam arrangements can be put in place.
💡 Support plans are reviewed every academic session if needed — otherwise, they automatically roll over each year.
📧 For further advice talk to us here!
💷 Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) — UK Fee Students Only
With a formal diagnosis of ADHD (or other eligible conditions), you may be eligible for Disabled Students’ Allowance — UK Government funding for students who have a disability, SpLD, or long-term condition.
The purpose of DSA is to pay for additional support costs you may incur whilst studying. It is:
- 🚫 Not means tested
- 🕒 Available to full and part-time students
- 🏠 For students ordinarily resident in the UK
DSA can pay for:
- 💻 Specialist equipment (e.g. laptop, noise-cancelling headphones, second screen)
- 🧑🏫 Non-medical helpers (specialist study skills tutor, weekly pastoral mentor)
- 🛠 Software and technology to help with note-taking, proofreading or organisation
- 📄 Other disability-related study support (e.g. printing extra documents for proofreading)
📌 Sometimes, the provision within the University is enough to meet your support needs — in this case, applying for DSA may not be necessary.
📧 For more details on DSA, contact the Disability Team by talking to us here!. Someone will get back to you with advice on your eligibility and help with your application.