Find out how to contact our Disability Support team to access support and talk about any adjustments you may require.

The Disability Support team are your main point of contact for any disability related queries throughout your studies. The team is responsible for recommending and coordinating your support or adjustments to help you succeed in your studies.

Under the Equality Act 2010, Universities have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for students who have shared information about a disability. This includes students who are neurodivergent, or who are awaiting an assessment. Adjustments can support you in fully accessing learning materials, assessments, university facilities, and services.

Some examples of adjustments are:

• Assessment adjustments (e.g. extra time, coursework extensions, alternative assessment formats etc.)
• Support with reading and research (e.g. access to alternative formats, assistive software.)
• Access to specialist equipment and assistive software (e.g. text to speech to assist with research and proofreading, mind mapping to assist with planning and organising your work, software to assist with note taking, etc.)
• Additional support from academic support tutors, or your lecturer as needed
• 1:1 Support (e.g. Mentoring, Study Skills tuition etc.)
• Funded support such as Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA)

If you haven’t done so already we would encourage you to contact the Disability team in order to talk about the support available to you and ensure any adjustments are made in time for you to begin your programme with us. Your Disability Adviser will also assist you in the process of applying for DSA, if you are eligible for this support, or advise you of the alternative support options available to you if not.

The Disability team is responsible for recommending and coordinating your support or adjustments, helping you to access any support or adjustments you may need in order to thrive on your course. Adjustments are tailored on an individual basis in conjunction with students, so it’s really important you communicate with us to let us know what you need.

It can take time to arrange and implement any support you may require so we would encourage you to contact us in good time so that we can ensure you have everything in place at the earliest possible opportunity.

If you decide not to contact the team prior to starting your programme you are still welcome to contact us at any point throughout your studies. It’s never too late to explore the support available to you.

SpLD/Non-Medical ADHD Assessments provided via the university

Neurodiversity encompasses all specific learning difficulties (SpLD) such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, and dyscalculia, many of which can co-occur or overlap with autism. At University of the Built Environment we work with an external partner to offer part funded SpLD/Non-Medical ADHD Assessments. Students are asked to contribute £150 towards their assessment, however there is financial support available if this is a barrier to access for any student.

To request a referral for an assessment, students are asked to complete an initial screener or contact a medical professional (for ADHD assessments only) before a referral is made. It can also be helpful to talk to a Disability Adviser about your individual learning profile before going ahead with an assessment.

Please contact the Disability team if you wish to explore this further.

Do you provide autism assessments at the University?

At present, we do not offer autism assessments via the University. For students exploring an identification of autism, we recommend having a chat with your GP or medical provider, who will be able to advise as to whether a referral for an assessment is the best next step for you. Your Disability Adviser can also guide you in exploring routes to diagnosis, and how this process works.

A formal identification of autism is not necessarily required in order to explore support and adjustments for your studies. If you feel you may fit this profile, or are awaiting an assessment, please get in touch with the Disability team at disabilitysupport@ube.ac.uk to explore support.

You can contact the Disability Support team by emailing disabilitysupport@ube.ac.uk

It can be helpful to gather some supporting documentation of your needs before meeting with a Disability Adviser. This will enable us to explore funded support options available to you. Supporting documentation can include a full assessment report, a doctor’s letter, or any official documentation outlining your needs. Don’t worry if you don’t have any documentation or even a formal diagnosis, however, as there is still support we can explore.

It might be useful to think about:

• Any support you have received in the past, what has worked well, and what hasn’t worked for you
• Your experience of teaching sessions, what helps you to gain an understanding of a new topic or concept
• How you have found note taking and researching for assignments
• How you have found assessments in the past, e.g. exams, essays, presentations, etc.
• How you plan to manage your studies alongside other commitments
• Any involvement you have from other teams or service, e.g. therapist, community mental health team
• How online learning may differ to your previous experience of education, and any advantages/disadvantages you may encounter as a result

• The National Association of Disability Practitioners has created a ‘School vs University – a glossary and explainer’. This document may be useful to the UK students who are transferring from school or college to higher education and seeking to understand more about the support they can access.
• If you’d like, you can meet with a Disability Adviser before your course starts, to gain a feel for what support is available to you throughout your studies. Please email disabilitysupport@ube.ac.uk, if this would be helpful for you.
• Take a look at UCAS’ Guide to Speaking to the Disability Team for more information about the role of the Disability Support Team, and what to expect in terms of the support you will receive here.