You can contact the Disability Service by phone or email or you could drop by the office.
If you have disclosed a disability on your course application form, we will contact you to offer you any relevant support, information and advice.
Support is available at any time throughout your study at Strathclyde. Whether you are a new or current student, you can contact the Disability Service and make an appointment to speak with one of our Advisers to discuss any impact that your condition or impairment may have on your studies and find out what support and facilities are available.
At this stage, the Adviser will decide whether you will require a Needs Assessment appointment in order to discuss your needs in more detail.
A Needs Assessment is an informal meeting with a Disability Adviser and an Assistive Technology Adviser.
The purpose is to explore, with your help, any impact that your condition or impairment may have on your studies or your ability to access the University and its services. Where appropriate, and again with your help, we will identify suitable support and facilities which will enable you to fully access your course.
Assistive Technology available on campus
This will also typically involve a discussion and demonstration of assistive technology. We will consider any effective support or technology you have used previously, and any preferred methods of study.
Adjustments to Teaching and Exams
We will also consider whether your academic department should be informed about the impact of your condition or impairment on particular study related tasks, and whether adjustments should be made to how your course is delivered or how you are assessed (for example, in exams).
If you have any immediate requirements which cannot be met by general provision for students, we will seek to put in place such support or provide loan equipment, where available.
Assessments usually last 1.5 – 2 hours. You should leave the assessment with a clear understanding of what support/equipment will be recommended in your report.
It is important for us to learn from yourself, as an independent learner, what support will be effective. We do appreciate that in some circumstances, students will wish someone else to contribute to the assessment, such as a communication support worker, advocate or occupational therapist. Please however inform us in advance if someone will be accompanying you so that we can make suitable arrangements.
At busy times of the year (particularly from September to November) you are likely to have to wait for your Needs Assessment appointment.
The waiting list will be managed on a first-come-first-served basis, although we will reserve the right to prioritise students with complex requirements whose immediate needs cannot be met though general campus based provision.
Yes.
Prior to attending your Needs Assessment, you will have completed and returned the 'Tell us about your needs questionnaire'.
You should also have provided diagnostic evidence of your condition or impairment.
It is also important that you have an understanding of what your course will involve, particularly whether it involves:
- Practical or lab based work;
- Placements;
- Exams;
- Essay or report writing;
- Extensive reading;
- Notetaking.
If you're not sure, refer to the course description in the prospectus, or on the University website. Alternatively, you can contact the Admissions Tutor in your academic department.
Evidence is a written statement from an appropriately qualified person, confirming your impairment or condition.
This allows us to gather information on how your condition or impairment might impact on your study, or your ability to attend the University of Strathclyde. We also need evidence to support our recommendations to academic departments for adjustments to how courses are taught or assessed, and to make a case for any expenses associated with equipment or services. This written confirmation of need might consist of:
- A letter from a medical professional, such as a GP or Consultant.
- A copy of a certificate of Vision Impairment or a letter from an Audiologist.
- For students with a specific learning difficulty (such as Dyslexia), a diagnostic report. There are several ways to obtain such a report:
- If you are under 19 and still at school, or if you are attending college, ask your school or college to arrange an assessment with their Educational Psychologist.
- Dyslexia Action conducts diagnostic assessments for a fee.
- The University of Strathclyde may be able to arrange an assessment once you have firmly accepted an unconditional offer of a place to study here. Please be aware that this can take several weeks to arrange.
If we need you to supply evidence, you will not have to bear the cost of providing it.
The Disability Service runs an Effective Learning Programme, a series of small group study skill sessions.
These sessions will introduce you to effective strategies for studying at University and, if your course hasn't yet started, will give you an opportunity to try out being a student.
We would strongly encourage you to attend the sessions which are most relevant to you, prior to attending your Needs Assessment. For example, if you think you might find it difficult to take handwritten notes quickly and accurately in lectures, but haven't had to do this before, you should attend the session on Notetaking.
Attending these sessions will give both you, and us, a clearer insight into your studying abilities and any difficulties associated your impairment.
To find out more information about what the sessions cover and to book in for a class, follow this link to the Effective Learning Programme booking page.
disability service DISABILITY SERVICE
ROOM 4.41 Graham Hills BUILDING 50 GEORGE STREET G1 1QE
t:0141 548 3402 f:0141 548 2414
disabilityservice@strath.ac.uk