Dyslexia and Disability Support in HE

1. Dyslexia and Disability Support in HE Dr Paula Dobrowolski Head, AccessAbility Centre University of Leicester with thanks to Sharron Sturgess of Loughborough University

2. Key points • Disclosure • Pre-entry support • Disabled Students’ Allowance • Transition • On course support

3. UCAS applications and disclosure

4. Why disclose? For the student disclosure means: • access to support to which they are entitled to encourage maximum academic achievement; • access to support in other areas of university - such as their department and accommodation.

5. Why disclose? For the University disclosure is: • used as a basis for offering support; • allows the University to meet its legal obligations under the Equality Act (2010); • and it will not lead to discrimination because the offer of a place will be based on academic ability and record.

6. Pre-entry support • Disclosure allows the AAC to contact students who have disclosed a disability in June/July. • Prospective students are sent information about the support available. • Information about support, visits, Disabled Students’ Allowance application, the need for evidence, and assistance with accommodation are offered.

7. Disabled Students’ Allowance • How do you apply? • Bridging the Gap • Importance of evidence • What will it fund? • Equipment • Non Medical Helper • General Allowance • Travel costs

8. Evidence • for specific learning difficulty students it must be an up to date report from an Educational Psychologist or qualified dyslexia specialist teacher carried out after the age of 16 which complies with 2005 guidelines on psychological reports. • For disabled students, or those with long term conditions, it should be confirmation of their condition from a medical professional.

9. More on dyslexia evidence Remember: • statements of Special Educational Needs do not continue past the age of 18 (unless in the sixth form of a school) and the evidence for dyslexia is unlikely to be enough for the Disabled Students’ Allowance; • special exam requests may not have enough detailed information; • increasingly, students have to pay for an updated assessment though not at Leicester at the moment.

10. Transition • Open Days • UCAS Visit Days • Visiting the AccessAbility Centre and relevant staff • Visits before term starts to see campus and accommodation again • Applying for the Disabled Students’ Allowance

11. On course support • One to one dyslexia support • Other one to one support • Liaison with AA Tutors, departments, accommodation, parking • Note taking service • PG mentoring and other support workers - NAS, BSL • Alternative exam arrangements • AccessAbility Centre open user area with assistive software eg Inspiration, Read and Write, Zoomtext, Zoom Ex, chairs, writing slope, etc • Loan equipment – computers, digital recorders, Dr Companion • Arranging Educational Psychologist’s assessments • Alternative methods of assessment

12. Contact details Dr Paula Dobrowolski Head, AccessAbility Centre pbd1@le.ac.uk AccessAbility Centre 0116 252 5002 accessable@le.ac.uk www.le.ac.uk/accessability