BGU and Students with Access Needs
In order to assess the level of support you may require, we use the legal definition of disability, which is wide ranging but includes:
- Specific learning differences including dyslexia
- Physical mobility difficulties
- Hearing impairments
- Visual impairments
- Persons requiring personal care
- Autistic Spectrum Disorders
- Mental health conditions
- Medical conditions such as epilepsy, diabetes or asthma
Please note that this is not an exhaustive list – you may have access needs that are not listed above. If you are unsure whether you have access needs which are covered by disability legislation, please contact Student Advice & Wellbeing – we will be happy to offer advice and guidance.
We recognise that you may not regard yourself as “disabled”, even though your circumstances satisfy the legal definition. Students have told us they prefer the terms “accessibility” and “access needs”, so we use these terms instead wherever we can. It is important to recognise that your interpretation of your situation does not rule out the availability of additional support – particularly via the Disabled Student’s Allowance.
We can help you apply for financial assistance and specialist support in respect of your access needs. You will have the opportunity to indicate whether you have access needs on your UCAS application and through the BGU Admissions process. You can also approach us for support after you have registered on your course, but we recommend doing this as early as possible (prior to Enrolment) in order to ensure support is in place at the beginning of your studies.
Support at BGU
Once you have provided us with information about your disability, we will make every effort to introduce reasonable adjustments for you straight away, and ensure that all relevant parties within the University are aware of your needs. We may need medical evidence of your situation, so it is usually best to provide this when you complete the online Accessibility Questionnaire. You will receive the link to the questionnaire by email once you have applied to study with us.
If you encounter any difficulties, or feel that you are not getting the assistance you had hoped to receive, please contact Student Advice & Wellbeing straight away. We will be happy to discuss your situation in a confidential environment and we can explore options that may help to resolve the issues you are facing.
Non-Medical Help
Students with access needs may require “non-medical help” support packages be put in place to ensure effective engagement with their studies. Student Advice & Wellbeing can liaise with you and providers of support to make sure appropriate and relevant support is in place for your individual needs. The services we can help to arrange include the following:
- Reader
- Transcriber
- Note Taker
- Proof Reader
- Library Research Assistant
- Examination Support
- Sighted Guide
- Specialist Mentor
- Study Skills Tutor
Your Information
Information about your disability is treated as sensitive information under the Data Protection Act and will only be shared with relevant parties. If you advise us of a disability through the admissions procedure, the information will usually be available to the University Admissions Team, Accommodation Office (where applicable), your Programme Team and Student Advice & Wellbeing in the first instance. This is so that an appropriate response can be made to ensure your needs are met during the admissions stage.
Once you are registered with the University, it is usually in your best interests for other staff to be aware of your circumstances, such as the Learning Development Team, or the Library. We will discuss your requirements with you in more detail and advise you about the benefits of informing other staff (and other third parties, where relevant).
If you wish to make a disclosure after Enrolment, we would encourage you to approach Student Advice & Wellbeing. We will not pass information to anyone else if you do not want us to, but you will need to recognise that this could limit the overall level of support we can provide. Our confidentiality policy is only limited by situations where we are satisfied we have evidence you represent a substantial risk to yourself or others.
If you have any questions at any time during the application stage, please do not hesitate to contact Student Advice & Wellbeing.
Disabled Students' Allowance
You are able apply for Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) and arrange a Needs Assessment before your course begins. We can also provide funding to help meet the costs of diagnostic tests for Specific Learning Differences (SpLD), such as Dyslexia, which are sometimes necessary to support your application for a DSA. More information is available in the DSA section of the website.
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