Pre-Admissions Advice
Have you:
Disclosed your disability on the UCAS application form? This allows you the opportunity to negotiate your support needs in partnership with the institution and prompts the Student Awards Agency for Scotland or your grant awarding Authority to send you an application form for Disabled Students' Allowance.
Gathered as much information as possible about the institutions you wish to apply to before making your choice? It is important to communicate your support needs to the institution and this may require an assessment. Your DSA application may also require this.
Visited institutions? This is very important if you need to assess physical access or if you need to familiarise yourself with the institution as you have a visual impairment. This may also be an opportunity to assess accommodation, student health services, libraries and refectories. Try to negotiate the type of visit you want beforehand.
Arranged a needs assessment interview? Try to arrange this with the co-ordinator for students with disabilities and representatives of the departments you will be attending. You need to know what you will be required to provide and what the institution will provide for you as soon as possible to allow you to explore sources of funding or personal support.
Examined the course content? You should be familiar with your course of study, in case there are any areas (e.g. field trips, laboratory work, placements) which might require negotiation for you to complete these elements successfully. As well as your first year subjects, your route through the course to graduation should also be explored, to identify any areas of concern to yourself or academic staff.
Identified sources of funding for the support services you might require? ( Brailling, readers, scribes, helpers, personal assistants, etc.) If you do not qualify for DSA or the allowance is not sufficient to meet your needs, contact other organisations early to try to negotiate additional support (e.g. the local Social Work Department, voluntary organisations, DSS. etc.)
If you are already at the institution of your choice, have you discussed your progress recently with an appropriate member of staff? Remember that meeting your support needs will require ongoing negotiation. There are Enabling Support Advisers who will help you with this. Allow yourself time before examinations or major pieces of work to communicate with the relevant members of staff and remember that you must tell staff what you need, as they may not all have experience of students with disabilities.
This advice is courtesy of the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council website
.