Obtain Disability Evidence

In order to access funded support, you will be asked to provide evidence of your disability or health condition.

The evidence must be from a third party medical profession and show that your condition meets the Equality Act definition of a disability.

If you are unsure as to whether your evidence meets these criteria or have any other questions, please contact the Disability and Learning Support team and we will try to help.

For more details:

Get in touch

If you have dyslexia or another Specific Learning Difference (SpLD)

If you have a SpLD, such as dyslexia, you will need to provide a diagnostic assessment. This should either have been carried out by an Educational Psychologist (EP) or a Specialist teacher.

Don't already have a diagnostic report?

The university offers a dyslexia screening service for all enrolled students. Please contact our team for more information on this.

If indicators of dyslexia are found, we will pay for you to undertake a full Educational Psychologist report.

Applicants can also access this service by paying a deposit which we will then refund once you have enrolled on your course.

a man at a desk writing

If you are Autistic or have AD(H)D

Please note that the university cannot provide diagnoses of AD(H)D or Autism; these should be accessed through NHS services. We recommend that you speak to your GP or family doctor in the first instance.

However, to access DSA-funded support, you do not need to provide a completed diagnostic assessment – DSA will accept evidence that you have been referred by a GP and provide support on that basis. You should ask your GP to complete the Student Finance England form, stating that you are awaiting full assessment and tick the “working diagnosis” box.

If you have any other condition

For any other disability or medical condition, we need evidence from your family doctor (GP) or other specialist medical professional, such as a letter. This must state:

  • You have a named condition
  • That has lasted or is expected to last 12 months or more (unless you are applying for support for a temporary injury or pregnancy)
  • That your condition has a substantial impact on your ability to study, or to carry out other day-to-day tasks

You may already have a letter or other evidence that meets this criteria. Alternatively, you could ask your doctor to complete the Student Finance England form. They should not charge you to request this information.