Disability Services
about this resource
‘Disability’ means different things to different people. Whatever your situation, we’re here to ensure you are supported during your studies at Dartington Trust.
This page contains information about disclosing your disability to us, applying for Disabled Students Allowance (DSA), plus other useful resources.
SEE ALSO: Guide to student health and mental wellbeing at Dartington >
Disclosing your Disability
If you have a disability, please consider completing a Disability Disclosure Form (and sending it to admissions@dartington.org) – even if you think it will not affect your studies whilst you are at Dartington.
This will enable us to share your information with our Student Support staff so that they can look at what needs they may be able to put in place to support you. They will also be able to offer you guidance in relation to applications for Disability Support Allowance (see further down this page for more about DSA).
Support is also available to students who believe they may have a learning difficulty, such as dyslexia. You are encouraged to disclose any impairment or condition (for example, dyslexia, a physical, sensory or mental health condition) at the earliest opportunity so that we can endeavour to meet your needs.
If you have already told us about a disability and have completed the Disclosure Form, we may ask you for further information or invite you for an information meeting. We can then properly assess your individual requirements in discussion with you, and ensure that we have the best possible chance of having any necessary adjustments in place early on in your course. We can also advise you further about claiming for Disabled Students’ Allowance.
long-term health conditions
All students wishing to record a long-term health condition must complete a Long Term Health Claim form and submit to studentsupport@dartington.org. Students must upload any supporting evidence at the time of submitting their claim.
If you have a claim for a long-term health condition validated for the current academic year, you must submit an Extenuating Circumstances Claim for any missed deadlines, examinations or assessments.
Having a Long Term Health validation means you do not need to provide any additional corroborative evidence for any Extenuating Circumstances Claim, if the assessments concerned are affected by the same existing condition. However, you will be required to provide independent corroboration if your condition changes, whether improvement or deterioration, or if your extenuating circumstances are caused by another reason
Disabled Students Allowance (DSA)
If you have a disability, or a long-term physical or mental health condition, you can apply for Disabled Student Allowance (DSA). This may enable you to access a range of support during the course of your studies.
Please contact our Student Support Team at studentsupport@dartington.org in the first instance, so that we may advise you on the application process and connect you with appropriate support as early as possible.
For further information:
- Our partners at Plymouth University have also created a comprehensive guide on the DSA process – read it here.
- Student Finance England also have a useful guide to completing the forms.
You can apply for DSA when you apply for your student finance or at a later stage during your programme but we recommend that whenever possible, you apply along with your student finance.
Government Information on DSA process and eligibility >
Please note: ‘Section 5’ needs to be completed by Dartington Trust and should be sent to studentsupport@dartington.org along with your course name, start date and basis of study. E.g F/T or P/T
on-site access requirements
If you’re planning on staying on campus during your studies, we’ll do everything possible to ensure you have a comfortable and safe stay.
You’ll have the chance to specify any access requirements during your accommodation application, and where a student has declared and provided evidence of a disability this will carefully considered in the process of allocating rooms.
Declarations or queries about accessible accommodation can also be directed, in confidence, to studentaccommodation@dartington.org.
useful resources
The following links are to a variety of websites that may be useful in researching options around disabilities and available services. While we have chosen these as credible sources, we encourage you to research them fully before committing, especially when paying for goods or services.
Information about assistive technology for dyslexia >
Lex Academic Scholarships > – If you hold an admission for, or are undertaking, a postgraduate degree with a thesis or extended project component, you can apply for Lex Academic Scholarships which are designed to support students with dyslexia.
Zotero (organisational and referencing tool) > (Please note that this tool is available for free through your student account with Plymouth University)
Useful Study Skills Books
Cottrell, S. (2019). 5th ed.The Study Skills Handbook. UK: Red Globe Press
Goodwin, J., (2018). Studying with Dyslexia. London: Palgrave
Williams, K., (2013). Planning Your Dissertation. London: Palgrave MacMillan