Disability and Dyslexia Service | Tel: 01895 265213 | Email: disability@brunel.ac.uk

Working out ‘reasonable’ adjustments

Gill BeechBrunel University

20th June 2012

Disability and Dyslexia Service | Tel: 01895 265213 | Email: disability@brunel.ac.uk

Where do we start?

Ask for evidence

Disability/medical condition

• GP letter• Report from medical

practitioner

Specific learning difficulty (dyslexia,

dyspraxia etc.)

• Diagnostic assessment report from psychologist or specialist teacher

Disability and Dyslexia Service | Tel: 01895 265213 | Email: disability@brunel.ac.uk

What is a ‘diagnostic assessment’?• Range of tests administered by a

suitably qualified professional

• Tests are standardised measures of literacy skills, cognitive processing and underlying ability

• Results analysed and report written to confirm evidence of specific learning difficulty (dyslexia, dyspraxia etc.)

Disability and Dyslexia Service | Tel: 01895 265213 | Email: disability@brunel.ac.uk

What next?

Evidence

Encourage student to apply for Disabled Students’ Allowances (funding to pay for ‘reasonable adjustments’)

Disability and Dyslexia Service | Tel: 01895 265213 | Email: disability@brunel.ac.uk

How are needs assessed?

• Student meets with a Needs Assessor at a regional assessment centre

• Identify support requirements (based on diagnostic evidence and discussion with student)

• Report written – makes detailed recommendations and provides costs

Specialist equipment

Disability and Dyslexia Service | Tel: 01895 265213 | Email: disability@brunel.ac.uk

Undergraduate : £5161 for whole course

Support workers

Disability and Dyslexia Service | Tel: 01895 265213 | Email: disability@brunel.ac.uk

Undergraduate: Up to £20,520 a year

General allowance

Disability and Dyslexia Service | Tel: 01895 265213 | Email: disability@brunel.ac.uk

Undergraduate: Up to £1,724 a year

Travel allowance

Disability and Dyslexia Service | Tel: 01895 265213 | Email: disability@brunel.ac.uk

Undergraduate: Unlimited reasonable spending on extra travel costs

Disability and Dyslexia Service | Tel: 01895 265213 | Email: disability@brunel.ac.uk

What next?

Evidence

Identified support needed

Develop a ‘Support Profile’

Disability and Dyslexia Service | Tel: 01895 265213 | Email: disability@brunel.ac.uk

What is a Support Profile?• Document which summarises

adjustments required to level the playing field

• Provides Academic staff with a brief description of the disability and impact on learning

• Can be updated or amended at any time during studies

• See handout as an example

Disability and Dyslexia Service | Tel: 01895 265213 | Email: disability@brunel.ac.uk

How can this translate into the workplace?Encourage

graduate to apply for Access to Work

fundingAccess to work report should identify

equipment and support requirements for the workplace.

Needs assessment report will provide detail of equipment and human help required during

studies.

Ask graduate to share needs assessment

report

Develop a workplace support profile

• Review regularly and amend if things change

• Transfer with employee if change role

Disability and Dyslexia Service | Tel: 01895 265213 | Email: disability@brunel.ac.uk

Further information

Access to work

www.direct.gov.uk/accesstowork

Disabled Students’ Allowances

www.direct.gov.uk/en/disabledpeople/e

ducationandtraining/highereducation/dg

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