• We ask you to Register with the Disability and Inclusive Practice Service so you can give use detailed information about your individual circumstances and your disability. We will review this information alongside your medical evidence and other documentation that you send us to determine your support and adjustments at Lancaster.
• We may want to speak with you about your support needs and we may invite you in for a more detailed discussion to review your support needs and to determine the most appropriate adjustments for your studies.

• When you tell us you have a disability or health condition, we ask you to provide a copy of your medical evidence and any other relevant documents. This includes your Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) Needs Assessment report, if you have one.
• You can send us your documents via email or you can drop off documents at the Disability and Inclusive Practice Service Help Desk, situated at the ASK Desk in the Learning Zone, available every working day between 10.00am and 4.00pm.

Inclusive Learning and Support Plans

At Lancaster we use all of the information you provide to create an Inclusive Learning and Support Plan (ILSP) for you. Your ILSP outlines your support and adjustments and it is your definitive record of your support at Lancaster. Your ILSP can be amended or updated if your circumstances change. When your ILSP is created you need to check, approve and confirm you want to share the ILSP content. Sharing your ILSP means that the relevant University staff can access the information in order to put your adjustments in place. You can find out more about ILSPs on our Accessing support and your Inclusive Learning and Support Plan (ILSP) website page.

Once your ILSP has been created, you will be notified by an email to view your ILSP on your Student Portal. You need to check, approve and confirm you want to share your ILSP content. Sharing your ILSP means that the relevant University staff can access the information in order to put your adjustments in place.

When you confirm and share your ILSP, your academic department(s) will be notified and asked to view your ILSP. This allows your department(s) to understand your individual circumstances and put in place any relevant adjustments.

Inclusive support for all students

The Disability and Inclusive Practice Service use medical evidence provided by individual disabled students to make recommended adjustments, these adjustments are known as “reasonable adjustments” and are outlined in a student’s Inclusive Learning and Support Plan.

Where the University designs and delivers teaching and learning in a way that supports the broadest range of learners possible this is known as an “inclusive approach.” This approach not only supports disabled students but is also beneficial to all students.

Lancaster University is committed to offering inclusive support for all students, striving to ensure students can equally participate in all aspects of teaching and learning, thereby reaching their full academic potential. To support this inclusive approach there are a range of resources available to all students that may help with their studies. Support includes workshops, online resources, assistive technology and one to one help.

Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) is DSA is a UK government fund that pays for some support for disabled students. To be eligible for DSA you must be a UK student and your DSA funding body is determined according to your residency and your degree type. If you are eligible for DSA, it may pay for some of your disability-related support including assistive technology, a specialist mentor, or a contribution towards other disability-related costs. DSA is assessed on your individual needs, and you will need to attend an assessment to determine the most appropriate support. If you are not eligible for DSA do not worry, you can speak with the Disability and Inclusive Practice Service about your support. Our team can review your needs and implement any reasonable adjustments required.

Are postgraduate students eligible for DSA?

Some postgraduate students may be able to access Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) funding. If you are a UK national (or have settled status) and have a disability you should be able to access DSA.

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funded students are not eligible for DSA funding through Student Finance England (SFE). The DSA funding body is the Research Council who devolve DSA responsibility to the University. Please ensure you let the Disability and Inclusive Practice Service know that you are UKRI funded to ensure you receive appropriate and timely advice and support.

You can read more about eligibility criteria on the DSA webpages.

If you are not eligible for DSA, we may invite you for a Support Review (SR). The SR will make recommendations about additional support, which could help you with your studies. You can read more about SRs on our SR webpages.

If you are not sure about your eligibility, please contact the DSA helpline on 0330 995 0414.

When do I apply?

You can apply for DSA when you apply for your student loans, and you will need to send your funding body evidence of your condition. Your funding body is the same funding body for student loans, such as Student Finance England, Student Finance Wales and SAAS. If you do not have a student loan you can still apply for DSA.

Once you receive confirmation of DSA eligibility from your funding body you will be asked to book an appointment for a Study Needs Assessment at an Assessment Centre. You can have an assessment at any approved Assessment Centre. Your funding body will tell you how to do this. You can learn more about the assessment process and how to book on the

What happens after my DSA Needs Assessment?

Following your DSA Needs Assessment appointment, you will receive a Needs Assessment Report, which will detail the types of support and adjustment recommended for your studies. This report will be sent to your funding body who will then confirm which recommendations they will approve. Your funding body will confirm these details in writing to you. Your entitlement letter will outline the support that has been approved including:

• Any approved equipment and how to contact and order this from the suppliers.
• Any assistive technology training you have been awarded and details of how to contact the training suppliers.
• Any non-medical helper support you have been awarded including the number of hours and the supplier of this support.
• Any other disability-related study support.

It is important that you contact the suppliers of your equipment, training and non-medical helper support to ensure that this support is put in place. If you have agreed to share information with your university, a copy of your approved Needs Assessment report adjustments will be sent to your University Disability Service. At Lancaster, our Disability and Inclusive Practice Service will help you to set up the adjustments and support outlined in your report. The team will contact you to explain what will happen next and what you need to do.

How does my Needs Assessment impact my support at Lancaster?

If you have agreed to share information with your university, a copy of your approved Needs Assessment report adjustments will be sent to Lancaster Disability and Inclusive Practice Service. We will help to set up the adjustments and support outlined in your report. There are some recommendations that only you can set-up and we will help you to understand what you need to do next.

On receipt of your DSA Needs Assessment Report your case will be reviewed and you will be provided with an ILSP as a way to record and share information about your support and adjustments at Lancaster. If you already have an ILSP, this will be reviewed and updated (if needed). If your ILSP is updated, you will receive a notification to view your updated ILSP on the Student Portal.

Further information about DSA

To find out more about DSA, have a look at our quick TRAINING RESOURCE, which answers many common questions.