What do we mean by disability?

The Equality Act (2010) defines a disability as a long-term condition (lasting more than 12 months) which has a significant impact on your ability to live and study at University. The Disability and Inclusive Practice Service support students with a range of disabilities and health conditions including (but not limited to):

• autism spectrum conditions or Asperger's syndrome;
• dyslexia, dyspraxia and other specific learning difficulties;
• mental health difficulties;
• mobility impairments;
• sensory impairments;
• unseen (hidden) disabilities like epilepsy and chronic fatigue.

Please be reassured that Universities will not discriminate against you because of a disability or health condition. We ask you to let us know so we can ensure that you get the right support during your studies.

Why does the university need to know about your disability or health condition?

If you have a disability or health condition the University will make reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled students are not placed at a ‘substantial disadvantage’ in relation to their non-disabled peers. The University is not required to make adjustments if this will compromise the academic, medical or other ‘competence standards’ of the degree programme.

If you intend to apply to live on campus, we can prioritise your application for accommodation. You will need to notify us of any special circumstances regarding your disability, medical condition and allergies when you apply. You should advise us about any such needs as early as possible by registering with the Disability and Inclusive Practice Service to maximise the possibility of us finding a suitable room.

When and how should you disclose a disability or health condition?

You can tell us about your disability during your university application, ordinarily this would be declared on your UCAS form or postgraduate application. The University can use this information to contact you before arrival as setting up support at University can take time and you will need to provide medical evidence and register with the Disability and Inclusive Practice Service. If you did not disclose at the point of application, you can still do so by registering with the Disability and Inclusive Practice Service. Registration with the Disability and Inclusive Practice Service provides:

• An opportunity to disclose a disability or health condition if you didn’t do so during the application process.
• Further information that will help us to understand more about your individual circumstances and will help to ensure we are able to produce an Inclusive Learning and Support Plan (ILSP) that outlines appropriate adjustments that should be in place to support your academic studies.
• Submitting a copy of your medical evidence and other relevant documents. This includes your Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) Needs Assessment report, if you have one.

Please note - without a declaration of your condition on your application, the Disability and Inclusive Practice Service will not be aware of your condition and this may delay the implementation of any support plan until you get in touch with us. This includes postgraduate applicants who may have previously studied at Lancaster as an undergraduate - any previous support is not automatically transferred to your PG course.

What if I don’t want to disclose a disability or health condition to the university?

We understand that there are many reasons why a student may choose not to disclose a disability and there is no obligation on you to do so. In general, it is in your best interests to disclose your disability so that bespoke /tailored support can be provided and staff will better understand how to make teaching and learning more accessible for you.

If you decide against disclosing your disability this means the University will not put adjustments in place to support your studies.

You can change your mind and chose to disclose your disability / medical condition to the University and have reasonable adjustments considered.

What evidence do you need about my disability/health condition?

It can be difficult for students when moving to university as evidence that has been acceptable in school or college does not always meet the criteria required to make adjustments at university. For example, the University is unable to accept reports from school support coordinators, SENs or exam board access arrangements as evidence of a disability or the need for specific adjustments.

Your medical evidence must be:

• Provided by a qualified medical professional (e.g. GP, consultant, specialist nurse) or other suitable professionals (such as Educational Psychologists, Audiologists etc.). See the expandable list below for details of what is acceptable.
• On headed paper with the professional's contact details
• As up-to-date as possible
• Clearly state that your diagnosis has a substantial and long-term negative impact on your ability to do normal daily activities

Please note: Normally we would expect that your medical evidence is written in English. Where a certified translation into English is required it is the student's responsibility for arranging this and for paying any associated costs.

In line with the UK General Medical Council's guidance, we would not normally accept medical evidence which is produced by a close relative, friend or work colleague, even if they are medically qualified.

Medical evidence is expected to cover the following points:

• Name of the condition or impairment
• Date of diagnosis and how long it has lasted/is likely to last
• The main effects (including the severity) of the impairment on studies and carrying out normal day-to-day activities including symptoms; this can include the side effects of any medication and also a description of the effect of the impairment without medication or auxiliary aids.

Please be aware that the University can only make adjustments based on a clear recommendation from the professional providing the evidence. The University is unable to make adjustments based solely on a student’s statement about the benefits of a particular adjustment previously in place.

You can download a copy of our Guidance for Medical Professionals and the Supporting Evidence form to help you get the evidence you need.

Most conditions can be evidenced by a doctor's note, but please see below to check what evidence is required for specific conditions.

Select from the below options to find out more specific information about evidence required.