Disability support and inclusion
Apply for Disabled Students' Allowances (DSAs)
DSAs are a useful source of funding for students with additional needs.
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DSA funding is based on need. It is in addition to your student finance and you do not have to pay it back.
You can apply for DSA as part of your main student finance application. You will need supporting medical evidence.
Your DSA may include funding for equipment or software. It may also fund a specialist mentor or study skills tutor.
Applications for student finance open in March.
Find out more on the GOV.UK DSA page. You can also watch the UCAS Guidance for students with disabilities video.
The DSA Process
Get medical evidence
You will need to provide medical evidence that explains how your condition or disability affects you. This could be:
- A letter from a GP or consultant
- A diagnostic report from a practitioner psychologist or specialist tutor with an Assessment Practising Centre certificate
- A completed SFA DSA Disability evidence form (PDF, 99KB)
Complete and submit a DSA form
You can apply for DSA online at the same time as your student finance if you are a full-time undergraduate student. Alternatively you can complete the PDF form below:
DSA Slim - Disabled Students' Allowance Application Form (PDF, 0.1MB)
For postgraduate and part-time undergraduate students you need to download and complete the PDF form below:
DSA1 Form - Application for Disabled Students' Allowance (PDF, 0.7MB)
When you have completed the form you can send it back to your funding body along with your medical evidence. If you need help completing the DSA form, book a meeting with a Disability Practitioner.
Arrange a needs assessment
You will receive an email from your funding body with instruction on how to book a needs assessment.
During the assessment you will discuss your needs with an assessor. They will ask about your disability or condition, previous support, your university course and what support would help you. They may show you software or assistive technology. The assessment will take up to 2 hours.
Your assessor will write up a report which will include recommendations for support and equipment. You will be able to check the report before it is sent to your funding body.
Get support in place
Your funding body will contact you with details about the support they will fund, based on your assessment. You can then get your support in place with the help of our Service Coordinator.
Our Service Coordinators can assist with:
- Advice on the process of getting support
- Advice about seeking medical evidence
- Advice or support for applying for your DSA
- Questions about any of the processes and provide advice on them
- Signposting to and liaison with specialist support services
Types of support available
Non-medical help
Specialist study skills support. This support is designed to target specific difficulties that you may have with acquiring, recalling, and retaining information in written and spoken language. Additionally, the support will address memory, organisational, attention and numeracy difficulties, which are often common among learners with SpLDs.
Specialist Mentoring. This support can help you to identify and overcome barriers by teaching coping strategies, goal setting, time management, and other skills to help you succeed in your studies and create a healthy work-life balance.
Equipment
You may get a new computer if you’re assessed as needing one because:
- you do not already have one
- your current one does not meet your study needs
When buying a new computer, you’ll need to pay the first £200.
The DSA team will send you more information about this after your needs assessment.
Software
You may be recommended specialist software, for example software which reads text aloud to you, mind mapping software or audio recording/note-taking software.
Taxi allowance
A taxi allowance to cover the cost difference between public transport and a taxi if you are unable to use public transport to travel to and from university or placement due to your disability.
Printing and photocopying allowance
You may be able to claim the cost of any additional printing and photocopying costs which you incur due to your disability. For example, if you need to print the slides onto paper to annotate in your lectures.
Information for needs assessors
Companies who are currently able to offer in-person support in the York area are:
- Clear Links
- The Learning Support Centre
- First Class Support
- Spectrum First
Please contact them before making a recommendation for a student, as their capacity varies.
York St John University does not provide DSA funded NMH specialist support, in-house.
The University has the following assistive software available for students. However, this is not a replacement for DSA funded software, as it is not the full versions, and cannot be used off campus.
- Read&Write
- MindView
- Inspiration 9
- Glean
Two taxi companies who currently accept DSA accounts are:
Blue badge holders are guaranteed a campus parking permit, free of charge. Students with medical conditions can apply for a parking permit. These are prioritised according to need. Further information is on our Car parking page.
We provide a range of student accommodation and can help students with a wide range of needs. Students can complete an Additional Requirements form when they apply for accommodation. Further information is on our Students with additional requirements page.
Students are expected to contribute £200 towards the cost of equipment.
Lecture capture is currently unavailable at York St John University.
