Equal Opportunities

Disability

The University's Disability Unit aims to provide disabled students or students with a specific learning difficulty with resources, help and advice. The Disability Coordinator is available by making an appointment through the Student Services initial advice and guidance desk on the ground floor of the Holgate building.

The following organisations provide help and advice:

Shaw Trust is a national charity that provides training and work opportunities for people who are disadvantaged in the labour market due to disability, ill health or other social circumstances.

The Direct Government website has an area for people with disabilities offering advice and information on work-related issues.

Skill the National Bureau for Students with Disabilities. Skill has helpful general information and literature, especially about allowances for disabled students and about many charities and grant making trusts.

Remploy offers a range of employment services for disabled people.

Dyslexia or Specific Learning Difficulties

People who have dyslexia and specific learning difficulties are protected by the Disability Discrimination Act. Follow the link to the Disability pages of prospects.ac.uk, the UKs official graduate careers website for information on such topics as understanding the law, marketing yourself and CVs and covering letters. The University Disability Unit can also offer assistance (see the Disability section above for details).

Useful links

Dyslexia

British Dyslexia Association website has information on help for higher education students, help in the workplace and help in finding a job.

Autistic Spectrum Disorders

Prospects, The National Autistic Society's (NAS) employment consultancy service, was established in London in 1994. Prospects works exclusively with people with autism and Asperger syndrome to support them to prepare for, find and retain employment. The organisation has offices in London, Glasgow, Sheffield and Manchester. Visit the NAS website to see the full range of services available.

Age

Visit the Age:Overview pages on the prospects website for information on all aspects of employment legislation as it relates to age.

Ex-Offenders

The rules and regulations regarding declaring offences, and when, if ever, convictions can be considered spent is very complicated. Expert advice can be found in the Disclosure pages of the National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders (NACRO) website.

See also information on the Ex-Offenders pages on the prospects website. Topics include: understanding the law and marketing yourself to employers.

The Apex Trust seeks to help people with criminal records to obtain appropriate jobs or self-employment by providing them with the skills they need in the labour market and by working with employers to break down the barriers to their employment.

Ethnicity

See the Race:Overview pages of the prospects website

Equality and Human Rights Commission

Ethnic recruitment has vacancies grouped into the following areas: Government and education, health and social care, media arts and heritage, housing, environment and charities and police and armed forces.

Nationality

The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKISA) website provides comprehensive information on the rules and regulations governing working in the UK during, and after, your studies.

The Working in the UK pages on the UK Border Agency website are also worth visiting.

For advice on working in the UK and funding your studies visit the international students pages of prospects.ac.uk the official graduate careers website.

If you are entitled to work whilst you are studying and want to find a temporary, part-time and/or holiday job in the York area see Opportunities Gateway Online (the York St John vacancy website).

For general careers advice or help with how to improve your CV and develop employability skills while you are studying make an appointment with one of our Career Development Advisers (contact details are on our home page).

Gender

See the Gender: Overview pages on the prospects website.

Sexual orientation

The Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003 make it unlawful for employers and some other bodies to discriminate against, or harass, gay, lesbian or bisexual (LGB) people in the workplace - visit the workplace pages of the Stonewall website to find out more about your rights.