Admissions Policy
3.7. Entry for Candidates with disabilities
3.7.1 The University is
committed to considering applications for students with a range of
disabilities. Applicants are advised to indicate special
requirements on their application forms and are encouraged to seek
advice on the suitability of the course, University accommodation
and other matters. Applications to University courses will be
assessed purely on academic grounds.
3.7.2 All applicants to
the University are considered equally. Where an applicant declares
an impairment we will try to ensure that any support needs are
identified at an early stage, but this should not involve
unreasonable delays in processing such applications. Nor does it
involve withholding an offer to an otherwise qualified applicant on
the grounds of his or her impairment, except in the following
cases:
- Risk to health and safety:
certain conditions may present safety risks, despite all reasonable
adjustments being made.
Any less favourable treatment would be unusual
and would only arise in limited circumstances.
- The need for specially adapted
accommodation: the availability of such accommodation cannot be
guaranteed to all potential applicants.
- Physical access issues. It may be the case
that, despite all reasonable adjustments having been made,
some key locations remain inaccessible to students with
certain disabilities.
3.7.3 SENDA normally makes it illegal to
reject an applicant on the grounds of disability. Under current
legislation, however, there are only three instances in which a
university can reject a disabled applicant if they have the entry
criteria necessary, these are:
- overriding health and safety concerns;
- barriers resulting from professional
requirements;
- necessary reasonable adjustments cannot be
made
3.7.4 The University will be proactive in
encouraging disclosure at all stages of the application
process
3.7.5 Applications from
candidates with disabilities will be judged on the basis of the
criteria described above, subject to professional practitioner
requirements where they apply. Academic decisions and discussion of
support needs are undertaken independently. If the University is
unable to meet additional needs, or can only do so by compromising
the learning experience which would disadvantage the applicant, the
University undertakes to inform the applicant immediately the
situation is apparent.
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