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Inclusive Support Service

Information for staff supporting disabled and dyslexic/SpLD students

The Inclusive Support Service offers students who believe they may be disabled and dyslexic/SpLD (specific learning difficulty) an initial screening appointment. Where appropriate, we can arrange a full diagnostic assessment with a freelance assessor at Brookes and explore funding options with the student. We also support eligible students with their application for DSA (Disabled Students' Allowances).

Disability advisers can advise staff on supporting disabled students and students with medical or mental health conditions and Autism and Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC).

The team are part of Wellbeing and provide an advisory and support service for students with disabilities.
  • Our student website includes information about the support and adjustments that students may require during their studies.
  • Staff who are teaching disabled or dyslexic/SpLD students may wish to refer to the guide for inclusive learning and teaching.
  • Staff are also invited to attend lunchtime seminars run by the Oxford Student Mental Health Network.

For advice about supporting a disabled or dyslexic/SpLD student, please email us.

Contact us

inclusivesupport@brookes.ac.uk
01865 535222

Buckley Building, Ground Floor
Headington Campus

Information for students

Staff with disabilities or dyslexia/SpLD

Inclusive Support Plans (ISPs)

ISPs give details of reasonable adjustments for disabled students. We have developed an online tutorial for staff showing how to access ISPs (Moodle). 

Students with dyslexia/SpLD

We also offer members of staff advice, information and guidance to help you support students with dyslexia/SpLD:

Marking work

Characteristics of SpLD

Dyslexia/SpLD descriptors

Support for students

Reasonable adjustments

Inclusive learning environment

The legal context

In October 2010, the Equality Act became law. This follows previous legislation: SENDA (2002) and the DDA (1995) which required Higher Education Institutions to provide reasonable adjustments to enable disabled students, including dyslexic/SpLD students, to access the curriculum.

The Equality Act extends and strengthens the previous legislation with regard to disability. The legislation states that it is ‘illegal to treat a disabled person less favourably than others for a reason that relates to their disability without justification, and in some cases, it may be legitimate to treat a disabled person more favourably’. If a student is at a substantial disadvantage, the educational provider is required to make reasonable adjustments. The UK Quality Code for Higher Education advises that:

"Equality of opportunity involves enabling access for people who have differing individual requirements as well as eliminating arbitrary and unnecessary barriers to learning. In addition, disabled students and non-disabled students are offered learning opportunities that are equally accessible to them, by means of inclusive design wherever possible and by means of reasonable individual adjustments wherever necessary." (Part B, Chapter B3, 2015)

Moreover, universities must make provision for future students and therefore they often cannot rely on existing infrastructures, but must put systems into place to address the needs of students with a range of disabilities, including dyslexia/SpLD.