Student Disability Policy

Introduction

1. Northeastern University London (the University) positively welcomes applications from disabled students and is committed to ensuring every effort is made to enable all students to fully experience life at the University. Students with the relevant supporting documentation (e.g. medical notes and/or reports from educational psychologists) are eligible to apply for appropriate support without compromising academic standards.

Definition of Disability

2. For the purposes of the Equality Act 2010, a person has a disability if they have a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. Disability in this context can include a wide range of issues and conditions. Typically, this would be one or a combination of the following categories:
   1. Specific learning difficulty (SpLD) (e.g. dyslexia)
   2. Visual impairment – partial sight or blind
   3. Hearing loss – partial hearing or profoundly deaf
   4. Mobility difficulties or wheelchair use
   5. Restricted use of upper limbs (incl. RSI)
   6. Mental health illnesses
   7. Condition that is not visible (e.g. epilepsy, sickle cell anaemia, HIV)
   8. Condition not listed above (e.g. back injury)
   9. HIV, cancer or multiple sclerosis
3. The list above should not be seen as exhaustive. If a student feels that they have a condition affecting their ability to study effectively they should seek support as soon as possible. Apprentice Learners should seek support from their Success Manager (SM), and all other students should speak to a Student Wellbeing Coordinator (SWC) in Student Support and Development. The University is committed to ensuring reasonable adjustments are made where possible, to break down any barriers which might prevent disabled students from actively participating in the life of the University.
4. The University uses the term ‘disabled student’ in this and other policies in order to provide guidance regarding who the policy may be relevant to. This term has been adopted to reflect the social model of disability, whereby people are disabled by social structures rather than by the nature of their difference. Further, this is the terminology most widely used within the sector currently. However, it is acknowledged that some students with a medical or mental health condition or a learning or neurological difference may not identify with this term or feel that it is an accurate representation of their experience.

Responsibilities

5. Students are responsible for informing the University about any disabilities which may impact on their studies or engagement in the life of the University.
6. Students have the right not to disclose a disability or to request that the existence or nature of their disability be treated as strictly confidential and therefore not shared with relevant staff across the University. Requests for strict confidentiality may mean that a less satisfactory adjustment is provided or that no adjustment can be provided.
7. Where a student informs the University that they have a disability, the University will offer the opportunity for the student to work with a SWC to create a Learning Support Plan (LSP) which will set out the support and accommodations to be provided by the University and any responsibilities or actions required by the student. The University will manage the process of information sharing as set out in the LSP and will treat all personal data in accordance with GDPR; disability-related information will be shared internally only on a need-to-know basis in order for support and reasonable adjustments to be implemented.
8. Students are responsible for informing a SWC/SM if the support set out in their LSP is found not to be appropriate or sufficient for their needs or if there is a problem or difficulty with the delivery of the agreed support. Students should contact a SWC/SM as quickly as possible to ensure any necessary adjustments or improvements are provided in a timely manner. 
9. The University cannot be held liable for not implementing individual reasonable adjustments prior to the disclosure of a disability. It is therefore vital that students make the University aware of their disability and needs as early as possible.

Other Policies and Procedures

10. This policy should be read in conjunction with these other relevant policies which cover in more detail the teaching and learning of the University and its academic requirements:
    1. Academic Engagement Policy (only for students on Student Route Visas or Tier 4 visas)
    2. Support to Study Policy
    3. Undergraduate Student Attendance Policy
    4. Extenuating Circumstances Policy
    5. Disciplinary Procedure for Students

Disclosure of Disability

11. All students with a diagnosed disability are advised to share this information with the University at the earliest opportunity by contacting SWC/SM. Students may develop a disability or begin to suspect that they have a disability after their studies have begun. In these circumstances, students are advised to meet with a SWC/SM as soon as possible to discuss their next steps. Any costs for assessments must be met by the student. Students experiencing financial hardship due to the cost of assessment should speak with a Student Support Coordinator for more information.
12. Students are advised to share information about a disability even if they do not believe that additional support is required. This will enable a discussion about their disability and their studies, to help ensure that any possible barriers to study are identified and solutions agreed in good time.
13. A student’s LSP will be shared only with the faculty and professional staff members necessary to ensure that agreed support and accommodations are delivered. This will be discussed and agreed with students as a part of the preparation of the LSP. Information will not be shared without the student’s permission, but where permission is not granted this may mean that the support and adjustments outlined in the LSP cannot be provided.

Learning Support Plans

14. LSPs set out all of the support and reasonable adjustments that the University agrees to put into place for a student, to remove barriers to their learning and enable them to perform to their full ability. LSPs will be individual to each student to reflect their particular medical or mental health condition and/or learning or neurological difference, their programme of study and their particular wishes. However, there are some common elements which are set out below.
15. LSPs will be prepared by a Student Wellbeing Coordinator in discussion with the student, and will be informed by the documentary evidence provided by the student setting out the nature of their disability and the impact it is likely to have on their learning and academic engagement.
16. Students who are dissatisfied with the LSP prepared by the SWC/SM may request that the Head of Student Support and Development (HSSD) review their LSP. To do this the student should email the HSSD setting out the reasons why they are dissatisfied with the LSP and what changes they are requesting.
17. The HSSD will consider the LSP and the documentation informing it. At their discretion they may also speak with the student and/or consult with the Associate Dean of Teaching and Learning, Head of Discipline or Head of relevant professional services or with the apprenticeship team, in order to explore the feasibility of any requested changes to the LSP.
18. The HSSD, after completing their review of the LSP, will then write to the student with the outcome of their review. The HSSD may either confirm that they consider the LSP to be appropriate and in keeping with the University’s facilities and policies, or they may recommend amendments to the LSP.
19. Students dissatisfied with the HSSD’s review of their LSP may make a formal complaint through the Complaints Procedure for Students.

Additional Support or Adjustments in Examinations

20. Students who have disclosed a disability and who feel they need extra support in their examinations (e.g. extra time, rest breaks, large text scripts, use of a computer) can have this included within their LSP.
21. Where agreed in the LSP, it is possible for students to obtain permission to use assistive technology to access examination scripts or write responses.
22. It is possible for students to request additional time to complete an examination where their disability impairs their ability to concentrate, read, write or formulate responses. The University follows sector guidance, and for students with SpLDs this is normally 25% extra time. In order to ensure sufficient time to deliver special examination arrangements, a student would normally need to have an LSP in place a minimum of four weeks prior to their first assessment period. In circumstances where students are diagnosed with a disability after these dates, efforts will still be made to put in place a LSP to agree adjustments, however examination adjustments cannot be guaranteed.

Recording Lectures

23. Many students with a SpLD, hearing impairment or fine motor control impairment can have difficulty writing by hand or writing and listening at the same time. As such, recording lectures is considered a reasonable adjustment and can be included within a LSP.
24. Any such recording is for private use only and shall remain the property of the lecturer. The recording must be used for the purposes of the students’ own personal study and should not be replayed to or shared with others or reproduced without the permission of the lecturer.
25. Breaches of this policy will be regarded as a disciplinary matter and will be subject to the Disciplinary Procedure for Students.

Coursework Adjustments

26. Students are expected to make full use of the University’s academic support and any specialist disability support provided, such as SpLD tutors, in order to meet assessment deadlines. However, it is recognised that some students with SpLDs, mental health or medical conditions may occasionally find it difficult to meet deadlines for written assessments, even when accessing support.
27. Students whose LSPs explicitly state that they have a condition with which they find it difficult to meet deadlines for written assessments may be permitted to request extensions to deadlines for both formative and summative assessments. The length of permitted extensions and the process by which to request them will be set out in the LSP.
28. Students failing to request the extension as set out in their LSP will be held to the original deadline, and any relevant late penalties will be applied.

Attendance and Absences

29. The University requires that students attend all scheduled teaching, including lectures, seminars, group tutorials, supervisions and one-to-one tutorials/reviews. The University will inform students of the mode of delivery of courses and course elements.
30. It is understood that some students may on occasion be unable to attend taught sessions due to the nature of their disability. There is a minimum attendance level for undergraduate students (non-apprentices), which is set out in the Undergraduate Student Attendance Policy, and disabled undergraduate students are expected to comply with this policy. Apprentices have set requirements for engagement which they are required to maintain and any deviation from this will need to be discussed with their Success Manager.
31. Where a disabled student has missed a taught session, they are responsible for making up any missed learning. They will be able to access relevant learning materials on the course’s CANVAS page and during office hours can also access individual support.

Disabled Students’ Allowance 

32. The Disabled Students’ Allowance is a non-means tested grant which helps to fund the extra costs a student with a disability, long-term medical condition, sensory impairment, physical difficulty, or specific learning difficulty (e.g. dyslexia) may have when attending their programme of study. DSA is currently only available to students meeting residency requirements and those studying for a home degree. To apply, students must complete the DSA online form via Gov.UK.
33. The University may include a requirement for eligible students to access specialist support available through the DSA within their LSP. This may include accessing specialist SpLD tuition, mental health mentoring or sign language interpreters.
34. DSA funding is not available to apprentice learners. However, the University is able to access funding for apprentice learners’ support needs and adjustments.

Marking of Written Work

35. The University does not mark or flag the assessments or examination scripts of students with learning differences or other disabilities for special consideration or adapted marking. It is the view of the University that it is most appropriate for all marking to be undertaken only on the basis of the demonstration of learning outcomes and the assessment criteria. For further information about marking see the AQF7: Academic Regulations, Part C: Assessment Regulations.

Temporary Disability

36. Students may sometimes experience an accident or illness which temporarily impacts on their ability to undertake key aspects of their studies, for example a broken arm may make it difficult or impossible for a student to hand write or type for a period. While these temporary conditions fall outside of the Equality Act 2010 the University nonetheless endeavours to put into place reasonable support and reasonable adjustments to enable the student to continue with their studies. Students who experience a temporary disability should contact Student Support and Development (SSD) as soon as possible.

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