When you first apply for a place on a University of Hull programme, we will send you information about our team and the support available to you. When you accept the offer of a place, we will then ask you to send us any documentary evidence you have regarding your SpLD.
Typical examples include the following:
- Educational Psychologist Report (e.g. for Dyslexia)
- Occupational Therapy Report (e.g. for Dyspraxia)
- Clinical Report (e.g. for ADHD)
- Initial Screening Report
- Exam arrangement form
Once we have received your evidence, we will inform you of the adjustments we have put in place for you, such as:
- Exams - extra time, use of a PC, use of assistive software
- Assessments - extensions for deadlines
- Learning - lecture materials made available in advance of your lecture, recorded lectures
If eligible, we can advise you about accessing Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) - a package of free support to assist you with your studies. DSA can include specialist tuition, hardware/equipment and software, and training.
You can apply for DSAs once applications for funding through Student Finance England regardless of which UK University your final place will be at. UCAS has information about the process and Central Hub can provide further advice on this process.
Many students want to organise a new and suitable diagnostic report so they can access the Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) funded support package of specialist tuition, equipment and assistive technology software. We can help you obtain a new and suitable diagnostic assessment before you start the course and we will help refund the cost of your new report!
You must however use our preferred assessor, ToHealth, in order to be eligible for a refund. Please contact ToHealth and state that you intend to study at the University of Hull in your email.
Please keep the receipt safe to arrange for a refund (up to a maximum of £294 outside of London, and £300 inside London) Refunds are processed at the end of October). Once you have completed enrolment we will advise you on how to claim back your expenses.
We understand your exam support needs. We know exams can be particularly challenging for students with SpLD, if they do not get the right arrangements.
We put in place exam arrangements that reflect recommendations in your documentary evidence. Typically, we offer 25% extra time in an alternative exam room.
We also offer more specialist exam contracts to meet your individual needs, such as a separate room in the department.
We also want your exam experience to be as independent as possible, so we encourage students to use assistive technology, rather than human support, such as readers and scribes.
- Read&Write software is a text reader that reads text aloud, perfect for reading exam questions or even reading back your answers!
- Dragon Naturally Speaking is voice recognition software, allowing you to speak into a microphone or headset attached to your computer to type what you are saying. This software is recommended to students who have specific difficulties transferring their thoughts and ideas into writing.
Of course, if you have specific needs that mean you cannot use the recommended alternative assistive software, we will consider human exam support.
Many students start university who have not had the opportunity to have a full assessment for SpLDs such as Dyslexia or Dyspraxia.
We make it a priority to offer all applicants the opportunity to do an online screening for Dyslexia as part of online induction, to make sure you receive specific support, early in your course. The screener is available to be completed throughout your studies, but we encourage students to complete it earlier to enable us to provide support and adjustments.
If screening results indicate Dyslexia, we may arrange a diagnostic assessment with a suitably qualified assessor (paid for by the University of Hull).