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Disclosure
Students are under no obligation to disclose that they have a disability. However, there are benefits to disclosing: if the College is aware of any particular difficulties a student has, we will be better able to provide appropriate support. Students with a disability are therefore strongly advised to contact the College Disability Officers (the Senior Tutor (01865 277 946) and Domestic Bursar (01865 277 963) as soon as they arrive to discuss their needs. Physical Access
Most of the College’s buildings are accessible to wheelchair users, and a Stairclimber has recently been installed to provide access to Hall and other first floor buildings. For further details please see our access leaflet. The College has 4 accessible ground-floor study-bedrooms; and one with a vibrating fire alarm for a deaf student. All study-bedrooms have data points and telephones connected to both the College and University networks. The College makes every effort to further adapt its facilities to cater for the needs of students with specific disabilities. Special diets
Students who have special dietary requirements should contact the Domestic Bursar who will arrange a meeting with the chef to discuss their particular needs. Adjustments in Course and Examination Arrangements
The College makes every effort to organise adjustments to course and examination arrangements to meet students' individual needs. Possible adjustments include: extending a student’s period of study, providing readers/scribes or Braille texts, allowing a different mode of assessment, rescheduling of examinations, providing extra time in examinations and extensions to submission deadlines, sitting examinations in College and allowing candidates to use word processors in examinations. Students with a disability or medical condition who need to apply for such special study or examination arrangements will need medical or other independent, specialist evidence to support their requests for these arrangements. Disabled students and those with medical conditions should contact the College Disability Officers on arrival in order to ensure that appropriate adjustments are put in place as soon as possible (the Senior Tutor is responsible for academic arrangements, while the Domestic Bursar will deal with domestic arrangements). Students who become disabled or develop a medical condition whilst at Oxford should also inform the Academic Administrator at the earliest opportunity. Other Arrangements
The College also has a number of domestic procedures in place to make the lives of disabled students' in College as easy as possible. These include: personal laundry being done by College; extra assistance in tidying their bedrooms; being provided with a meal in their room if unable to attend Hall; having parcels and post from the Lodge brought to their rooms if necessary; help with grocery shopping; and help unpacking and transporting possessions from storage to their rooms at the beginning and end of terms. For further details of the College's provisions for disabled students, please see the College's Disability Equality Scheme. Dyslexia and Dyspraxia
Students who think that they might be dyslexic need to be assessed by the University approved chartered psychologists to see whether they are dyslexic or have any other type of specific learning difficulty (SpLD). The assessment costs approximately £300, but providing the assessment is done by a University approved chartered psychologist, the University Dyslexia and SpLD Fund will pay the full cost of the assessment. The University will not contribute towards the cost of an assessments undertaken by a non-approved psychologist and may also refuse to accept the report. Students are therefore strongly advised to use one of the psychologists on the University’s approved list. Applications should be made via the Academic Administrator, who may also arrange for a student to have a preliminary meeting with one of the University dyslexia tutors. Students must undergo such an assessment in order to be able to apply for special examination arrangements and also to apply for Disabled Students Allowances. There are often long waiting times for assessments, so it is best to arrange an appointment as soon as you think there is a need for one. Funding
Home students, undergraduate or graduate, may be eligible for Disabled Students Allowances (DSAs). These are provided by Local Authorities (LAs), or the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS). Some graduate funding bodies also provide an equivalent to DSA. The University and the College has limited funds available to assist students with specific study-related needs. The Southern Trust Fund, which is administered by the University, provides support for disabled students who need special equipment or other support in order to pursue their studies. Further details of this fund and application forms are available from the University's Disability Advisory Service. Feedback
If you would like to provide feedback (positive or negative) on the College's provision of services to disabled students, feedback forms are available here. (This link is to Webmail, and can therefore only be accessed by current Wadham students.) Disability Equality Scheme
For further information on the College's policy towards members with disabilities and plans for future development, please see the College's Disability Equality Scheme.
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