To declare or not to declare?
It's your decision as to whether or not to declare your disability or condition, but we would urge you to contact the Disability and Well-being Service early as possible in your course for a confidential discussion about this.
Confidentiality
Your right to confidentiality is respected and information regarding your disability or condition will only be given out with your permission and on a "need to know" basis. Confidentiality is required under the Data Protection Act 1998 which categorises such information as "sensitive".
The process of declaring
At a meeting with one of the staff in the Disability and Well-being Service or the Neurodiversity Service, an Individual Student Support Agreement (ISSA) will be created. At this meeting you will decide who, within the university, you wish to disclose your disability to.
Individual Student Support Agreement (ISSA)
Overview of the ISSA process
An ISSA is a document outlining the accommodations you will need during your studies, and identifying which departments and services are responsible for putting the accommodations in place
This video [4:48] gives you an overview of the ISSA process
Reasonable adjustments in an ISSA
At a meeting with one of the staff in the Disability and Well-being Service or the Neurodiversity Service, your ISSA will be constructed and accommodations agreed. You will also agree to which departments and services the ISSA will be circulated.
This video [5:00] gives examples of reasonable adjustments and how they are organised.