Disability and Higher Education in the United Kingdom

Universities and higher education colleges have an obligation to make provision for disabled students.

Higher education providers in the UK are subject to the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). This puts them under a duty to make reasonable adjustments for all disabled students applying for and attending their institutions.  In addition all colleges and universities higher education institutions must have a Disability Equality Scheme, setting out how they intend to improve disability equality for staff and students across their institution. You may want to read an institution’s Disability Equality Scheme to gain a better understanding of the institution’s general support for disabled people.

The legal definition of disability in the DDA is:

‘a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long term adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’

This definition is defined under part 1 of the Disability Discrimination Act.  This definition is designed to be as broad as possible. There are a wide variety of conditions and impairments that will be covered, but remember each part of this definition must apply to you before you are defined as disabled under the Act. The exceptions to this are cancer, HIV and Multiple Sclerosis which are covered by the Act from the point you are diagnosed.

To check if you are disabled under the terms of the Act, break down the definition into 4 categories and ask yourself the following questions:

1) ‘Physical or mental impairment’

• Physical impairments such as mobility difficulties
• Sensory impairments, such as people with visual or hearing impairments
• Learning difficulties, including people with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia
• Mental health conditions which have a long term effect
• Genetic conditions once the condition affects your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities
• Progressive conditions once the condition affects your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities, apart from cancer, HIV and Multiple Sclerosis which are covered from the point of diagnosis
• Conditions which are characterised by a number of cumulative effects such as pain or fatigue
• Hidden impairments such as asthma or diabetes, when these have an effect on day-to-day activities
• A past history of disability
  

2) ‘Substantial adverse effect’

A substantial adverse effect is something that is more than minor or trivial and goes beyond the normal differences between people. If you have a severe disfigurement, you are considered as disabled because the disfigurement is taken as having an adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. You do not need to prove that the disfigurement has this effect.

3) ‘Long term effect’

A long-term effect is one:

• Which has lasted at least 12 months; or
• Where the total period for which it lasts is likely to be 12 months; or
• Which is likely to last for the rest of your life
  

Some effects are not long term and would not be included under the Act, such as loss of mobility due to a broken limb which is likely to heal within 12 months.

If your impairment has had a substantial adverse effect before, but the situation changes and the condition gets better temporarily, it is treated as if it is likely to come back. You would therefore be covered by the Act.

If you used to have a physical or mental impairment which you have now recovered from, and that impairment was within the other elements of the definition, you are still protected from discrimination even if you have recovered.

4) ‘Affecting normal day-to-day activities’

Normal day-to-day activities are things that most people have to do every day, whatever their job or occupation. The term does not include activities that are normal for you yourself, such as playing a musical instrument, or performing a skilled on specialist task at work. However, if you are affected in such a specialised way but also affected in a normal day-to-day way you would be covered by the Act.

There are broad categories of capacity listed in the Act, including:

• Mobility
• Manual dexterity
• Physical co-ordination
• Continence
• Ability to lift, carry or otherwise move everyday objects
• Speech, hearing or eyesight
• Memory or ability to concentrate, learn or understand
• Perception of the risk of physical danger
  

If you come within these definitions, you are considered by law a disabled person and protected under the Disability Discrimination Act.

How disabled student support is organised in UK Higher Education

Support for disabled students is provided in two ways. Firstly, it is provided within UK education institutions themselves. Secondly, national and local charities offer advice and support to disabled students. The Equality and Human Rights Commission is the UK statutory body with overall responsibility for promoting disability equality.

Every university or college has a Disability Advisor or Learning Support Coordinator to help you get the most out of your time in higher education. They can tell you about the support available - for example equipment to help you study. When applying to a university, you don't have to tell them about your disability - but you'd need to do so to get any additional support or funding.  There are many things universities can do to help disabled students, including:

• providing course materials in Braille and other accessible format
• sensuring buildings and facilities are accessible
• encouraging flexible teaching methods
• providing support during exams
• allowing additional time to complete courses

You may also need assistance on a day-to-day basis to help you study. This could be someone to:

• interpret words into sign language
• take notes for you
• write down your words - for example in an exam
• help you overcome physical barriers

Part 4 of the Disability Discrimination Act makes it unlawful for education and training providers and other related services to discriminate against disabled people. This legislation includes rights, under certain circumstances, for disabled international students studying in the UK and for disabled people from the UK who take part in international study.

Universities and colleges are required to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to their services to ensure that disabled students are not placed at a ‘substantial disadvantage’ This means that they must not discriminate against disabled students in areas such as enrolment and admissions and in the provision of student services.

In the case of international students, the amount being paid in fees is a factor that may be considered when deciding what is a reasonable adjustment.

Most full-time undergraduate disabled students in the UK pay for their equipment and support through government funded Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs). If you are an ‘overseas’ student, you are not eligible for these allowances. You are still protected under the DDA, which means universities must make reasonable adjustments to ensure you are not placed at a substantial disadvantage.

Before applying for a course, find out if the institution has the facilities or support services you need. You can do this by asking to see the college or university’s disability statement. This says what is provided for disabled students in terms of facilities and access. Disability statements can be produced in alternative formats such as on tape or in large print.

After you have been accepted, contact the disabled students’ adviser at the university or college to discuss how staff will be able to meet your needs.  Some of the organisations listed in section 11 may also be able to help you find and arrange support.

National and local support

Skill: National Bureau for Students with Disabilities is a small charity in the UK that works to improve education and training for people with disabilities and learning difficulties who are 16 years and over.  Skill gives information and advice to individual students, their families or people working with them. Skill does not offer courses and can only give limited direct support to individual students. For example, we cannot help you choose the right college or obtain funding to do a course. Skill is not a grant-making organisation and is unable to give financial help to any students, but can provide a wide range of information to assist disabled students.

Skill can provide a list of helpful organisations for you to contact (see ‘For more information’)

Student financial supports

Financial support will depend on a variety of factors, including firstly whether you are classed as a home student or an overseas student. The UK Council for International Student Affairs provides guidance on its website as to whether you would be classed as a home or overseas student.

For home students, the level of tuition fees and financial support available will vary depending on what part of the UK you are studying in. For the academic year 2009 / 2010, institutions in England, Wales and Northern Ireland charge up to £3,225 per year for an undergraduate course. Students coming to Scotland from other countries will pay up to £1,820 (£2,895 for medicine) per year. Home students are usually eligible for loans for tuition fees and living costs (called ‘Maintenance Loans’). For more information on this, Skill: National Bureau for Students with Disabilities provides information booklets online about funding for disabled students in higher education. 


Overseas students - If the institution decides you do not qualify as a ‘home’ student, you will be classified as an overseas student and will probably have to pay fees at the overseas student rate. Overseas fees may range from £4,000 to around £18,000 per year depending on the course, the level of study and the institution.

If you are not a European national, it can be very difficult to find funding to pay for studies in countries other than your own, including the UK. In order to pass through immigration once you have arrived in the UK, you must be able to demonstrate you have enough funding to pay for your academic fees and living expenses. You have three options:

a. Funding from your own country

To find out if any funding is available, contact the Ministry of Education or Education Department in your own country. Check if you are able to get a grant or award from your own government to study in another country. You may be eligible for a grant from non-governmental organisations as well.

b. Scholarships and award schemes

There are some award schemes for international students for which you may be eligible. Most awards and scholarships are for people studying specific subjects or people from particular areas of the world. You can search online at: www.educationuk.org/scholarships

Scholarship schemes available for international students include:

British Chevening Scholarships

These scholarships, funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and administered by the British Council, enable overseas students to study in the United Kingdom. Scholarships are offered in over 150 countries and enable talented graduates and young professionals to become familiar with the UK and gain skills which will benefit their countries. The Chevening programme currently provides around 2,300 new scholarships each year for postgraduate studies or research at UK Institutions of Higher Education. British Embassies and High Commissions usually carry out the selection of candidates overseas in consultation with the local British Council Director. You should therefore be resident in your home country when you apply. Contact the British Embassy, British High Commission or British Council Office in your own country or visit www.chevening.com for further details.

Overseas Research Students Awards Scheme (ORSAS)

These grants are for outstanding international students who come to the United Kingdom to undertake postgraduate research. The Scheme is currently funded through the four UK higher education funding bodies (for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) but from 2010 it will only be funded in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Contact the British higher education institution that has accepted you, or provisionally accepted you, for the course. Further information is available at: www.orsas.ac.uk.

Some institutions in the UK have their own award schemes. Details of any schemes are usually in their prospectus, on their website or can be given to you on request.

c. Funding yourself

The third option is to fund yourself. Course fees and living costs are expensive, so you must be able to prove you can support yourself financially in order to enter the UK. Refer to section 6 for a rough estimate of the cost of living in the UK. You can contact The British Council in your country to receive additional information about sources of funding. You can also contact the Council in the UK. The Ministry of Education or the British Embassy or High Commission in your country may also be able to give you more ideas about funding.

Skill produces an information booklet, Applying to Charitable Trusts, which lists a few trusts that might be able to assist with funding. You should contact each trusts individually to find out if they provide funding to overseas students. Contact Skill’s Information Service for more details or visit www.skill.org.uk.

Overseas students studying in the UK are allowed to work during vacations and in their spare time if the course lasts longer than six months.  They can also engage in work placements as part of a sandwich course. However, there are some restrictions to the work you can do without getting separate authorisation:

• You can only work a maximum of 20 hours per week during term time (unless you are on a placement as a necessary part of your studies). There are no restrictions on hours of work during vacations.
• You cannot provide business services, be self-employed or be a professional sports person or entertainer.
• You cannot pursue a career by taking a permanent full-time vacancy.
  

Welfare benefits

There may be some welfare benefits payable by the government of your own country that you can continue to receive while studying in the UK. These benefits may cover living costs or be payable to disabled people. Check with the authorities where you live. There are also UK social security benefits available in some limited circumstances to certain people who have recently arrived in the UK. This depends on:

• your immigration status and any limitation or conditions put on you for your visit to the UK and / or
• whether you are ‘habitually resident’ in the UK
  

If you are studying full-time, you will also have to show that you are in a ‘vulnerable’ category, such as a single parent or you have certain disability, care or mobility needs.

If you are not a European Economic Area (EEA) or Swiss national, there can sometimes be implications for your immigration status if you claim one of these benefits (defined as ‘public funds’ in the Immigration Rules). The benefit rules are complicated whatever your nationality and it is important to seek advice from the welfare service at your place of study or contact UKCISA before making any benefit claim. For more information, refer to UKCISA’s Guidance Note entitled Welfare benefits.

Other relevant UKCISA guidance notes include:

Sources of funding for international students
Financial hardship
Working in the UK during your studies
Council tax and international students

Visit www.ucisa.org.uk for more information.

There is limited funding available specifically for international disabled students. You will have to go through the same process as non-disabled international students. However, your sponsors may be able to provide you with an additional grant to cover any extra expenses you have because of your disability. For example, people on the EU Socrates / Erasmus exchange programme can apply for grants, which are higher than normal study grants, to offset additional costs incurred by specific difficulties.

Accommodation

It is advisable to arrange your accommodation in the UK before you leave home. You have responsibility for arranging your own accommodation but your college or university are likely to help you. Many institutions have student advisers or accommodation officers who can give you information on how to find accommodation.

The type of accommodation available will depend on where you study: it may be halls of residence or a hostel, or lodging with a UK family. Living with a UK family is the most common option and will give you the opportunity to practise English in a supportive environment.

If you are planning to bring a lot of personal belongings with you, it is advisable to arrange insurance. Along with your travel insurance it is advisable to arrange contents insurance, which can be arranged once you arrive in the UK. Your institution’s students’ union or international office should be able to suggest insurers to you, or you may wish to look through the Yellow pages, the local business phone directory for listings. Many insurance companies offer specially tailored policies for students, so don’t forget to tell them you are a student when you ask for a quote!

Most international students coming to study at a UK college or university will be entitled to at least one year’s accommodation in an institution-owned property. Around 30 per cent of international students studying at further education colleges live in accommodation owned by the college. If you are a higher education student coming to the UK for the first time, accommodation provided by your college or university is probably the most suitable choice, which is why it is taken up by more than half of the international students on degree courses in the UK. Your institution will try to match your needs with the options available.

Find out the size and cost of the rooms. If you intend to live in university-provided accommodation, ask if there are any limits on how long you can stay. You may want to get a guarantee of accessible accommodation for your entire course. Find out what is available; halls of residence, flats or rented housing.

Check if there are features you might need, such as:

• accessible rooms
• lifts, making sure there are no ‘out of hours’ restrictions
• adapted kitchens and laundry facilities
• appropriate safety and evacuation procedures
• flashing light fire alarms if you are D/deaf or hard of hearing
• telephones in the room
• additional rooms available if you have a personal assistant

You may also wish to find out if all the accessible rooms are put in one block or are spread out across the halls.

Halls of residence

The most common form of accommodation for higher education students is in halls of residence, located on campus or a short distance away, which are usually owned by the institution. You will live in a study-bedroom, either by yourself or with another student, on a corridor of around eight to 10 rooms. You may have to share a bathroom, though many institutions do have en-suite rooms, particularly for postgraduate and mature students. Halls of residence are often the cheapest available option.

Some halls provide two meals a day, and others provide shared kitchens in which students can cater for themselves. Self-catering halls tend to be cheaper, but you may prefer to pay extra to have meals cooked for you - mealtimes can be a good opportunity to meet other students. Most halls of residence have laundry facilities as well as cleaning staff who change bed sheets and empty bins. Generally the cost of utilities, such as water and electricity are included in the rental cost. Spare rooms can sometimes be booked in advance for parents or friends who are visiting

Social life in halls

Living in student halls of residence is a great way to meet new people and make lasting friendships. Each hall usually has an elected student body which has a say in the running of the hall and which organises a lively social programme. Find out whether buildings and facilities are accessible to you. Buildings you are likely to use include the students’ union, bars, canteens, television lounge, music rooms and sports facilities. You may also need to find out if there is parking for disabled people, good lighting and helpful signs around the university or college. Do not be discouraged if some things are not right. Talk to the disability coordinator about your needs and discuss what adaptations can be made before you start.

As they are run by universities, halls offer a supportive environment. They are often supervised by university staff and have people on hand to help students settle in, including staff and senior students. Security is often provided 24 hours a day. The rules can, however, be restricting for some. There is always the risk that you might not get on with your fellow students and you may prefer to live in either a livelier or quieter environment.

Student holidays

Not all halls provide accommodation for the whole year. You may have to clear your room during the holidays if the building is rented out for conferences or summer schools. Check with your international officer whether this is the case. Most universities will make exceptions for international students and allow you to stay during vacations or at least to store belongings in a secure space if you are going home. International students are often guaranteed accommodation at least for their first year. It is best to accept any offers as early as possible. Few institutions have enough rooms to accommodate every single student so they need to know as early as possible if rooms are going to be free.

University and college houses

Some institutions may have purchased houses or flats that have been adapted for small groups of students, couples or families. There are also some schemes whereby private landlords allow their houses to be managed and let by universities.
The cost of your breakfast and evening meal may be included in the rent you pay. Where meals are included you can expect to pay from £300 to £380 per month. Bathroom facilities may be shared but an increasing number of universities and colleges now offer en-suite rooms, where you have your own private bathroom, at a slightly higher rent. For students with families, a number of universities and colleges offer two- or three-bedroom family units at a cost of £450 to £550 per month.

Privately owned accommodation

House and flat share 

A place in halls is usually only guaranteed for one or two years of a three-year course; usually for the first and/or third years. For your second and/or your third year flat or house sharing tends to be a popular choice. Flats and houses for rent are advertised in local papers, shop windows and in your institution's accommodation office. The best time to look for accommodation is before the end of the summer term, in June and July. If you find a flat or house at this time of year, you may need to pay for it over the summer. Some landlords will, however, reduce the amount if you are not going to be living there straight away. If you enjoy independence and cooking for yourself, sharing a flat or house is a great option. For a room in a house or flat shared with other students, expect to pay between £200 and £500 per month. The rent often excludes household bills, such as water, electricity, telephone and council tax, so check with your landlord what the rent does include before you sign the contract, so there are no unexpected costs after you move in.

Bed-sits 

Short for 'bedroom/sitting room', a bed-sit is a one room apartment in a larger building. Each room will have a single or double bed with a washing area and many also have a private cooker and bathroom. Bed-sits can be any size from reasonably spacious to extremely cramped. Although cheap, bed-sits can be lonely unless you are in a building with lots of other students. Noisy neighbours can also make it difficult to study and you will have a landlord or agency to deal with. However bed-sits can be a good way of assuring your freedom if you find the rules imposed in halls of residence too restrictive. Expect to pay between £200 and £600 per month, usually excluding household bills.

Home stays 

This is a particularly popular option for English language students and younger students at further education colleges. You live in the home of a host family, where you have your own study-bedroom and a certain number of meals with the family. Arrangements are flexible according to the needs and wants of the student, although your stay is usually seen as a kind of cultural exchange. Complete immersion in UK life is often the best way to develop your language skills and understanding of the culture and customs of a British family. You will be expected to respect and abide by basic rules that the family may impose. You are paying, however, so services such as babysitting and housework are entirely at your discretion and you are under no obligation. Home stays can work very well for students who value security and prefer a home environment, although if the host family has young children you may find that it is not the best environment for quiet study. The real advantage is that you will have to speak English daily.

Short-term home stays

In most cases home stays will be arranged for the duration of your course, either privately or through the institution you are going to attend. If you choose another accommodation option, however, it may still be possible to arrange a short, one-off weekend home stay by way of an introduction to British culture and home life. They can also be arranged through organisations such as local churches, temples, mosques or synagogues, and charitable organisations with international links. One particular organisation that arranges weekend home stay visits across the UK is Host UK, which was set up by the British Council in 1991. You can find out more at www.hostuk.org

Making friends 


Being a student in the UK is not just coursework or doing research but relaxing and having some fun too. Students can get discounts on so many cultural experiences and attractions, and wherever you study you’ll find places to enjoy with friends or by yourself…concerts, walks in the country, museums, cinemas, up-to-the-minute sports facilities, galleries, cafes and castles, gardens, shops and coastline. UK institutions pride themselves on providing great social opportunities for their students, with different societies and groups for a massive range of interests. International students from all over the world tell us about how easily they make new friends from all over the world. Making friends in the UK will really help you to improve your English too.