Disability Advisory Service Information for Staff

Supporting Disabled Students

The University of Reading has a firm commitment to Diversity and Inclusion, whereby Inclusion, Diversity, and Disability is fully embedded into UoR working culture, and visible in policies, processes, and our behaviour framework.

 

"To be a part of the University of Reading, means to be Inclusive!"

 

 

Who are the Disability Advisory Service (DAS)?

The DAS team are are made up of Disability Advisors and Disability Support Coordinators. We are a diverse team who are passionate about equity for disabled students, and the team has many colleagues who have lived experience of disability themselves.

The Disability Advisory Service provides an Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) service to current students, and applicants, who register with our service due to a disability, specific learning difference, long term medical or mental health condition. We also provide IAG to colleagues at the University who are supporting our disabled students.

We are fully committed to enabling students with disabilities, and believe that every student with a disability, Specific Learning Difference, long-term medical or mental health condition should be able to reach their full potential.

How can I contact the Disability Advisory Service (DAS)?

DAS is part of Student Services and is located in the Carrington Building, Whiteknights campus, Reading RG6 6UA.

DAS reception is located on the ground floor, to the left of the Student Services Help Desk.

Reception Hours: 10.00am - 1.00pm and 2.00pm - 4.00pm

Office hours: Monday to Friday from 9.00am-5.00pm.

Appointments: Face-to-face, phone, or remotely through Microsoft Team are offered Monday to Friday from 10.00am with the last appointment finishing at 4.00pm.

However out-of-hours appointments can be made available on an individual basis, for example campus tours.

Telephone: 0118 378 4202

Email address: disability@reading.ac.uk

We are closed on weekends, Public Holidays and University Closure Days.

We may operate reduced hours during the summer vacation period.

What do I do if the service is closed?

Staff and students can email the DAS inbox (disability@reading.ac.uk).
We will respond at the earliest opportunity.

If a student needs urgent out-of-hours support they can contact:

• Their Doctor or GP practice
  (The phone number for the University Medical practice in Northcourt Avenue,
  is 0118 987 4551)

• The Common Point of Entry to Mental Health Services (Crisis) is 0300 365 0300

• The Samaritans: 08457 90909

• Non-urgent NHS medical help/advice: 111

For immediate wellbeing or financial support - students can access the University of Reading’s 24/7 Confidential Student Helpline by calling: 0800 023 2466

 

What we can do

~Create Individual Learning Plans (ILPs) for disabled students, which reflect their reasonable adjustments, and adaptations to teaching, learning, and exam arrangements

~Advise teaching staff on reasonable adjustments and how to support students in their studies

~Advise students on applying for funding through Disabled Students Allowances

~Write supporting statements for exceptional circumstances requests

~Liaise with other teams within the University, such as Support Centres, Accommodation, and Academic colleagues

~Help students in finding the right support for wellbeing, finance, and study needs

 

What we cannot do

~We do not provide advice or guidance to disabled staff - To get help as a member of staff you can find information about our Diversity and Inclusion Team and their work, or visit our Human Resources pages

~We do not provide ongoing one-to-one appointments with students, though we are able to support students in accessing a mentor (where eligible), and we can provide advice, or re-assess a student's needs at any time if they proactively reach out to us to book a follow-up

~As part of our privacy policy, we cannot contact parents/carers, unless there is a serious risk (see our Essentials page - information for parents/carers)

 

Information and resources for colleagues supporting disabled students

DAS provide information, advice and guidance, for our Academic colleagues. This includes resources on understanding disabilities, frequently asked questions, and information for staff about providing reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities.

 

Disability Representatives

Our Disability Representatives provide essential support to colleagues across our Schools, cascading relevant information, updates, and students' support plans, so that our teaching colleagues have the information they need to support disabled students.

If you are interested in becoming a Disability Representative, or require information and resources related to the role, you can find guidance on our Resources for Colleagues page.

 

Information for DSA Needs Assessors and Non-Medical Helpers (NMH)

Useful information for recommendations regarding provisions of non-medical helper and support.

 

If you are a student or applicant

If you are a student or applicant, and you have ended up here, the web pages you need, are on our University Essentials web pages, which provide a comprehensive guide for current and prospective students relating to disabilities. The information is set out in blocks to help you find what you are looking for.

Please contact disability@reading.ac.uk us if you have any questions or can't find what you are looking for.

 

If you are a parent or carer

Information for parents or carers can be found on our student essentials pages.