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Support DANU Can Offer

The Disability and Additional Needs Unit (DANU) co-ordinate services for students with disabilities and we can:

  • Provide assistance with applying for the Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) or other available funding
  • Arrange a Needs Assessment once approved for the DSA
  • Liaise with your department to organise individual examination arrangements
  • Arrange an appointment for a diagnostic assessment for dyslexia
  • Provide Study Support Workers, BSL interpreters, Dyslexia Support Tutors, etc.
  • Liaise with Residential Services, if adapted accommodation is required;
  • Provide information and liaise with other support services, internal and external, for example, Social Services, Counselling etc.
  • Assist with any other query relating to disability issues

The Disability Co-ordinator and the Disability Advisors are members of the National Association of Disability Practitioners (NADP), which provides best practice guidelines for disability practitioners.

Services Available:

Study Support Services.

Loan of Equipment

DANU has a limited amount of equipment which can be loaned on a short-term basis to students who are:

  • Waiting for their own equipment to be delivered
  • Not eligible for the Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA)
  • Experiencing a temporary disability
The equipment available includes:

Support for Dyslexia and Other Specific Learning Difficulties

If you think you may have a specific learning difficulty, such as dyslexia, following an initial screening ,we can arrange a referral to a qualified Educational Psychologist for a Diagnostic Assessment. Funding for this assessment may be available from the Access to Learning Fund (ALF).

If you have previously been assessed by an Educational Psychologist and diagnosed with a specific learning difficulty, i.e. dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia etc, you may also be eligible for extra support on an hourly, one-to-one basis with a Dyslexia / Study Skills Tutor. The tutor can help with essay structuring, revision techniques, proof-reading and other study strategies. In order to receive funding for this support, you will need to be in receipt of the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA).

With appropriate funding, we can also provide readers, note-takers, plus basic advice on assistive software.

Services for Students with other Disabilities can include:

British Sign Language Interpreters (BSL), Communication Support Workers, Visiting Teacher Service tuition, campus orientation visits and sessions, liaison with supportive external organisations such as the RNIB.

Help with Funding Applications:

We can help you with your application for the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA)*, which can pay for equipment, study support workers and any extra study-related costs. We can also provide advice about other possible funding sources.

Liaison with Internal Departments / Services:

We can help arrange longer-term book loans, adapted accommodation, advance lecture materials and individual exam arrangements. Most of these services are either free of charge or can be paid for using the Disabled Students’ Allowance. Aston University will make every reasonable effort to provide the services set out here. However, please note that some services are subject to availability (e.g. Sign Language Interpreters), and a successful application for funding.

* For non-UK students, please contact the DANU team for more advice about funding – you would normally be expected to have funding in place before you arrived in the UK, to cover your support needs.