Disability Services
The service assists students with a learning difficulty, disability, medical condition or other learning need to realise their full academic and personal potential whilst studying at Bradford College.
Our staff have a great deal of knowledge and experience in working with disabled students studying on Further Education (FE) or Higher Education (HE) courses and will offer advice and support to any student who makes a referral to the service or wishes to know more about the support available.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Disability Service provides advice and support for students with a learning difficulty, disability, medical condition or other learning need.
Each person’s disability can affect them in different ways so the support we offer is bespoke to each individual student and will depend on the initial discussion / assessment, any supporting information you may have.
To access support, you will need to make a referral using our online referral form. You may also visit us in person at Trinity Green or The David Hockney Building where a member of staff will be able to help you complete a referral in-person.
Once your referral is submitted, this will be triaged and passed to the relevant staff member.
The member of staff will schedule an initial appointment to discuss and assess your support needs.
Based on this assessment the member of staff will recommend strategies to use and commission further support from the Disability Services team if required. This will include a learning support agreement which will be shared with you, your course teams and Disability Services staff.
For Higher Education Students, the department provides NMH (Non-Medical Helper) support for certain support roles as itemised in your needs assessment report. We will also make the necessary reasonable adjustments to meet your needs during your period of study as a Higher Education (HE) student.
There will be opportunities to attend open days for the curriculum area you wish to study on.
During these events the Disability team will be present to offer advice on the support that may be available.
If you have an EHCP (Education Health and Care Plan) it is helpful to know in advance if you are planning on attending Bradford College. We will work with you to put together a bespoke support plan that will support you in your college journey including relevant transition. This may include strategies for your tutors, exam access arrangements and a range of other support strategies in and out of class, as outlined on your EHC Plan.
We would encourage you to disclose your disability, which may affect your study and time at college, so we can advise on any adjustments that may be required. We have a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments.
s a higher education student living in England, you can apply for Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs) if you have a disability, such as a:
- long-term health condition
- mental health condition
- specific learning difficulty, e.g. dyslexia
The DSA is a non-means tested allowance for disabled students who are already studying or about to study a higher education course. It covers additional study–related costs that you will incur because of your disability. It doesn’t provide you with money; it pays for the support you need, such as specialist equipment or dyslexia support.
You should apply for the Disabled Students Allowance as soon as possible. You do not have to wait until you have a confirmed place. The team can help you apply for DSA once you are an active student at college.
For further information regarding the DSA, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/disabled-students-allowance-dsa
If you have a Blue Badge, you can contact the team to arrange a parking permit on-site. If you do not have a blue badge but consider yourself to have a medical need that warrants on-site parking you can contact the team to discuss a parking permit based on medical information.
We would recommend that you contact us to discuss your disability to ensure you are aware of the range of support available to you. You can also refer yourself at any point during your time at college.
