Services
Needs assessments for the Disabled Students' Allowance
We provide needs assessments for students with: specific learning difficulties (dyslexia, dyspraxia, AD/HD etc.), sensory impairments, mobility difficulties, unseen disabilities, autism spectrum disorders and mental health difficulties.
- A Study Aids and Study Strategies Assessment (or Needs Assessment) helps establish your study support needs in relation to the Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA).
- Recommendations for support could include provision of your own specialist equipment, specialist software, human support, such as a note taker, learning support tutor or mentor, and advice about study strategies.
- The assessment will take the form of a discussion between you and your assessor to help identify the kind of support that best suits your needs at University or College. You may also be shown a range of specialist technology appropriate for your needs.
- A detailed report will be produced, containing recommendations for your support. A copy of this can be sent to you for approval before being forwarded to your funding authority. With your permission, a copy will also be sent to your University or College support service.
What you need to do
- You will be asked to provide certain information in advance, such as:
- correspondence from your funding authority confirming your eligibility for a needs assessment.
- information about your disability or specific learning difficulty, such as an Educational Psychologist's report, a doctor's letter, a consultant's report or other information relating to your condition(s).
- You will also be asked for information about your course, such as the pattern of attendance and assessments, details of field trips or periods of studying abroad etc.
- During your assessment, you will probably be asked about your experience with computers and how familiar you are with using technology. It would be very helpful if you could find out from your University or College which computer system is used for your course - PCs or Apple Macs?
- We recommend that, if you have not already done so beforehand, you contact the disability or learning support services at your University or College.
- If you wish to receive a draft copy of your report, please check that it is an accurate account of the discussion with your assessor and reply as soon as possible. If we do not receive a reply from you within five working days, we are required to send the report to your funding body, though not to your University or College support service.
Please attend your appointment on time. If you have any difficulties attending your appointment, please contact SRAC Reception at the earliest opportunity.
If you have any access or support requirements on the day of your assessment, please let us know in advance.
Training on assistive technology
We provide training sessions tailored to individuals' needs and pace of learning. Sessions are usually booked for 1.5 hours but may be longer by request. For students who would find it very difficult to attend the centre, training sessions can be provided in their own home.
We can provide group training on assistive software for staff of HE/FE Institutions by arrangement.
For details of how to make an appointment, please see below.
Making an appointment
To make an appointment for a needs assessment or training, please ring SRAC Reception on 01273 678497. SRAC carries out needs assessments near Brighton (University of Sussex) and Worthing (Northbrook College).
For a needs assessment, you should have already received a letter from your funding authority confirming your eligibility - we cannot make an appointment unless this is the case. When you speak to our Receptionist, you will be asked a series of basic questions about your disability or learning difficulty in order to allocate you to an appropriate needs assessor. It is very important that you let us know, at this stage, all the conditions or disabilities that your funding authority have agreed to support through the DSA.