Student Support Unit

The Disability Team is comprised of specialist Disability Advisors and administrators. We provide confidential information and advice to current and future students on disability-related study support and accessing disability-related funding.

Click here to Register and Submit Medical Evidence

We know that the word “disability” can mean different things to different people, and you may not have thought of yourself as being disabled before, but it is worth considering whether you might be entitled to support, especially if you’ve had support in the past, such as exam arrangements at school.

The Equality Act identifies the following as examples of disability:

• Hearing impairment

• Visual impairment

• Physical/mobility disabilities

• Specific learning differences (SpLDs) such as dyslexia or dyspraxia

• Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder or AD(H)D

• Autism Spectrum Conditions

• A mental health condition

• A long term medical condition such as ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, asthma, epilepsy, diabetes, cancer and HIV.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, and if you are unsure about anything, please contact us with any question – we are here to help. Either telephone 01273 877466 between 10am and 3pm each day (phone line is closed between 1pm and 2pm on Tuesdays), or email disabilitysupport@sussex.ac.uk or refer to our FAQ page.

If you are experiencing confirmed symptoms of long covid, please do not hesitate to contact us. It is likely that we will be able to put reasonable adjustments in place to support you while you are recovering. You may also find the following link helpful:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/post-covid-syndrome-long-covid/

Reasonable adjustments

If you’re a student, see information about reasonable adjustments on the Student Hub.

We also provide resources and guidance for university staff on reasonable adjustments and supporting students with disabilities.

Contact

Register and Submit Medical Evidence

E: disabilitysupport@sussex.ac.uk

Thank you for calling Disability Support (formerly Student Support Unit). Our phone lines are currently closed as staff will be engaged in welcome activities during the first two weeks of term. However, our service is still available and can be accessed by emailing DisabilitySupport@sussex.ac.uk. Students can also visit the Student Centre Welcome desk between 10am – 4pm, Monday-Friday.

Information

Extension Requests Form

Click here to make an extension request.

If you are requesting an extension to coursework, please be advised that we require 10 working days before a submission deadline to submit an extension request. If you are requesting an extension with less than 10 days to the deadline, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to make the request or that your school will grant it.

Exam Deadline

The deadline for the A2 exam period for reasonable adjustments is 25th March 2022. SSU will need your consent form and medical evidence by that date to put adjustments in place.

Sudden and Unforeseen Circumstances

If you are experiencing a sudden, unforeseen or temporary situation which is impacting on your academic progress , you may need to submit an Exceptional Circumstances Claim (ECC) instead.

For useful resources, pages and FAQs to support you during this time please click here.

RA’s for exams and in-class assessments

We aim to process your RA’s within four weeks of receipt of consent and acceptable evidence. We ask for this time so that all carefully assessed adjustments are accurately noted and actioned. In order to receive support for your formal exams or in-class assessments, we must have received these documents at least four weeks prior to any deadlines. A1 & A2 exam support deadlines are published on this website in October and March respectively. Your School is responsible for arranging support in your in-class assessments, so please be aware that we must be able to make this information available to them well in advance.