The Student Support Unit is a team 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.
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 chronic fatigue, 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.
Quick Query Appointments with a Disability Advisor
From the 20th September, the Student Support Unit will be running bookable Quick Query appointments. These can be on campus or by telephone. Please book through Sussex Direct under Study - Student Life - SSU Appointments.
Appointments from 10am to 11am and 1pm to 2pm, each day, are telephone only, and appointments from 11am to 12pm and 2pm to 3pm are face to face on campus appointments in the Student Support Unit.
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:
Reasonable adjustments
If you’re a student, see information about reasonable adjustments on the Student Hub.
Contact
We are based in the Student Life Centre
Ground Floor, Bramber House, Refectory Road, BN1 9QH
T: 01273 877466
Between 10am and 3pm each day (phone line is closed between 1pm and 2pm on Tuesdays)
E: disabilitysupport@sussex.ac.uk
Information
General Extension Advice
If you are requesting an extension to coursework, please be advised that we require 15 working days before a submission deadline to submit an extension request. If you are requesting an extension with less than 15 days to the deadline, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to make the request or that your school will grant it.
Exceptional Extension Requests
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.
