A guide for parents and guardians of students with disabilities transitioning to university

Communication

Engaging in regular, open, and honest conversation with your child and the university is an important part of the process.

Parent-Student Communication

It’s useful to gain a shared understanding of what your child’s expectations, concerns and goals for university are. That way you can work together, suggest strategies and enjoy a collaborative approach to decision making. During this process it's important to support your child’s aspirations while also helping them set realistic goals.
For more information about what it’s like when your child goes to university, how best to help them, and what to do after they’ve gone read our application advice for parents.

Engaging with university support services

Universities are legally required to provide reasonable adjustments and accommodations for students with disabilities. The type of support your child might need will be unique to them but should be designed to ensure they succeed academically. The university’s disability support team or student service team is the best place to start. Early engagement will give the university time to find and put the relevant support they can provide in place.

Often support will need to be evaluated and tweaked so ongoing communication with support staff in collaboration with your child is important. Encouraging your child to take the lead in these conversations will help develop their advocacy skills further.

Application and enrollment

The university’s disability support services play a crucial role in supporting the well-being of disabled students. They handle providing reasonable adjustments and disability services to help overcome barriers in a student’s academic journey.

Understanding Disability Services

Much of this support is funded through the Disabled Student Premium and the government’s Disabled Student Allowance (DSA). DSA is available to students with a disability, long term health condition, mental health condition or specific learning issues like dyslexia. You can get DSA from Student Finance England, Student Finance Northern Ireland, Student Finance Wales, or the Student Awards Agency Scotland, depending on where you normally live.

Universities will usually ask to see some supporting evidence of the disability such as a needs assessment or a letter from a specialist like a doctor or an educational psychologist. Check the specific evidence the student finance body needs. This is usually in the notes that come with the application form.

Your child may need some guidance negotiating the disability benefit system depending on the complexity of need. You might not have to apply for DSA each year if you’re a full-time student getting a student loan and continuing the same course. The system is slightly different in Scotland where you do need to reapply each year.

For more information on how to apply for DSA, read our comprehensive guide. It also touches on other funding your child might be entitled to such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

Resources for parents

Here is a list of resources, websites, and support groups that might be useful for you and your child to be aware of:

• Disabled Students UK: A community research organisation run by current and former disabled students, working to make universities truly accountable to their disabled students and to disability law. They offer a range of resources and support for disabled students and their families.
• ahead: An independent non-profit organisation working to create inclusive environments in education and employment for people with disabilities. Includes some useful advice on disclosing a disability to universities.
• Mind: Offers practical support for people whose learning disabilities have affected their mental health.
• NEURODIVERSITYHUB: Offer links to resources for autistic students and young adults, parents and carers, employers, university staff, and senior secondary school students.
• Diversity and Ability have created a guide to free resources that might help support disabled and neurodiverse students. There’s also a handy guide on accessing Disabled Student Allowance support.  
• AccessAble  is an access resource with in-depth details on each university and the accessibility of its libraries, student union, lecture halls etc., including measurements of doorways, how heavy the doors are, where the disabled loos are and what side transfer they have. 
• Student Minds offer a Know Before You Go e-resource aimed at Year 12-13 students to help with the transition from school to university.  
• The Student Room has a forum for disabled students offering help and support on issues that affect them. A place to find out what life is really like at various universities for disabled students – useful for parents and their children to look at together when making choices.

It’s also worth checking for relevant podcasts, webinars, and workshops on this subject by doing a regular online search.

Encouraging your child to engage early with university support services is key to ensuring the right support is put in place to help them to thrive. Taking a supporting role rather than a leading one will give your child the opportunity to develop their own advocacy skills. Do check in to make sure that the right accommodation is in place and come up with a plan together if anything needs altering or chasing-up including any benefits your child might be entitled to.