A student’s guide Disabled Student’s Allowance: Assessment and application process Introduction This is a student’s guide to making an application for Disabled Student’s Allowance (DSA) and the University of Stirling’s in-house assessment process. Please discuss this guide with either your Disability or Dyslexia Adviser if you are unsure of any of its contents. If you want to get another student’s perspective or support through the DSA assessment and application process, you may wish to get in touch with the Disabled Students Group or the Disabled Students Officer both contactable through SUSA: by telephone on 01786 467166 or 467180, by email at susa@stir.ac.uk or through their website at www.susaonline.org.uk. What is Disabled Students Allowance? The Disabled Students Allowance or DSA as it is commonly referred to, is additional funding through your funding body, which may be available to you to help pay for additional support or equipment to enable you to fully access your studies. Students with a very wide range of impairments or disabilities including medical conditions, mental health difficulties and specific learning difficulties such as Dyslexia have made successful applications for DSA in previous years. Last updated - Mar 08 1 DSA assessment and application process The DSA assessment and application process can be divided into six different stages as detailed in the next sections. Because there are a number of stages to the assessment and application process, it does take some time - typically between 8 and 10 weeks, but sometimes longer in individual cases. Stage One You will initially meet with either the Disability Adviser or the Dyslexia Adviser who are both based Student Development and Support Services, 4Y Cottrell Building. At this initial meeting you will be able to discuss your learning requirements with your adviser, and carry out an initial assessment of any study related needs, which may be supported through the Disabled Students Allowance. The adviser will verbally explain the DSA assessment and application process to inform you of the University systems as well as giving you this guide for supplementary reading. The Disability or Dyslexia Adviser will record the discussions that take place during this initial meeting in a document called the Agreed Learning Needs Adjustments or an ALNA. Please Note: You will be required to submit a copy of suitable supporting medical or psychological evidence (for example; a GPs letter/Audiologists report or Dyslexia Assessment etc.). If you do not have this documentation please discuss this with your Disability or Dyslexia Adviser. Stage Two Unless you are making a repeat DSA application, you will be referred to meet an Assessment of Needs Adviser, based in the library, to discuss any assistive technology requirements you may have, which can be supported by DSA. Last updated - Mar 08 2 You will be given a referral letter and advised on an appointment time with the Assessment of Needs Adviser. Stage Three You and the Assessment of Needs Adviser will carry out an assessment of what assistive technologies there are available to support you. This is your opportunity to explore various kinds of IT equipment and software and discuss the pros and cons of each before making a decision on your preferred options. Your input and contribution in this process is valuable, therefore you may wish to research and explore what is available in the open market. You may choose to talk to other people who have been through this process already such as the Disabled Students Group and see what equipment works well for them. Remember that the equipment you are given now, needs to last for the duration of your studies and possibly future studies, therefore your DSA needs to be able to last. Stage Four The Assessment of Needs Adviser will then source a quotation from the University suppliers, e.g. Sight and Sound, for the equipment and software that you have identified in Stage three. The Assessment of Needs Adviser will add to your ALNA, a report of your discussion and the recommendations made to meet your assistive technology needs as well as the quotation from the University suppliers. The ALNA and the quotation will form the basis of the funding you apply for through DSA. The Assessment of Needs Advisers will forward your ALNA and quotation to the Disability or Dyslexia Advisers in Student Development and Support Services Last updated - Mar 08 3 Stage Five Once the Disability Adviser or the Dyslexia Adviser receive your ALNA and quotation from the Assessment of Needs Advisers they will contact you to arrange another meeting, usually by email, and usually within one week. The purpose of this meeting is to agree the contents of your ALNA as well as completing and signing your DSA application form. This is a further opportunity to discuss where there may still be gaps in your support provision, and identify ways to overcome these gaps. Following this meeting, a copy of your completed DSA application and supporting documents will be held in your confidential file in Student Development and Support Services. The original will be sent to your funding body. Stage Six You will receive written confirmation of the outcome of your DSA application from your funding body, usually within 3-4 weeks. Your award letter will advise you of any payments you will receive. If you do not hear from SAAS within this time you should contact them on 0845 111 0244 to find out the progress of your application. Once you receive your award, you have two choices: 1. You can source, order and pay for the equipment yourself. 2. Go back to the Assessment of Needs Adviser and they will order your equipment for you as recommended in your ALNA. If you choose to source, order and pay for the equipment yourself, you need to be aware of the following information: SAAS requires you to identify equipment and software to the same specification of that, which has been recommended to you in your ALNA report. Last updated - Mar 08 4 You are responsible for keeping receipts and forwarding these to SAAS for proof of purchase. Any money you do not spend on equipment you will need to repay SAAS. The University has a responsibility to inform SAAS that you have decided to source your own equipment. The University cannot be responsible for the maintenance and repair of equipment that you have sourced yourself. Therefore you need to remember to get additional maintenance cover. This means that should anything go wrong with your computing equipment, and repair work is needed you will be able to get help. [SAAS will pay for maintenance cover, but will not pay the costs of repairing equipment, therefore this is vitally important to arrange this maintenance cover fro the outset.] Remember to arrange ‘home contents insurance’ to cover the cost of your equipment against accidental damage, loss or theft. SAAS will pay the additional insurance premium costs but will not pay to replace a damaged, lost or stolen piece of equipment. Last updated - Mar 08 5 Feedback Form Your feedback is invaluable and enables us to refine our activities and services, thus improving standards for staff and students across the University. 1. Are you a: Prospective applicant/student Current Student 2. Quite Not very Not at all How easy was this document to understand? Very easy 4. Parent How helpful did you find this document? Very 3. Member of staff Quite easy Not very easy Not at all easy What do you think of the design and layout of this document? Excellent Good Adequate Poor 5. Do you have any suggestions to improve this document? 6. Do you have any comments about any aspect of the services provided to disabled students at the University of Stirling through either Student Development and Support Services or Information Services? 7. Are there elements of our current practices that you find particularly good or bad? Thank you for taking the time to complete this form. Please return it anonymously to: Information and Advice, Student Development and Support Services, 4Y4 Cottrell Building, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA. Alternatively you can email your feedback to student.advice@stir.ac.uk although this will no longer be anonymous. If you would like a response to your comments or wish to discuss them further with us, please provide us with your contact. Last updated - Mar 08 6