Advice and support
Disability Advice supports students and applicants who share a disability with us, or require additional support for their academic studies.
We provide a confidential service for all our students with additional learning needs. We can advise you on support options, discuss what reasonable adjustments you may require, and refer you to appropriate agencies.
We advise that you contact us as soon as possible once you have an offer from the University, so that we have plenty of time to work with you and make arrangements before your course starts.
What Disability Advice can do
- Provide confidential advice from disability professionals, whether you're applying from the UK, the EU, or internationally
- Advise on funding to cover disability-related support costs — such as the Disabled Students’ Allowance, degree apprenticeships and other additional funding
- Arrange reasonable adjustments — discuss your needs to see how we can help
- Liaise with other University services and facilities, such as the library
- Advise on note-taking, mentoring and other support services
- Liaise with external services such as DSA Needs Assessors or non-medical help suppliers
Academic support
Reasonable adjustments
Reasonable adjustments remove or minimise the challenges you experience as a student, allowing you to develop as an independent learner.
The adjustments you will have depend on your individual needs.
Reasonable adjustments can include, but are not limited to:
- Course materials in alternative formats
- Access to assistive technology
- Timetabling adjustments
- Specialist support to develop study skills strategies
- Permission to record lectures
- Advance access to lecture material where possible
Supporting documentation (evidence) is not usually required to access reasonable adjustments, but it often provides helpful context to help us tailor support specific to your case.
Specific supporting documentation may be required in some cases. We will request this from you if needed.
Exams and assessments
Where appropriate, we'll make reasonable adjustments to ensure you are given every opportunity to demonstrate your learning.
We can work with you and your specific department to provide reasonable adjustments throughout your studies — and not only for your exams.
Exam adjustments could include, but are not limited to:
- Extra time
- Word-processing facilities
- Rest breaks
- Assistive technology
- Alternative methods of assessment
For further information, see Section 4.1 of our Assessment Support Regulations.
From the moment I set foot in Portsmouth, the entire Disability Advice team has been very supportive, giving me the necessary tools and directions, which in one way or another have enabled me to complete this course successfully.
Funding for disabled students
If you are eligible, you should apply for additional funding as soon as possible before arriving at university. The process can take time, so the sooner you apply, the greater your chance of having everything ready when you start your course.
Disabled Students' Allowance
DSA funds additional academic support that might be required due to a disability, chronic illness, mental health condition, neurodivergence or specific learning difference. This might include support such as 1:1 specialist tuition or assistive technology and software. It does not include any personal care support.
The support you get depends on your individual learning needs. You'll also need to confirm what the eligibility and evidence requirements are with your funding body.
It is a good idea to apply for DSA before you arrive at university as the process can take up to 3 months to complete. The sooner you apply, the more likely you will have the support you need at the start of your course.
Funding from the DSA can help you with:
- Travel costs
- Assistance with your with academic needs
- A non-medical helper allowance, for example a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter or specialist notetaker
- Specialist equipment, such as a computer
- Other disability-related day-to-day study support, such as printing and photocopying costs
Providing medical or diagnostic evidence
Evidence for physical, sensory, long term health issues, mental health or autistic spectrum conditions
Appropriate evidence is required when you apply for the Disabled Students’ Allowance. You can request a letter from your doctor or a consultant confirming your disability, and how it affects you, your studies and everyday living.
This may also be used by external funding bodies when you apply for additional disability related funding. The letter should:
- Identify your condition, impairment or ongoing symptoms
- State whether the condition will be short or long term (over 12 months) and how it will impact your day-to-day activities as a student
- Identify any medication and treatment, with any relevant side-effects
Evidence for a specific learning difference, such as dyslexia or dyspraxia
If you are looking to access additional academic support for a specific learning difference via the Disabled Students' Allowance, you'll need a diagnostic assessment. The sooner you do this, the more likely all your support will be in place when you start your course.
You can get a private assessment through the following organisations:
- The British Psychological Society (BPS) – the BPS has an online directory of chartered psychologists you can use to find a psychologist local to you to assess your learning difference
- The British Dyslexia Association – their diagnostic assessment guide outlines the steps you will need to be assessed through their service
- The Professional Association of Teachers of Students with SpLDs (PATOSS) – their online directory can be filtered to show teachers near you
Local funding authorities
Appropriate evidence is required when you apply for the Disabled Students’ Allowance. Make sure to check your eligibility and evidence requirements with your funding body:
- Student Finance England
- Student Finance Wales
- Student Finance Northern Ireland
- Student Awards Agency for Scotland
- Student Finance.ie (Eire)
- Jersey
- Guernsey
If you are a Global student or applicant due to start a course not qualified for DSA (such as a Degree Apprenticeship), please contact us to discuss alternative options.
Degree apprenticeships
For more information you can visit Advanced HE and read their publication Considerations for disabled applicants to higher or degree apprenticeships. This document provides guidance for disabled students applying for a higher or degree apprenticeship in the UK
Apply for a grant or scholarship
The Snowdon Trust is a charity dedicated to providing grants to disabled and sensory impaired students in the UK.
About 100 grants are awarded each year ranging from £250 to £3,000. They cover support costs for sign language interpreters, note-takers, computers, specialist software and wheelchairs.
The Snowden Trust also provides the Snowden Masters Scholarships, in partnership with the Global Disability Innovation Hub. The Scholarships aim to support and accelerate disabled students with the ability to create change, influence others and become leaders and role-models.
The Student Health Association
The Student Health Association administers the Student Disability Assistance Fund which helps Higher Education students with disabilities in full-time or nearly full-time studies. It cannot help with fees or general living expenses. Priority is given to those who cannot obtain statutory funding. Maximum awards are £500.
You can find out more on the following link: The Student Health Association.
Getting around Portsmouth and the University
Explore access guides for our buildings and routes around Portsmouth with the University's AccessAble website.
Here you'll find detailed accessibility information on all our campus and accommodation buildings, as well as on key locations in the wider city.
Contact Disability Advice
You can contact us in confidence if you have a condition that might impact your ability to access the campus, curriculum, teaching, learning, assessments, or any other University service. We're here to listen, understand your disability-related needs and find the best ways to support you.
If you have any questions or would like to find out how we can help you, contact us by email at [email protected] or give us a call on +44 (0)23 9284 3462.
We're open:
- Monday to Thursday: 8.30am – 5.00pm
- Friday: 8.30am – 4.00pm
To visit us in person, please email or phone us to to arrange an appointment at our office in Portsmouth.
Further information
Current University of Portsmouth students
If you're already studying here, you can browse our service opening times, read our advice, and explore our self-help resources on MyPort.
This document aims to provide information that is commonly required for Needs Assessment reports.
If you require further information or have specific recommendations not otherwise covered in this information, please contact us at +44 (0)23 9284 3462 or [email protected] to discuss the matter with one of our Disability Officers.
DSA assessors should note that the University is currently at capacity for DSA funded support.
This document aims to provide an overview of services at the University to help staff signpost students to available support.
If you require further information, or have specific recommendations not otherwise covered in this information, then please contact us on +44 (0)23 9284 3462 or [email protected]