Reasonable adjustments

To enable you to fully access teaching, learning, exams and other assessments, we can provide a range of adjustments. We will work with you to create an individual plan detailing what adjustments you require known as a Reasonable Adjustment Plan (RAP).

Additional time in take home exams

If you usually receive additional writing time and/or rest breaks during timed examinations….

Take-home Exam

The time allowed for take-home exams (e.g. 24-48 hours) is designed to be purposefully longer than we would expect students to need to complete the task. You are not expected to work continually within the allotted time. This is to allow as many students as possible (including disabled students) to complete the assessment in accordance with their needs. As this method of assessment is already inclusive by design, extra time is not typically required for disabled students. Please prepare for this exam in advance - you are not expected to carry out your research during the exam.

If you require additional support in terms of how to approach such assessments, please contact the Academic Skills Centre and/or AWAS where appropriate.

Online Exams (those with a fixed duration for completion of 1-3 hours)

If extra time and/or rest breaks are recommended in your reasonable adjustment plan (RAP), in most cases, this additional allowance should still be allocated.

If you usually receive use of a reader/scribe in exams……..

If you have access to assistive technology, such as text to speech software (eg. Claroread / Texthelp) or speech to text software (eg. Dragon Naturally Speaking) this technology can be used in place of human support to read text and record your responses to exam questions in writing. Typically, human support would only have been put in place due to the practicalities of accessing such assistive technology in a campus-based exam environment.

Additional guidance on how to use your software effectively can be found at: Texthelp Read-Write; Claroread and Dragon Naturally Speaking

Please ensure that you have undertaken the relevant assistive software training prior to the assessment.

If you do not have assistive software (often funded via the Disabled Students’ Allowances), you may wish to use an open source software program (PDF - 75KB). The University takes no responsibility for students uploading open source software onto their own computers.

Please engage with the information and guidance offered in the Assessment Support materials on Canvas.

If you have additional queries about online exams, please contact your Disability Advisor.

Readers and scribes for in person exams on campus

Having determined the nature of your exams (i.e. if they are on campus), please inform your Disability Advisor if you require a reader and/or scribe and confirm the arrangements with your Wellbeing Officer.

Assessment support for students (including online exams)

A short video series providing practical advice for students preparing for assessments including online exams (University login required)

Video 1:
Jerry Pritchard (lecturer and Director of Education for LES), Sue Onens (Inclusivity Advisor) and Vikki Anderson (Disability Advisor - SpLDs ) discuss the format and timeline of open book exams. The advice in this video is relevant to students from different disciplines and contains some useful information about using time effectively.

Video 2:
Jerry Pritchard (lecturer and Director of Education for LES), Vikki Anderson (Disability Advisor - SpLDs) and Sue Onens (Inclusivity Advisor) talk about preparing for the exams including students who have a Reasonable Adjustments Plan (RAP) in place. The guidance given in this video will be relevant for a range of students.

Video 3:
Jerry Pritchard (lecturer and Director of Education for LES), Sue Onens (Inclusivity Advisor ) and Vikki Anderson (Disability Advisor - SpLDs ) give some top tips before and during the online exams which will be useful across a range of disciplines.

Asessment Support Week resources: (University login required)

Applying for Reasonable Adjustments

To receive a Reasonable Adjustment Plan (RAP) you will need to make an application with the Student Disability Service.

To receive a Reasonable Adjustment Plan (RAP) you will need to make an application with the Student Disability Service.(Please be aware there is currently a delay in processing applications following the recent October deadline, the team are prioritising the processing of these at the moment and will start processing new applications shortly)

Please be aware that the deadline for applications (including evidence) for reasonable adjustments for the Summer assessment period is 24th January 2025. We will continue to process your application for disability related support after this date; however, adjustments will not be implemented in time for that round of assessments. If you have support requirements that need to be considered for upcoming exams you will need to talk to your Wellbeing Officer about the University's extenuating circumstances procedure.

For more information on the range of other services you can access, including if you are experiencing exam stress, please view our information about mental health and wellbeing information.

Eligibility

We are able to provide you with a Reasonable Adjustment Plan (RAP) if you have a condition which meets the legal definition of a disability, set out in the UK Equality Act (2010) i.e. any condition which has a 'significant, adverse and long-term effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities'. Even if you do not think of yourself as disabled, you may have a condition or difficulty which meets the definition.

We see students with a range of difficulties including, but not limited to:

dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD and other specific learning difficulties (SpLDs).
autism spectrum conditions.
long term mental health difficulties / mental illness.
unseen disabilities like autoimmune conditions, connective tissue disorders, diabetes, epilepsy, cancer, HIV, chronic fatigue.
long term mobility impairments.
sensory impairments.

Types of adjustments and support available

In accordance with inclusive practice, all University students should have access to the following:

Course outlines and reading lists made available at least 4 weeks before the start of the course.
Reading lists that differentiate between essential/desirable reading (indicate priority and/or relevance).
Outline lecture handouts/PowerPoint to be made available at least 24 hours in advance of taught sessions, preferably in electronic format (e.g. via Canvas).
Permission to record lectures using your own equipment (e.g. digital voice recorder, specialist software) for personal learning.
Email notification (via your University email address) of any changes to existing arrangements such as changes to the course, rooms or cancellation of sessions.

Reasonable adjustments may be recommended on a case by case basis, which can in some cases include but is not limited to:

Exam Adjustments like extra time, rest breaks or a separate room.
Timetabling in accessible rooms.
Adjustments or prioritisation for suitable University accommodation such as en-suite or wheelchair accessible accommodation.

If you are a UK student, further support may be available via the Disabled Students' Allowances (DSAs).

Making changes to a Reasonable Adjustment Plan

Reasonable Adjustment Plans (RAPs) are working documents and can be reviewed when needed. You are encouraged to contact a Disability Advisor should your circumstances change. Alternatively, you can email disability@contacts.bham.ac.uk to request an appointment.

Funding for study related support

If you are a UK student and require funded support (often called non-medical helper support), you are advised to apply for the Disabled Students' Allowances (DSAs). If you are an international student or not eligible for DSA funding, you should discuss your needs with a disability advisor.

Examples of support some disabled students may need include:

note-taker support.
specialist mentoring.
specialist study skills support.
practical support worker.
sign language interpreter.

Please note, the DSA may not provide funding for all the recommendations detailed in your DSA Needs Assessment. However, the University may be able to provide you with funding for these additional support needs. Please speak to a disability advisor for more information.

Personal care or support with independent living

Personal care support refers to any practical help or assistance you require for daily life, regardless of student status – in other words, non-study related activities or tasks such as:

getting up, going to bed, or adjusting position overnight (and during the day)
washing/bathing and getting dressed
help with eating or medication
using the toilet
domestic activities – cleaning your living area, laundry, shopping, preparing meals
leisure or extra-curricular activities
driving or helping you to get around outside study hours.

UK students

Organising a care package can take between 6 and 12 months. It is vital that you contact your local social services or named social worker as early as possible to allow funding to be organised and the appropriate support package to be in place from the beginning of your course.

International and EU students

International and EU students are not eligible for financial assistance with care costs from the British government, and the University is unable to fund personal care support. Care and support can be very expensive as labour costs in the UK are high compared to some countries. How you will meet your personal care and support needs should be thoroughly investigated and additional costs budgeted for before taking up a place at the University.