Find out how to tell us about a disability, so you can get the support you need.
Why you should register with us
You should register with the disability service so we can put in place reasonable adjustments for your course.
Being registered with our team also means we can check you’re getting the right support for disabilities throughout your time at Sussex.
You must re-register with our service when you start a new course. You won't need to provide new documentation.
What you need to provide
To get registered, you need to:
- provide information about your disability, learning difficulty or ongoing physical or mental health condition
- give consent for us to share your details with other teams across the University and relevant external parties.
If you don’t want to disclose details about your disability, we may not be able to put support arrangements in place.
Providing more information about your disability
A disability is any condition that has a substantial and long-term negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities (including learning). Long-term means that it has been lasting, or is likely to last, at least 12 months.
In most cases you only need to supply one document that explains your disability.
This is usually a:
- copy of a report or letter from your doctor or consultant
- letter through the Health Centre website, if you’re registered with this on-campus service
- evidence form you fill in as part of applying for Disabled Students’ Allowance.
In some cases, you may need to supply specific evidence for:
- mental health – for conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder, psychosis or an eating disorders, you’ll need evidence from a GP or mental health professional (such as a psychiatrist, social worker or psychologist)
- being deaf or having a hearing impairment – an audiogram is not sufficient without a letter from a consultant or audiologist
- autism or ADHD – you’ll need a diagnostic report from an autism or ADHD specialist or a doctor’s letter stating that a referral for assessment has been made.
If you have a Specific Learning Difference
If you think you have a Specific Learning Difference (SpLD), such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia or dysgraphia, you may be able to register with us by using a diagnostic assessment as evidence.
Find out more about Specific Learning Differences.
Evidence we don’t accept
There are some documents we cannot accept when determining your eligibility for reasonable adjustments.
These include:
- prescriptions from your doctor or a pharmacy
- your patient history
- discharge letters after hospital treatment
- documents not written in English
- Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) school records.
Giving consent for us to share your details
As well as submitting evidence of a disability, you also need to consent to us sharing your information with other University services.
These services include our Housing office, the Library, School staff, facilities workers and teams with our Student Experience division.
We may also share your details with some external organisations, such as the NHS or support agencies.
We cannot recommend reasonable adjustments if you do not provide consent or evidence.
How to submit your evidence and consent
Once you have everything you need, you fill in our disability registration form to submit your information.
This should take about ten minutes.
After you register
If your reasonable adjustments are approved, these usually take effect within two weeks.
Further help and advice
If you need advice or support you can get in touch through My Sussex.
You can also:
- come to a Disability Advisor drop-in, every Monday and Wednesday, 2pm-4pm, during term-time
- visit the Student Centre Welcome desk, 8.30am-5pm, Monday-Friday
- call 01273 075700, 9am-4.30pm, Monday-Friday.