Disability & Dyslexia Support Service

Disability Liaison Officers (DLOs)Resource Pack

September 2012

Table of Contents

I. Introduction

II. The Roles and Responsibilities of the Disability Liaison Officer

III. The Responsibilities of Disability & Dyslexia Support Service

IV. Understanding the Law: The Equality Act 2010

V. Information about Disabilities

a. Disability Awarenessb. Specific Learning Difficulties, e.g. Dyslexiac. Mental Health Issuesd. Hearing Impairmente. Vision Impairmentf. Medical Conditions

VI. Disclosure and Confidentialitya. Responding to disclosureb. Confidential Information

VII. Additional Resourcesa. List of Departmental Disability Liaison Officersb. University services for disabled studentsc. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

I. Introduction

The DDSS (DDSS) is part of Student Support and Wellbeing, which is in turn part of the Student Services Department.

Student Support and Wellbeing draws together the Student Support & Guidance, the University Counselling Service, the University Health Service and the DDSS.

Each of these services, in different ways, aims to support students in making the most of their time at university by:

helping them to maintain their physical and psychological health and well-being

and providing support to disabled students to enable them to pursue their academic studies without disadvantage

How to find us

Our office (known as the Hillsborough Centre) is located on the ground floor of the Alfred Denny Building (no. 112 on the University map).

Access is via the south entrance to the Alfred Denny Building (across the concourse from the Students Union Building), our office is on the left.

How to contact usReception: 21303Email: disability.info@sheffield.ac.uk

We are here

II. The Roles and Responsibilities of the Disability Liaison Officer (DLO)

The most important point to remember is you are not alone in being responsible for disabled students. Everyone in your department shares this responsibility, including visiting lecturers. The institutional response to disability issues is to be proactive and promote inclusiveness. Disability issues are incorporated into the strategic planning process of the institution, are on the agenda of senior management committees, are integrated into equality and widening participation policies and are regularly reviewed and monitored for quality. Responsibility is devolved throughout the institution and practically everyone (students and staff) should be involved in developing an inclusive environment for disabled students.

The role of the DLO is to:

Develop an understanding of disability legislation and keep abreast of changes to the legislation and current best practice through the DDSS

Ensure that disability support is on the departmental agenda. Act as both a contact and referral point for staff and students

within the department and a link to staff in the DDSS. Keep the DDSS informed of any changes/developments in the

departments, as appropriate and with students’ permission e.g. a change of module, including those taken outside of home department. (Students also have responsibility to inform us of any changes to their modules)

In collaboration with other departmental staff, keep a register of disabled and dyslexic students – who and where they are – and communicate this to teaching staff.

Liaise with Admission Tutors to encourage students within your department who may not have declared a disability on admission1

Keep copies of evidence in each student’s file, e.g. medical letter, educational psychologist’s report, etc

Liaise with exam board about mitigating circumstances if necessary

1 A proforma should be circulated by the departmental DLO to all new students at the beginning of each academic session inviting them to inform the department of any disability or additional support requirements they might have

Monitor and review the department’s provision of support for disabled students and, where necessary, raise awareness within the department of issues relating to those needs.

Be sensitive to the students’ wishes regarding confidentiality and seek permission to disclose information where necessary in order to support the needs of the student. (Further information on ‘Personal Information and Confidentiality’ can be found in the Student’s Charter at http://www.shef.ac.uk/ssid/ourcommitment/charter )

Ensure all confidential information about a student’s disability is stored in accordance with the Data Protection Act. (See this link for information for organisations:www.ico.gov.uk/for_organisations/data_protection.aspx )

Promote and disseminate staff development initiatives in relation to disabilities and dyslexia

Attend relevant staff development courses in relation to disabilities and dyslexia to update knowledge with help from DDSS

Attend regular meetings with the DDSS (3-4 times a year) and work together to develop an effective service for disabled students

III. The Responsibilities of the DDSS

To manage the admissions procedure for applicants with disabilities and specific learning difficulties to ensure provision of appropriate and timely support

To provide advice to academic departments on making reasonable adjustments for disabled applicants and students

To meet with applicants on open days and organise visits to discuss support requirements

To liaise with students’ funding bodies to apply for funding for support (Disabled Students’ Allowance)

To organise Full Needs Assessments to determine students’ academic support requirements

To organise appropriate support workers (e.g. note taker, proof reader, library support worker, support and guidance mentor)

To organise formal testing for specific learning difficulties – e.g. dyslexia

To liaise with Registry Services to ensure appropriate exam arrangements are implemented

To provide staff training on disability issues

IV. Understanding the Law

The Equality Act 2010 is the law which bans unfair treatment and helps achieve equal opportunities in the workplace and in wider society. It brings together and supersedes previous legislation such as the Disability Discrimination Act, the Race Relations Act, the Sex Discrimination Act etc.

Under the Equality Act, disability is one of 9 ‘protected characteristics’. The definition of disability remains the same as under previous legislation; a person has a disability if they have:

“a physical or mental impairment [that] has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on P's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities” (see Section V for more information)

The legislation is designed to protect people with disabilities, and to ensure they are not discriminated against.

It is unlawful for education and training providers (such as Sheffield University) and related services to discriminate against disabled students or potential students, without justification.

A requirement is placed on HE institutions to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that students are not placed at a substantial disadvantage.

To prevent discrimination the university has a specific duty to anticipate the barriers that disabled students may experience in HE institutions. As these barriers are anticipated, reasonable adjustments should be put into place to allow full access to all aspects of university life.

Reasonable adjustments might include changing admissions processes, administrative and examinations procedures, or adapting the physical features of the premises or changing the layout of the classroom to anticipate the needs of disabled students.

For further information please see the following link:

www.equalityhumanrights.com/advice-and-guidance/further-and-higher-education-providers-guidance/

V. Information about Disabilities

a. Disability Awareness

a.1 What is ‘Disability’?

The Equality Act describes disability as:

“a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities. For an impairment to be classed as long term it must have lasted, or be expected to last for at least a year.”

If a student is disabled they may require additional support. Additional support requirements may relate to a:

Physical or sensory impairment Medical or mental health condition Specific learning difficulty e.g. dyslexia Temporary condition such as a broken leg

Impairments are defined as "problems in body function or structure as a significant deviation or loss". The term disability now refers to the negative aspects of the interaction between impairment, activity limitation, participation restriction, and barriers/hindrances encountered in the world.

a.2 Models of Disability

Many different terms and definitions exist in relation to disability. This is in part because the terminology which is acceptable changes over time and also because it is for individuals to define their own situation.

There are two main models of disability focusing on different definitions: the medical model and the social model.

Medical Model: The term medical model defines a person’s disability in terms of their medical condition. Terms such as ‘arthritic’ or ‘epileptic’ may be used to describe a person. This model places the disabling factors on the individual, who has a need, and fails to account for the disabling factors in society.

Social Model: The social model focuses on the limitations of society. Barriers imposed by society are the disabling factor, not impairments. In other words, disabled people are primarily disabled by the design of the environment and/or the attitude of others in society, rather than by their impairment. Disability is the restriction society imposes upon people with impairments. Most disabled people believe that the social model more accurately describes their situation than the medical model.

The following statements illustrate the difference between the two models:

Medical Model: I have Spina Bifida and use a wheelchair, so I can’t go to my lecture.

Social Model: The lecture theatre does not have wheelchair access, so I cannot go.

Medical Model: I am deaf, so I cannot take notes from the overhead projector and watch the sign language interpreter at the same time.

Social Model: The OHP transparencies are not available in a printed format, so I have to choose between taking notes from the overhead or watching the interpreter.

See here for more information:www.scope.org.uk/about-us/our-brand/talking-about-disability/social-model-disability

b. Specific Learning Difficulties e.g. Dyslexia

Dyslexia

The term dyslexia is used to describe a range of specific learning difficulties. Difficulties are most commonly associated with reading and writing, but can also occur with spatial orientation and hand to eye coordination.

The British Dyslexia Association defines dyslexia as follows:

Dyslexia is primarily a difficulty with the automatic processing of language based information, especially the written word. It is important to understand that evidence points to a constitutional origin, possibly genetic, and that it is not related to intelligence.

There are a broad set of characteristics associated with dyslexia that individuals may present with to a greater or lesser extent. Dyslexia appears to have a neurological basis and tends to run in families. It may be associated with short term memory problems so that students have difficulties with immediate recall, sequencing, etc rather than with the understanding of a topic.

People with dyslexia may experience difficulties with reading, handwriting, spelling, organisation of written work, memory, sequencing and concentration span. They may be unwilling to ask for help or clarification because they do not want to highlight their difficulties.

Dyspraxia

The Dyspraxia Foundation states that:

Dyspraxia is generally recognised to be an impairment or immaturity of the organisation of movement. Associated with this may be problems of language, perception and thought.

Dyspraxia is closely associated with Dyslexia and many of the characteristics overlap. A dyspraxic student may find elements of practical work difficult because of problems with coordination. They may also find handwriting laborious.

For information on supporting students with specific learning difficulties please see the following link:

http://www.shef.ac.uk/disability/staff/support/spld.html

c. Mental Health Issues

'Mental ill health' or 'mental illness' are broad terms used to describe a wide range of psychiatric illnesses, from anxiety and depression to eating disorders and schizophrenia. Everyone has times in their life when they feel depressed, anxious, or under stress. For some people these feelings become so overwhelming they produce physical or behavioural symptoms that affect an individual's ability to go about their day to day life. Mental illnesses are not present at birth, but there is much debate as to whether they are brought about by environmental or genetic factors. In some circumstances the illness seems to have no trigger at all.

Studying at University can be a stressful time. Factors such as academic, social, or financial pressure, lack of familiar surroundings, and drug or alcohol abuse can trigger the onset of mental health conditions in some people. Students with existing mental health conditions may also find themselves more severely affected than most by these pressures, which may worsen any existing symptoms.

Approximately one in four people experience mental ill health at some point in their life, and the peak age range for the first onset problems is between 18-24, coinciding for many people with their time as a student. It is therefore more than likely that some of the students you teach will be experiencing mental health difficulties.

However, with support and planning, mental illness does not have to be a barrier to successful study.

For information on supporting students with mental health difficulties, please see the following link:

http://www.shef.ac.uk/disability/staff/support/mentalhealth.html

d. Hearing Impairment

Hearing impairments can vary from someone who is slightly hard of hearing to those who are profoundly deaf. Sounds can also become distorted, and conditions such as tinnitus produce background noise.

The Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) uses the following definitions of deafness:

Mild deafness Some difficulty following speech, mainly in noisy situations

Moderate deafness

Difficulty following speech without a hearing aid

Severe deafness Use a hearing aid and rely heavily on lip reading. May use sign language

Profoundly deaf Usually born deaf or become deaf early on in life. Lip read and may use sign language. Hearing aids are of little or no use

“The Deaf Community”

People whose first language is British Sign Language often consider themselves to be part of the 'Deaf Community', united by their shared language. Many consider that, rather than being disabled, they are members of a linguistic minority. They may describe themselves as 'Deaf' with a capital 'D' to emphasise their deaf identity

Languages are primarily learned through hearing, therefore those people who are born deaf, or who become deaf pre-lingually do not acquire language in the commonly accepted way. Hearing people learn to read a language that they can already speak, but deaf people must learn in other ways.

In addition to language difficulties, deaf people do not easily 'absorb' information in the same ways as hearing people, through television, radio, talking to friends etc.

Speech Difficulties

People who are profoundly or severely deaf may have difficulties with speech as they are unable to hear and monitor their own or other people’s voices. People with severe speech difficulties may communicate through sign language with an interpreter who ‘voices over’ – i.e. speaks – what they are signing.

e. Visual Impairment

Visual impairments range from total blindness to conditions such as tunnel vision, double and blurred vision and colour blindness. Some people may have trouble seeing in low light levels, have problems judging speed and distance, or painful irritation to the eyes can be caused by bright light. Only about 18% of people who have visual impairments are classed as totally blind, and most of these people can distinguish between light and dark. Some people will have been born visually impaired and others may have become visually impaired as a result of illness or accident, and this will affect the way people approach and address their impairment.

A large amount of information in a students' course will be delivered visually, therefore a visually impaired student may be at a significant disadvantage academically. Difficulties may occur with:

Accessing course material — overheads, slides, printed material, diagrams, practical observation, on-line material etc

Using the library — finding, collecting and returning books Taking lecture notes Practical laboratory work and field trips — recording observations Travelling to, from and around the campus

People with different types of visual impairment may have very different needs as students. Students may require course materials in alternative formats, such as Braille or large print. Providing course materials in electronic format may be helpful as this could be used in conjunction with screen reading software.

For further information on supporting students with visual impairments, please see the following link:

http://www.shef.ac.uk/disability/staff/support/visual.html

F. Medical Conditions

Some students with medical conditions (such as diabetes, epilepsy, asthma, ME, cancer, Crohn's Disease, haemophilia and cystic fibrosis) may require support during their time at university. The type of support will depend on the individual circumstances.

A student may require flexible timetabling and deadlines, copies of lecture notes, and arrangements to be made for times when they are too ill to attend. Many people with long-term medical conditions will experience fatigue, and the effects of medication may also cause difficulties. In severe circumstances a student may take leave of absence until their health improves.

For further information on supporting students with unseen disabilities, please see the following link:

http://www.shef.ac.uk/disability/staff/support/unseen.html

VI. Disclosure and Confidentiality

a. Policy on Disclosure of Disability Information

1. The DDSS encourages students to disclose any disability, or to seek advice if they are not sure whether they might be disabled. The DDSS can offer and organise many different kinds of support. Requests for support can be made at any time from the point at which contact is first made with the University (e.g. at application, enrolment or after commencement of the course).

2. Under the DDA the University has a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled students. It therefore takes a pro-active approach and continually attempts to anticipate the needs of those with disabilities. Part of this process is to encourage students to disclose their disability at the earliest possible stage so that a needs assessment can be carried out and reasonable adjustments can be made.

3. Where disclosure has not been made prior to or at enrolment it may subsequently be made to DDSS staff at any time. The student may indicate that they have a disability, or an illness or medical condition that affects their studies, or a specific learning difficulty e.g. dyslexia. For the purposes of this policy, references to disability incorporate all such situations in which additional support may be required. If this happens, the staff member to whom the disclosure is made should ensure that the environment in which disclosure takes place is suitably private in order to maintain confidentiality. The student will then be asked to complete a Release of Information Form.

4. The Release of Information Form is a transparent mechanism for the gathering and communication of information for the specific purpose of ensuring the needs of disabled students are met. It also provides the means to ensure confidentiality where the student requires it. The form is designed and processed having regard at all times to the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA). Information about disability is classed as ‘sensitive personal data’, the processing of which requires the explicit consent of the data subject. (The University's Data Protection Policy is available from the University's Data Protection Officer, (0114 2221117;

a.cutler@sheffield.ac.uk ) or via the University's website at http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/cics/dataprotection . The Release of Information Form sets out what the information might be used for and the persons or organisations to whom the information might be disclosed, and gives the student the opportunity to limit or refuse further disclosure.

5. Where the student requests confidentiality or permits only a limited disclosure, the University will still attempt to assess the needs of the student and make reasonable adjustments insofar as this can be done whilst still complying with the student’s wishes. However, such compliance may adversely affect the level of support which the University can give. For example, it might not be possible to make any reasonable adjustment or the adjustment might not be to the same standard it would have been if full disclosure had been permitted and/or a lower level of confidentiality required.

6. Where a student restricts the type of information that may be shared or the range of staff with whom this information may be shared it is expected that those who receive such information from the DDSS will hold this information with the same level of confidentiality as the DDSS. The level and type of confidentiality specified will be passed onto the recipient of the information by the disability adviser. It is important to note that where a student has given permission for disclosure of information to a named member of University staff, this information should not be shared with any other member of University staff without first contacting the student to obtain their permission.

Where it is not possible for a department to ensure that disclosure of information is restricted to named members of staff, this should be made clear to the DDSS so that the student can make an informed decision about information being passed on.

7. Where the student specifies total confidentiality/non-disclosure the information will not be passed on to any staff member outside of DDSS and will be retained on the student's file in the DDSS. The person to whom the information has been disclosed will, after

agreement with the student, endeavour to put in place whatever support is reasonably practicable, having regard to any applicable University regulations and policies and health and safety considerations, without compromising confidentiality.

8. The DDSS understands that some individuals may not wish to call themselves ‘disabled’ and respects their right not to do so, or to be so labelled by virtue of receiving support. However, the University strongly advises students to consider carefully the implication of insisting that a disability remains confidential- e.g. that the support available will therefore be limited.

9. Although the University will respect and adhere to requests for confidentiality, there may be circumstances where information about a disability will need to be disclosed to third parties. This will only occur in circumstances permitted by the Data Protection Act where the University cannot obtain the student’s consent to disclose, for example in cases of sudden illness where health professionals outside the University need to know about the disability or where non disclosure may lead to harm to the student or others. Disclosure of information under such circumstances is covered under Section H of the Student Charter.

10.Further information and advice can be obtained from the DDSS, The Hillsborough Centre, Alfred Denny Building, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN Tel: 0114 2221303 email: disability.info@sheffield.ac.uk

VII. Additional Resources

a. List of Departmental DLOs

www.shef.ac.uk/disability/support/departments.html

b. University resources for disabled students

See the following link for the disabled students’ handbook:

www.sheffield.ac.uk/disability

c. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

I think one of my students might have dyslexia. What should I do?

This will need to be handled in a sensitive way. The student may already have been diagnosed with dyslexia and require some further support (for example proof reading), or they may not have a diagnosis.

If appropriate you could have a chat with the student to explain some of your concerns (for example that their written work doesn’t convey their understanding of the topic)

You could suggest that they try the online screening tool for dyslexia, available from this link:

www.eltc.dept.shef.ac.uk/shef-only/dysscreen/index.html

If they exhibit signs of dyslexia advise them to call into our office for advice on testing.

All students can take advantage of the Writing Advisory Service run by the English Language Teaching Centre:

www.sheffield.ac.uk/eltc/services/writingadvisory

If in doubt, please ring a Disability Adviser for a chat on 21303.

What is Disabled Students’ Allowance funding and what does it pay for?

Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) funding is administered by a student’s funding body (e.g. Student Finance England, NHS, Research Council etc). The funding is used to pay for any additional support a disabled or dyslexic student may need whilst studying on their course.

Students usually go for a full needs assessment to formally determine their support needs. The funding can help with the cost of support workers, items of specialist equipment, travel or other course-related costs.

Please feel free to pass on this link to students who are thinking of applying: www.yourdsa.com

Do disabled and dyslexic students automatically get extensions for coursework?

No, students are not given automatic blanket extensions. The idea is that disabled and dyslexic students are given appropriate support to help enable them to meet the deadlines set by their department.

However, occasionally students may need to request an individual extension (for example due to ill health, or anxiety related problems). If supporting evidence is required from staff in the DDSS, please ring us on 21303.

How do students organise alternative exam arrangements?

Students with a temporary disability, short term illness and/or medical condition should make an appointment with the University Health Service.

Students with dyslexia, disability and/or long term medical condition should make an appointment to see a Disability Adviser.

Further information can be found at http://www.shef.ac.uk/disability/staff/exams.html

A student has become disabled during their studies. How should we ensure that they receive the correct support?

Ring the DDSS for advice (21303) and encourage the student to make contact with us if they have not already done so.

If they are reluctant to contact us please encourage them to look at our website. It is recommended that you record that you have done this.

I am concerned about a student’s health and wellbeing, what should I do?

Look at the following web link:

http://www.shef.ac.uk/ssd/worried

Or ring the DDSS for a chat with an adviser (21303). Depending on the circumstances of the case they can advice you on the most appropriate course of action.