Dyslexia Awareness Week 2023

Dyslexia screening and next steps

If you think you might have dyslexia but you have not yet been diagnosed, you can complete QuickScan - an online questionnaire which identifies whether you have any indicators of dyslexia and provides advice on the next steps to take. A tutorial which guides you through completing QuickScan is available. Students who have dyslexia can register with our University’s Disability Advice service who arrange tailored support on an individual basis.

Disability Services

If you have an existing diagnosis of dyslexia, or if you’re given a diagnosis in your assessment following Quickscan, our Disability Coordinator will create a Reasonable Adjustment Plan based on your individual support needs and any recommendations made by your Educational Psychologist. This might include exam adjustments and flexibility around course deadlines.

In addition to reasonable adjustments, you may also be eligible for support via your funding body (e.g. Disabled Students Allowances). We recommend that you apply for this funding as it can help to cover any extra study-related costs arising from your disability. 
Support may include:
•             Regular 1 to 1 Study Skills Tuition
•             A laptop and specialist software such as mind mapping, text to speech or dictation software.

For any queries regarding dyslexia or other Specific Learning Differences, you can contact the Disability Coordinator, Sue Ridler.

In term time, the Disability team runs short Disability Drop-in sessions. In these we help with booking appointments; quick queries around Disabled Students Allowances and completing DSA forms; advice regarding evidence and signposting to support and resources. Check our website for details.

Study Skills

Disability Services offer 45 minute, focused 1-to-1 drop-in sessions to help students with dyslexia with the development of study strategies including:
• Getting started with your work
• Using time smartly and developing strategies for learning
• Reading strategies, notetaking and referencing
• Planning and structuring assignments
• Using Assistive Software to support reading, research and writing

Use this link to book Disability Support - Specialist One to One Study Skills drop-in sessions.

There are also mini workshops aimed at new students or if you want a refresher:

Spotlight on Getting Started 
Thursday 19 October – 12:00 
Spotlight on Reading Effectively 
Wednesday 4 October - 12:30 
Tuesday 7 November – 12:00
Spotlight on Notemaking 
Monday 9 October - 12:00
Thursday 16 November - 13:30

Resources

When you have registered with Disability Advice, you can also use the Disability Resource Areas in the Libraries. These are comfortable silent study spaces for students with disabilities or dyslexia which contain a range of equipment, including larger desks and PCs with dual monitors.

The Library has a wide range of books and eBooks about study skills and disability in higher education, including dyslexia. Look out for some of these on our Dyslexia Awareness Week book displays. There is also a collection of reference books on these topics in each Disability Resource Area. If you would like to suggest a book for the collection please email us.

Students registered with Disability Advice can borrow books for longer and reserve ten items at once, so you can use the Reservations service to have books retrieved for you if you have difficulty locating them on the shelves.

We have an increasing collection of eBooks but if you find them difficult to use, we have information on how you can customise the settings to make them more accessible. This includes changing the text size and colour, changing the background colour, and listening to eBooks in audio format. 

If you prefer to read printed text on a coloured background, coloured paper for printing is available on request free of charge at the Welcome Desk on the ground floor of each Library. You can choose from six different colours.

Software and tools

A variety of assistive software is available, some of which is installed on all PCs in the Library:

• Read & Write has tools for reading on-screen text aloud (text-to-speech), advanced spelling and grammar support and applying a digital coloured overlay to your computer screen. You can access a web-based version of Read & Write for Google Chrome off campus.
• MindView software for mind mapping to help you organise your ideas visually.
• SensusAccess to convert documents into more accessible formats, including audio, so you can listen to them rather than reading.

You may also find the information about the free Microsoft Accessibility Tools useful. These include tools to read information aloud to you and the Dictate tool, which will type as you talk. The Study Support Software Finder will help you to identify software to help with a range of needs or tasks.

If you’d like to know more about the assistive software available in the Library you can book an appointment via the Book an Appointment link on our Welcome and Help page, and if you are looking for free software and apps we have several recommendations.

Further support from the Library

For help with academic skills including academic writing, Skills for Learning offer online resources, workshops and tutorials.

Students with disabilities or dyslexia can book a one-to-one appointment with the Library Disability Support team for help with a wide range of disability related issues in the Library, including using Library resources, assistive software, equipment and more. You can also contact Library staff for advice by phone, email and online chat.