Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Disability Assessment Centre
If you have a mental health problem, long-term illness or any other disability, the Disability Assessment Centre is here to support you in accessing funded support from your funding body.
We have assessors that can assess any mental health problem, long-term illness or other disabilities at both of our campuses.
Our service enables students to access funded support from their funding body via a Study Needs Assessment. Our service also covers all funding agencies throughout the UK and Northern Ireland.
From February 2024, we are not able to offer Needs Assessments to students who have recently applied for DSA with Student Finance England/Wales. However, we are continuing to support students that have previously been assessed at Leeds Beckett.
What is a study needs assessment?
A study needs assessment is a discussion with your assessor to determine what difficulties a mental health problem, long-term illness or any other disability have on your studies. The conversation will usually cover the main aspects of an academic programme and will cover some of the following elements: reading, writing, taking notes, managing your own time, accessing and using technology, exams and placements or practical tasks.
- The assessment itself will on average last between 1.5 to 2.5 hours, however, it may take longer depending on the nature of your mental health problem, long-term illness or any other disability and the impacts this has on study
- Once your assessment is completed, your assessor will determine what recommendations are required to enable you to access your studies more effectively. This may include equipment and assistive software, non-medical helper support, and an allowance for printing and travel
- This report will then go to your funding body who will then determine whether the recommendations are appropriate and fundable
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
How you apply for Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) depends on whether you're studying full-time or part-time. You can find more information on Gov.UK.
You can check your eligibility and find out how to apply by visiting your funding body website:
This will depend on your mental health problem, long-term illness or any other disability and varies from person to person. It will also heavily depend upon what difficulties you experience when undertaking your studies. Your assessor will discuss what recommendations meet your needs during your needs assessment.
On average, from application to receiving any equipment or recommendations, the maximum it can take if you do not currently have any medical evidence is up to 14 weeks.
If you have a mental health condition, long-term illness or physical disability then use the forms below. For dyslexia, Specific Learning Differences (SpLD) and autistic students you will need to obtain a diagnostic report and submit it to your funding body. If you need a diagnostic report we recommend speaking to your disability adviser for more information.
If you are neurodivergent (you have dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, ADHD or you are autistic), you will need to submit a copy of your diagnostic report from a qualified psychologist.
If you have a mental health problem, long term illness or physical disability then you can submit a Disability Evidence form or submit a signed letter from your clinician that states your diagnosis.
Our role is only to provide recommendations that can be directly funded by your funding body, we are unable to make reasonable adjustment recommendations for your university. If you are having difficulties at university, it is advisable to get in touch with your Disability Advice team.
You may be entitled to a laptop, however, this will depend on your mental health problem, long-term illness or any other disability and whether you face difficulties in certain aspects of your studies that warrant access to specific assistive technology. There are also further restrictions depending on your funding body. Students currently funded by Student Finance England are also required to make a £200 contribution towards any recommended computer device.
However, you can apply for Leeds Beckett's Computer Fund subsidy and the university may cover this cost. You may be eligible, if your household income is less than £25,000 per annum and you are in receipt of the full student finance loan. Please contact Disability Advice for more information by email at disabilityadvice@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
