Information for Agents and Representatives of International Students

Disabled Applicants

Policy:

It is the University’s policy to view applications from disabled applicants on the same grounds as apply to all applicants. In limited circumstances, there may be overriding health and safety concerns; barriers relating to professional requirements or other prescribed standards; or having explored all available options, it may be impossible to implement certain adjustments. International students are not entitled to the UK government allowances for disabled students and where funding is not available this could impact upon the reasonableness of some adjustments. For further information, see BU’s Code of
Practice on Provision for Disabled Students at:

https://www.bangor.ac.uk/ar/main/regulations/home.htm#code11

and the University’s Disability Statement and Information Guide at:

http://www.bangor.ac.uk/ar/main/ssc/disability.htm

Access to information:

Information, including the institution’s publicity, programme details and general information, should be accessible to all students. Some students, for example those who are blind, partially sighted, dyslexic or who have some other difficulty in accessing standard text, may benefit from having programme information in a different format, such as in braille, on disk or on audio-cassette. Please let the University know if this is required. On request, all efforts will be made to produce relevant information in an accessible format within a reasonable timescale.

Available support:

The following types of adjustments are indicative of the services we can provide, generally at minimal or no cost, to disabled students:

Ability to tape-record lectures and seminars
Loan of equipment, eg, Dictaphone, Computer, subject to a study needs assessment carried out by our Disability Services
Where possible, course handouts emailed in advance
Use of computer, reader or scribe in exams and exam papers in alternative formats, where this is an assessed need
Extended library loans
Book fetching service within Libraries
Access to Study Support Room with computers, scanner and assistive technology software
Some assistive technologies available on the university’s intranet
Support from the Disability Services
Pagers for deaf or hard of hearing students

On receipt of relevant medical evidence, we can also allocate disabled students a room in our Halls of Residence with an en-suite bathroom and/or internet connection, subject to the usual fees. A number of rooms have been adapted for disabled students within some residences.

Other forms of support may be costly, scarcer to resource, harder to set up, or dependent on funding. The University will make every effort to help disabled students, but the applicant or his/her sponsors may be asked to fund resources or equipment and/or human support over and above that outlined above. For instance, the University could encounter
difficulties in trying to arrange or provide the following:

Familiarisation / mobility training
Personal care, eg, help with laundry, shopping, cooking, bathing, dressing.
Provision of notetakers, practical assistants or scribes (except on a limited or voluntary basis)

Procedure for Agents/Disabled Applicants

1 Agents should explicitly ask all applicants if they are disabled and where relevant encourage applicants to disclose on the applicant form. If an applicant does not inform the university, there is no assurance that reasonable adjustments can be put in place. For information on the university’s policy on confidentiality, please refer to the Code of Practice on Provision for Disabled Students.

2 Prior to an offer being made, Disability Services will receive a copy of all application forms from disabled applicants. The Disability Adviser/Dyslexia Co-ordinator will write to all applicants who have disclosed disability requesting they make contact to discuss any additional support requirements, which could include: course requirements; accommodation requirements; familiarisation of the campus and mobility support; access to buildings and facilities; the necessity
for a support worker and any other reasonable adjustment that may be required. The Disability Adviser will also request that the applicant completes and returns a Reasonable Adjustment questionnaire (attached) and also provides medical evidence, eg, a doctor’s or specialist’s letter. This will need to be provided in English.

3 It must be noted that although the University is undergoing a rolling programme of physical access improvements, there are still a number of buildings with limited access. Bangor is also a hilly city and the campus is dispersed. Therefore, where applicants have mobility difficulties, Agents should highlight the above and encourage such applicants to discuss their requirements with the Disability Adviser as soon as possible.

4 If there are doubts that an adjustment may not be reasonable, or if it is perceived there may be potential barriers requiring further investigation to ensure they are not insurmountable, alternatives will be explored by Disability Services and the Department to identify solutions. Liaison with the applicant will take place as appropriate.

5 If a course is then perceived to be accessible, an offer will then be made.

6 If there are insuperable barriers to an individual applicant, the Agent will be informed as soon as possible in order that the applicant may make an application elsewhere.

For further information, please contact the Disability Service, Student Services, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DF
Tel: ++44 (0) 1248 382032
Email: disabilityservice@bangor.ac.uk