Step One
You must first contact your Funding Body to inform them that you intend to apply for the DSA. They will send you a form to fill in and return this along with medical evidence of your disability (which in the case of Dyslexic students this must be a recent Educational Psychologists report). This can be done in conjunction with the Disability Advisor, or the Dyslexia Unit (as appropriate).
Step Two
On receipt of the letter from the Funding Body confirming eligibility for DSA, contact an Access Centre to arrange an Assessment of Needs interview/assessment. Send a copy of your medical evidence/Educational Psychologists report to the Access Centre within 5 working days otherwise the appointment may have to be cancelled.
The University's Access Centre is the Aberystwyth University Access Centre. For more information, see below.
We recommend conducting your Needs Assessment through Aberystwyth University Access Centre, but Assessments may be conducted at alternative locations throughout the UK.
Step Three
Attend your Study Needs Assessment. At this stage you will usually come to the Access Centre, and we will discuss your disability needs. We will write a report recommending the relevant support etc.
Step Four
You will be asked to read the report we produce, before it is sent to the Funding Body. It is your application, and you need to be happy with it before it is sent to your Funding Body. If strategies are agreed during the assessment interview and no further research is necessary, this draft report stage can be omitted by mutual consent between you and the assessor, however we recommend you check the report before it goes to the Funding Body.
Step Five
Your report is sent to the Funding Body (and copied to you). The Funding Body decides which of our recommendations they can pay for with the DSA fund. They should write to you to inform you of the outcome of the assessment.
Step Six
Once you have confirmation that the Funding Body will fund the recommended support etc. you should provide the supplier of the support with a copy of the letter (e.g. student services, the dyslexia unit or equipment supplier). The supplier must have confirmation that the Funding Body will pay for the services and equipment supplied.
In the case of study support at the dyslexia unit, you can usually take this before the Funding Body has contacted you. Other things such as equipment cannot be supplied with out the Funding Body's confirmation.
Additional Information
Once you have had your needs assessment Aberystwyth University Access Centre aim to have your report ready for you to read within a fortnight.
Additional support and equipment can be provided later in your course, if a need arises. The Access Centre will need to discuss the additional need with you, and will send a letter to the Funding Body requesting any further items.
The Aberystwyth University Access Centre works to the following timescales:
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What we will do
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Timescale
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Offer you an appointment for an Assessment of Needs once you have received Funding Body confirmation
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... immediate
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Offer you an appointment for an Assessment of Needs that falls within...
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... the next 15 working days
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After you have had your assessment, we will send you a draft copy of the report to read through (and agree with by completing the accompanying slip)...
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... within 10 working days of your assessment appointment
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Agree and make any changes to your Assessment report once we have heard back from you...
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... within 1 working day
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Send the final copy of your Assessment of Needs report to your funding body...
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... within 1 working day
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Send you a final copy of your Assessment of Needs report...
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... within 3 working days
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