Disabled students and disclosure of a possible disability

University Staff Obligations Around Disability Support

Definition of disability

The Equality Act defines disability as: ‘A physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities.’  ‘Substantial’ = more than minor or trivial. ‘Long-term’ = the condition has lasted/is likely to last 12 months or more. HIV, cancer and multiple sclerosis are classed as a disability from the date of diagnosis.

What must I do if a student tells me they are disabled?

If a student tells a staff member something that suggests they may be disabled (see the definition of disability above), the staff member they have told MUST take the following action:

1. Explain the support that is available from DASS in a positive way (e.g. the practical support and adjustments that can be put in place, the number of students and staff who use the service), emphasising that they can speak with the service confidentially and limit the information that they share with other staff. Ensure you take an empathetic approach to the discussions.
2. Ask the student for their permission to make a referral to DASS so that the University can talk with them about any individual support they need.
3. If the person gives their permission for the referral to be made to DASS, complete this DASS online referral form: Students
4. If the student does not give permission for the referral to be made to DASS, the staff member should send the student ID to SoE Student Support and Wellbeing (SSW) soe.wellbeing@manchester.ac.uk, noting that they refused a DASS referral. SSW will record this information in the student system.
5. When DASS receives a referral from a staff member, they will contact the student several times. If the student doesn’t reply, they will inform the person who made the referral of this, and the referrer should proactively talk with the student about whether they feel unable to engage, faced any barriers in doing so or have changed their mind. They can offer to talk to DASS if the student needs support to access the service.

       7. A student does not have to explicitly tell you that they are disabled.  They may not have considered this before. Instead, you should think about the Equality Act (2010) definition of disability and whether this might apply.

If you need further advice on a particular referral, for example you are not sure whether the information provided may constitute a disability, you can always contact DASS and ask for advice without mentioning the student’s name.

University Support Plans

The SSW team update unit leaders of any students with ‘University Support Plans’ at the beginning of each semester. It is the responsibility of the unit lead to sensitively disseminate the plans to any teaching staff, GTAs or technical staff involved in the delivery of content.

Unit leads are welcome to contact DASS or SSW if they have any questions related to the support plan or if they identify any potential issues with implementation. We would always recommend that academic staff meet individually with any students who may have complex support needs; this gives both the student and staff the opportunity to discuss requirements and any perceived barriers to support.

Please note that unit leaders are required to put in place exam concessions for any in-class assessments or mock examinations. 

• Find out about DASS
• Disabled students' allowances