Institutional Resources and provision to support students with disabilities

Date update provided:-

/ July2016

HEI / Disability / Accessibility Support Service Contact Details

HEI/FEI/Other HE course provider / University of Chester
Contact Nameie Head of Service or Title / Disability Services Manager:
Heather Blundell
Senior Disability Support Officer
(Team Leader):Kate Morris
Postal Address / Disability Support
First Floor, Binks Building
Student Support and Guidance
University of Chester
Parkgate Road Campus
Chester
CH1 4BJ
Telephone No.– Voice / 01244 511059
Minicom / SMS / -
Email(s) – if a general disability support service email address is available please be sure to give this /

Web information / URL /

Institutional provisions and resources

Does the HEI have any means of supporting students in respect of the £200 student contribution to the DSA equipment package? / Theuniversity offers the following support, advice and facilities:
  • Financial Support and Advice –Students can contact the University of Chester Finance Office or Student Welfare (within the Student Support and Guidance department). Alternatively, students can view the ‘Other Potential Funding Sources’ section of theStudent WelfareMoney Mattersadvice page for details of other possible grants and bursaries available, including the Financial Assistance Fund:
  • Supporting students to apply for external funding; and in cases where financial hardship or other specific eligibility is demonstrated, to assist with the cost of the £200 student contribution (charities, grants & scholarships). Students can contact Disability Support to discuss this further.

Are lecture capture systems available? Do students need to make arrangements to access the recordings? / These are currently not available at the university.
How are students with temporary disabilities accommodated? / Disability Support require suitable evidence (either medical or EP report) before recommending any support arrangements. These are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Are any assistive technology resources available via the University Network? If so what is available? / All computers run MS Windows and have MyStudyBar, Mindview and Read&Write Gold available.
Further information on this freeware can be found at
Does the HEI have any assistive technology expertise? Is there someone students can contact for assistance? / The university has an IT technician in its Learning and Information Services (LIS) department who has responsibility for Assistive Technology. Students can contact Peter Scorey via the LIS helpdesk, or at
Does HEI residential accommodation have internet access? Do students have to pay? / Most University owned accommodation has either internet through Ethernet cable, or WIFI. Internet access costs are included within the accommodation rent.
Is the campus covered by wifi. / WIFI is available in all areas of each campus/site.
Does the library make any accommodations forstudents with disabilities/SpLDs? For example extended library loans? / Students can access induction sessions with subject librarians to learn how to access databases, books and information in the library and online. Inductions are typically organized by each individual faculty at the beginning of each course.
ParkgateRoad,Thorntonand Warrington campuses have dedicated Specific Needs Librarians to provide information and support with accessing library services and resources. They are also available for support to students on all other University of Chester sites.
NB: they are unable to act as 1-to-1 support, and therefore are not an alternative to NMH support.
Students may also be recommended to the library for extended library loans, and pre-order and collection facilities.
We have a braille embosser in LIS, where small volume braille can be produced.
Do you have study areas on campus specifically for the use of students with disabilities/SpLDs? Is specialist AT available in these locations? / Each Library has its own “spaces” which can be booked out by students via the LIS helpdesk.There is a variety of “spaces”, which include individual study pods, tele-conference facilities, multimedia rooms, and small group workspaces.
Are examination script labels available for students with disabilities to identify the scripts to markers? Please give as much detail as possible. Please make distinctions between coursework and examinations where appropriate. / We currently have a system called Standard Assessment Feedback (SAFF). A student is provided with a written statement which they place at the beginning of their work, prior to submitting electronically. This alerts the marker to their SpLD (due to anonymous marking, tutors are unable to refer to a student’s Inclusion Plan). The Tutor provides specific feedback on areas that are recognized in respect to SpLD. Students use this feedback to work with their specialist study skills tutor on strategies.
We do not operate a differential marking system.
What arrangements are in place for students in receipt of extended time in examinations? / Students who are provided with extra time in examinations will either sit their exam in the main venue; or be recommended for sitting in a room with a small group of other students with similar recommendations; or sit the exam in an individual room. This must be recommended and justified by needs assessor, and an educational psychologist for students with an SpLD.
What is the ‘standard’ extended testing time value? / The standard extended testing provision is 25% extra time.
What arrangements are in place for students with a ‘low distraction’ or a ‘separate setting’ testing environment? / Disability Support require suitable compelling evidence (either medical or EP report) before recommending shared room / separate room.
Does the HEI cover costs for support workers in examinations ie for readers and scribes…or is the DSA used to cover these? / Academic departments provide readers. DSA has previously been used to cover the cost of scribesupport.
Can students receive extensions to deadlines? Are these negotiated on an ‘assignment by assignment’ basis or granted ‘carte blanche’? / We require evidence in support of assignment extensions, they are NOT granted ‘carte blanche’.
Does the HEI have any ‘in-house’ means of providing course materials and course texts in electronic / alternative formats? / Accessible formats are available to students who have a visual impairment and for those who are not physically able to manipulate books. Where course materials/extracts from books are provided by the academic department, the Digitisation Services team will scan extracts, and can request entire books through RNIB Bookshare (formally Load2Learn) and the publishers.
The University of Chester also has a number of different resources that can be used to create or convert documents into an accessible format where required.
As well as this, the University also recommends that faculties upload electronic versions of their lecture slides and reading lists to the virtual learning environment to make the resources accessible to all students who use different tools.The majority of student assignments are also written electronically and uploaded to a central server where they are checked for plagiarism before being marked.
Finally, the university also has a Tiger tactile printer for producing braille and tactile diagrams for those students that need it.
Do any other ‘student services’ have particular provisions for students with disabilities? For example is there a dedicated careers adviser, study abroad adviser, residential services/accommodation adviser, study skills adviser? / As mentioned, LIS has Specific Needs Librarians. There is a specific link person for students who are accessing the compulsory Work Based Learning module in their second year.
Any other specialist provisions? / Student Support and Guidance has a counselling team that students can access.

Procedures for interim support

What procedure / provision is in place relating to ‘interim’ support – ie support to be made available to students in advance of funding body financed provision? / Disability Support would usually require a DSA2 (funding agreement) letter to implement NMH support. Disability Support can, at times (on a case-by-case basis), implement interim NMH support prior to a new student receiving their DSA2 letter. This typically occurs where we assess the student and know that the student is at risk, and funding is likely to be agreed.

In-house NMH Provision details – if available

N/A from 28th April 2016

NON-DSA funded In-house NMH Provision

Contact details:- / Disability Support,
Student Support and Guidance,
First floor, Binks building,
University of Chester,
Parkgate Road campus,
Chester
CH1 4BJ
01244 511059
r general enquiries
r NMH-specific enquiries
For support types:- / Disability Support will review the recommendations of the Needs Assessment report, and assess students who have been identified as maybe needing former Band 1 and/or 2 support. The University offers a range of services that can be utilised by disabled students, for example: Peer Mentoring system; a Transition Group.
(some or all of these tasks may be identified as required)

Preferred providers

Provider name 1:- / Randstad Student and Worker Support
DSA-QAG Unique Identifier:- / 436470f
For support types:- / Where funded by DSA:
Band 1 2 support:
  • Practical Support Assistant
  • Library Support Assistant
  • Workshop/Laboratory Assistant
  • Examination Support Worker (scribe/reader/prompter)
  • Manual Note Taking
  • Study Assistant
Band 3 support:
  • Transcription Support
Band 4 support:
  • Specialist Mentor –MH
  • Specialist Mentor – ASD

Provider name 2:- / Clear Links Support Ltd
DSA-QAG Unique Identifier:- / 584823
For support types:- / Band 1
  • Text Checker
Band 4 support:
  • Specialist One-to-One Study Skills –SpLD
  • Specialist One-to-One Study Skills – ASD

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