If you have a disability, we encourage you to indicate this on your application form, so that we can best support you in your studies. If you think you may require specific support for your studies, we also encourage you to contact Disability Services as early as possible. You can do so before you apply or start your course, or at any time during your studies.

Disability Services offers a confidential service to all current and prospective students. Our friendly and experienced team of Advisers can offer advice and discuss with you the disability-related support you may need for your studies. This may include adjustments to teaching and assessment on your course, such as extra time in exams, access to our 24-hour IT facilities, or support with applying for additional funding through the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA), if you are eligible. Confirmation of your disability from a recognised practitioner (for example, your doctor) is usually required for the provision of individual adjustments and you are encouraged to provide this as soon as possible. We store confidential information securely and do not share with anyone outwith Disability Services without your consent.

Currently we have over 800 students registered with Disability Services for individual support. These includes students who have disclosed physical or sensory impairments, medical conditions, mental health difficulties and specific learning difficulties, such as dyslexia. Our services for registered students includes:

• support with arranging personal help for your studies, such as a proof reader or sign language interpreter
• mental health mentoring
• specialist study skills support
• access to loan equipment and training with assistive technology, such as screen reading software.

In addition, the Scottish Government has validated our Access Centre to provide needs assessments for students applying for the DSA. The Access Centre is also recognised by all other student funding authorities.

Feedback from students who use Disability Services is consistently excellent and the University of Dundee ranks highly for disability support in national student surveys. Contact us to find out more or check out our website for further details: http://www.dundee.ac.uk/disabilityservices/.

The announcement was made at ERSA’s annual Employability Awards ceremony, which was attended by the new Minister for Disabled People, Work and Health, Penny Mordaunt MP, and hosted by ITV news presenter Lucrezia Millarini.

ERSA’s Lifetime Achievement Award recognises Scott’s 26 years of dedication to improving the lives of jobseekers across the UK, through which her company has supported more than 100,000 people to positively change their lives by moving into lasting employment.

On winning the award Teresa Scott said:

“I am privileged to lead and work with the very best team in the industry and this award is as much for their efforts as mine. They inspire me every day in the pursuit of better services for unemployed people and employers who so desperately need our support in bridging the disability employability gap.”

Scott has built the business from a single location in Islington to a national service provider with 16 offices across the UK.

Kirsty McHugh, Chief Executive, ERSA, said:

“I am delighted that Teresa’s track record of exceptional achievement has been recognised by our independent judging panel.  Kennedy Scott is a force to be reckoned with and this is very much due to Teresa’s personal leadership and dedication to supporting jobseekers.”

Kennedy Scott specialises in supporting individuals with complex health condition into work, and is known for its holistic ‘Circle of Support’ approach, which brings together specialist employability support, government and health services, advice and counselling, and all the relevant parties in an individual’s life to collaborate and share responsibility for their journey into work.

Sharne Mulley, a customer supported into work by Kennedy Scott, was also recognised at the event for her exceptional commitment to overcoming barriers and securing lasting employment. Sharne, who attended Kennedy Scott’s Work Programme in Maidstone, was the recipient of the Significant Achievement award.

Scott said:

“I am delighted that Sharne has received this award. She has overcome a great deal of adversity to not only secure but also progress in work and she is now supporting other unemployed people by sharing her experiences and advice with our customers. She is a true inspiration.”

A new fleet of wheelchair-friendly cars has been brought in to help deliver better council services to Dorset’s disabled residents.

Three converted Ford vehicles will be used to transport both older people and disabled children who require special equipment to travel, including wheelchairs.

Dorset County Council purchased the vehicles from Brotherwood in Sherborne, who specialise in converting cars for wheelchair access. The cars can carry a driver plus three passengers and a wheelchair user in comfort and safety.

The lowered floor and central wheelchair position enable wheelchair users to travel inclusively between the rear passenger seats, as part of the group and with a good view out of the car. 

Cllr Peter Finney, Cabinet member for Environment at Dorset County Council, said:

“Dorset Travel are delighted to have the new fleet of vehicles which will provide a high level of comfortable and safe transportation to schools and day centres across Dorset. The cars are specially designed to offer easy access, and also promote inclusivity.

“Brotherwood was able to tailor a high specification for the vehicles to suit our needs, and we are always delighted to work with local businesses. 

“The cars will also help us to cut costs as we will no longer depend on expensive outsourcing of specialist transportation.

“The new fleet has been very well received by our customers.”

Brotherwood Managing Director John Daniel added:

“We are pleased to have been able to help our local council to improve services to disabled individuals in the region. These vehicles will provide mobility for people across Dorset, and represent access to education, care and other essential services across the county.”

“We are grateful to Dorset County Council for the opportunity to provide these vehicles, and look forward to seeing them out on the road performing their vital roles in our local community.”

HRH The Princess Royal has paid a visit to a new service in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire which will specialise in dementia and complex needs for people with learning disabilities.

The development, run by the national learning disabilities charity Hft, has seen the former public house, The Ryeford Arms, remodelled and three new properties built in its grounds.  The new accommodation includes a mix of self-contained flats, private bedrooms, specialist bathrooms and communal areas across three buildings with 24 hour care and support for up to 12 people.

The purpose of Ryeford Court will be to provide specialist care in more personalised settings within the local community for people with learning disabilities who have dementia, complex needs or who may require end of life care.

The project has cost more than £3 million which has been funded by donations.  The largest of which include £2m from The Maxwell Family Foundation set up by Bristol-based entrepreneur, Eric Maxwell, and £150,000 from charitable trust, The Garfield Weston Foundation.

On Monday 18 July The Princess, a dedicated Hft Patron, had the opportunity to meet some of the residents and their families and was given a tour of property.  The new accommodation has been carefully designed to meet the needs of the people who will be moving in.  It will be equipped with the latest safety systems and assistive technology personalised to the needs of the individual, including solutions specifically focusing around dementia.  These include sensors to alert staff if someone has fallen or spent longer than usual out of bed at night. Sensors can also be set up to ensure bedside lights switch on automatically when someone gets up.  Other solutions include talking photograph albums and cordless picture phones to enable people to make calls without having to wait for staff.  Some individuals may also have clocks programmed with reminders in the form of photos, videos or text messages which can be set to specific times and dates to help people maintain a daily routine and reduce anxiety around forgetting to do key tasks.

As part of the celebrations, The Princess was also invited to plant a commemorative tree at the front of the property before heading to a reception at Stonehouse Court Hotel for the second part of the event.

On arrival The Princess was greeted by more than 70 guests including people supported by the charity, their families, employees and donors. During the reception, Specialist Skills Practitioner, Saki Hartas gave a speech about the dementia friendly elements of Ryeford Court and a person supported by Hft recited a poem she had written about her experiences of moving into a new home.

Chief Executive Robert Longley-Cook said: 

“We were delighted to welcome The Princess Royal, who has been a dedicated Hft Patron for many years, to our new service in Stonehouse.  People with learning disabilities have an increased risk of developing dementia as they grow older, and it’s important that we address this in the design of our services to ensure we continue to provide the best possible support.

“This new service will offer people a greater level of choice in more personalised settings, enabling them to actively participate in community life.  This has been made possible by the generosity of donors like Mr Maxell and The Maxwell Family Foundation and The Garfield Weston Foundation.  We thank them for their support and hope to continue working together in the future so we can provide more opportunities for people with learning disabilities to live the best life possible.”

Hft currently supports more than 2,500 people with learning disabilities across the country.  Locally Hft, supports more than 70 people in Gloucestershire.  This includes supporting people with learning disabilities to live independently in their own homes, providing residential and domiciliary care and offering day services to help people pursue their interests, make new friends and become more involved in their local communities.

To find out more about Hft and the services they offer, visit the website on www.hft.org.uk.

The new Changing Places facility officially opened on Friday 8 July, with a ribbon being cut by Sarah Mitchell (Changing Places campaigner) and the Galleries management team.

The opening of this Changing Places facility comes in the same month that the Changing Places Consortium, a group that work together to campaign for improved toilet facilities for over ¼ million people, marks its tenth anniversary. This new accessible facility features an adult changing bench and ceiling track hoist installed by Changing Places sponsor and equipment manufacturer Aveso Ltd.

The Changing Places consortium comprises Mencap, PAMIS, Centre for Accessible Environments, Nottingham City Council, Dumfries & Galloway Council, the Scottish Government and independent members, who came together in 2006 to campaign for the rights of people with profound and multiple learning, and/or other physical disabilities, to access their community.

Rossanna Trudgian, co-chair of the Changing Places Consortium said:

“There is growing momentum behind Changing Places and the importance of making public places accessible to the whole community. We now have more than 840 Changing Places toilets nationwide and the shopping centre industry, in particular, is leading the way with almost 50 UK shopping centres now providing these more advanced facilities within the heart of local communities. We are delighted that M&G Real Estate has joined this initiative with the provision of this specialist toilet at The Galleries Shopping Centre in Washington.”

Over a quarter of a million people across the UK cannot use standard accessible toilets, including people with profound and multiple learning disabilities, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, and some elderly people. To use the toilet in safety and comfort, many people need to be able to access a Changing Places toilet, which has more space and the right equipment, including a height adjustable changing bench and a hoist.

The opening of the Changing Places toilet at the Galleries will allow more people to visit the centre in comfort, knowing that the facilities can cater suitably to their needs.

Chris Poole, Asset Manager, M&G Real Estate adds:

“We believe in making The Galleries accessible to all customers and it is a pleasure to have this facility open this week to serve those that might need more specialist facilities than are available in a standard disabled toilet. As a business we take real care to ensure we respond to the needs of the communities we operate in and were pleased to invest in making the centre more accessible to those with profound disabilities and their families”.

McArthurGlen East Midlands Designer Outlet last weekend welcomed a new disabled toilet at the centre, following customer feedback regarding the existing facilities.

The toilet has been installed in partnership with Changing Places, whose bathrooms contain specialist equipment and more space enabling thousands of disabled people across the country the opportunity to get out and about and enjoy the day-to-day activities many take for granted. The new unit will not only provide visitors to East Midlands Designer and the local area with access to these much-needed facilities, but the centre’s close proximity to Junction 28 of the M1 will also provide respite to those travelling up and down the country.

The room will be accessed with a RADAR key and will include an adjustable hand basin and adjustable and mobile changing bed with a hoist.

Paul Tyler, Centre Manager said of the new facility; “We have always been committed to offering our customers the best possible experience when visiting East Midlands Designer Outlet and the addition of this new Changing Places toilet is a welcome extension to that.”

He added; “We hope that it will not only offer regular customers a helping hand, but that it will also be an opportunity for those from the local community and further afield to have access to these much-needed facilities.”

Last year, Compass Disability Services applied to the Big Lottery Fund to enable the Forum to continue and grow its membership.  We are delighted to have been successful with this application and look forward to continuing to work closely with the Forum in future.

Richard Pitman CEO of Compass Disability Services said “The Forum is an excellent opportunity for disabled people and carers to have their say, we are delighted to be able to support the Forum in its future direction”.

Future dates for the Forum are:

Wednesday 7 September 11am until 3pm

Wednesday 14 December 11am until 3pm

For more information contact Mandy Seaman on 01823 282823 or email Mandy@compassdisability.org.uk.