Find out how to use the Student Disability and Inclusion team and how to register with the service, access support and talk about any adjustments you may require. You will also be able to visit the University before your course starts, to gain a feel for where you will be based throughout your studies.

The Student Disability and Inclusion Team (SD&I) at the University of Southampton are your main point of contact for any disability related queries throughout your studies. The team is responsible for recommending and coordinating your support or adjustments.

Under the Equality Act 2010, Universities have a duty to make reasonable adjustments where disabled students may be placed at a disadvantage in comparison with non-disabled students. Reasonable adjustments enable you to access and participate in learning, assessment, university facilities and services.

Some examples of reasonable adjustments are:

• Additional Exam Recommendations/Assessment Recommendations (e.g. extra time, use of a PC, etc.)
• Support with reading and research (e.g. extended book loans, assistance to locate or/and collect research material, access to alternative formats, etc.)
• Access to specialist equipment and assistive software (e.g. text to speech to assist with research and proofreading, mind mapping to assist with planning and organising your work, a recording device to assist with note taking, etc.)
• Access to handouts and notes in advance of taught sessions
• Additional support from your tutors (e.g. assistance to catch up on missed work or to check your understanding, as required)
• 1:1 Support (e.g. Mentoring, Study Skills tuition etc.)

If you haven’t done so already we would encourage you to contact the SD&I team in order to talk about the support available to you and ensure any adjustments are made in time for your arrival at our university. Coordinators within SD&I can also assist you in the process of applying for DSA, if you are eligible for this support or advise you of the alternative support options available to you if not.

Other support our team may recommend, includes:

• Specialist Study Skills (practical study advice and support)
• DSA Drop In Sessions & Bespoke DSA 1:1 Support Sessions
• Access to dedicated study spaces (Assistive Technology Suite and Clarkson Rest and Study Room)
• Referrals for Learning Support (e.g. notetaking, lab support, study assistance, exam support such as readers and scribes)
• Referrals for short-term mentoring
• Peer Support (Inclusive Learning Volunteers, ILVs)
• Additional Exam Recommendations

The SD&I team are responsible for recommending and coordinating your support or adjustments. Adjustments are tailored on an individual basis so your involvement in this process is essential.

If you decide not to contact the team prior to starting your course you are still welcome to contact us at any point throughout your studies.

It can take time to arrange and implement any support you may require so we would encourage you to contact us in good time prior to your arrival so that we can ensure you have everything in place at the earliest possible opportunity.

• You can meet the Student Disability & Inclusion team member by visiting the Student Hub (Building 37, Highfield Campus), from Monday-Friday 9am-5pm
• You can call the Student Disability & Inclusion team on 023 80 599 599 from Monday-Friday 9am-5pm
• You can email the Student Disability & Inclusion team via studenthub@soton.ac.uk

Before meeting with the Student Disability and Inclusion team, it might be useful to think about:

• how you would like to describe your autism and anything you think would be useful to share with your tutors?
• what support you have received in the past, what has worked well and what hasn’t worked for you?
• how you plan to travel to university?
• what is your experience of teaching sessions, what helps you to gain an understanding of a new topic or task?
• how have you found note taking and researching for assignments?
• how have you found assessments in the past, e.g. exams, essays, presentations, etc.?
• how do you feel about group work, placement and practical tasks?

If you decide that you are going to attend a different University we would recommend that you contact the Disability Advice team at your chosen university.

Originally published by Autism&Uni in August 2017. Updated by Anna McCann, University of Southampton, (April 2024).