Disability Advice

Orientation

Students may find that it is helpful to come and visit the Campus for a few days before Freshers’ Week and their studies begin.  Orientation is usually offered in conjunction with the Kent Association for the Blind.  Prospective students who wish to take up this option should contact the Disability Team as soon as their place is confirmed in order to arrange this.

Visitors to the Campus should contact their group leader or person organising their visit to establish their requirements for orientation or guidance around the Campus.

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Mobility and Safety on Campus

The Canterbury North Holmes Campus has a number of entrances and exits, areas shared by vehicles and pedestrians, low walls, changes in level and other features that you need to be aware of, in order to ensure your safety. Orientation sessions will help to achieve this, but please do not hesitate to request assistance from the Disability Team or Security, if you need guiding to a part of the Campus you have not yet visited.

If you have to attend lectures or seminars in Augustine or Hall Place in Canterbury, there is a regular bus service linking these buildings with the North Holmes Campus.

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Access to Learning and Teaching

Teaching is carried out in lectures, seminars, tutorials and practical sessions, depending upon the type of programme you are following.  In order for the content of these sessions to be made accessible to you, you should inform the Disability Team as soon as possible of your preferred format for written information.   Lecture notes are often made available via the BlackBoard Virtual Learning Environment, or sent via email to students.

Some students may be provided with a note taker or a recording device for note taking in lectures, funded by their Disabled Students Allowances.  The Disability Team is able to assist students to recruit a note taker from the pool of academic support workers used by the university.

The university has the following facilities on campus, to assist students to access written materials via their preferred format:

Brailling facilities (please book via Help Desk)

JAWS software (please book via Help Desk)

Lunar software (Open Access area within the Library)

Scanners (Open Access areas in the Library and Ramsey)

Personal reader service (contact Disability Adviser)

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Personal Computing

The Computing Department’s web pages provide information about support for disabled students.

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Library

The Library’s web pages provide information about support for disabled students.

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Examinations and Assessment

Disabled students are entitled to reasonable adjustments for examinations and assessments.  For blind and partially sighted people, these may include:

Examination papers in Braille or large print.

Use of a scribe

Use of a PC with assistive software

Consideration for spelling

Extra time.

Contact the Disability Team to discuss your needs.

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Guide Dogs

Facilities for Guide Dogs are available behind the Johnson Building (see Campus map) for visitors.  Students wishing to be resident with a Guide Dog will be advised by the Disability Team and the Guide Dogs Association about the most appropriate University accommodation available to them.

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Useful websites

RNIB

Guide Dogs for the Blind

SeeAbility