Needs Assessment

If you are a ​Higher Education student living in England you can apply for a Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) if you have a disability, including:

• long-term health conditions

• mental health conditions

• specific learning difficulties, eg dyslexia

You must meet the definition of disability under the Equality Act 2010 and the support you get depends on your individual needs and not on income. For further details see a guide to Disabled Students Allowances

Once you have approval for a DSA Needs Assessment you can then book this with a registered assessment centre. See www.dsa-qag.org.uk to find your nearest centre. At FarPoint-AT we work with the following Needs Assessment Centres:

• Kings Cross DSA Assessment Centre @ RNIB
• Surrey DSA Assessment Centre @ RNIB
• Access Centre Ealing
• London Bridge Outreach Centre
• Access Centre Ealing - High St Kensington DSA Outreach Centre

Employers are required to make reasonable adjustments to ensure disabled workers are not disadvantaged at work. Disabled employees in England, Wales and Scotland are protected by the Equality Act 2010. Employers have to make reasonable adjustments for directly employed people and even indirectly employed people such as: contract workers, trainees, apprentices and business partners.

Access to Work is a scheme run by Jobcentre Plus that is designed to help employers with some of the costs involved in making these adjustments for disabled workers. An Access to Work grant will help to pay for practical support if you have a disability, health or mental health condition

How much you get depends on your circumstances and the money does not have to be paid back and there is no set amount for the allowance. This can be used to pay for things such as:

• adaptations to the equipment you use
• special equipment (Assistive Technology)
• fares to work if you can’t use public transport
• a support worker or job coach to help you in your workplace
• a support service if you have a mental health condition and you’re absent from work or finding it difficult to work
• disability awareness training for your colleagues
• a communicator at a job interview
• the cost of moving your equipment if you change location or job

For more details see the Access to Work page at GOV.UK