Disability & Neurodiversity

With a mix of desk, field and lab-based research and teaching conducted at UCL Institute of the Americas, there can be many challenges for disabled and neurodiverse students and staff to navigate. It is our responsibility as a department to ensure that students and staff are not disadvantaged in undertaking their studies or day-to-day jobs.

Up to 25% of people exhibit some form of neurodivergence. If you would like more information, UCL has a Neurodivergent Staff Network [UCL log-in required]. If you are uncertain what constitutes Neurodiversity, you can read A Beginner’s Guide to Neurodiversity on the Learning Disability Today website.

In 2018 UCL launched ACT: Agreement of Consistent Treatment, a tool to record the reasonable adjustments and flexible working arrangements agreed between an employee and their line manager.  Some employees may feel anxious raising requests for reasonable adjustments with their managers – it is hoped the ACT will ease that anxiety as it is evidence of UCL’s commitment to equality and inclusion. Likewise, some managers may be anxious discussing issues that they feel are personal to the employee. The ACT provides a template to facilitate such discussions

Key Contacts and Resources

• UCLU Disabled Students’ Officers
• UCLU Equity Officer
• Student Disability Services support students with a range of impairments, long and short-term conditions and difficulties. The team offers same-day appointments for brief enquiries or longer appointments for support with more complex issues. To book an appointment or for general enquiries about disability support and services you can use the askUCL student enquiries system.
• Comprehensive guidance on disabilities for staff and managers can be found on the Disability Equality at UCL web pages. 
• Enable@UCL [UCL log-in required] is a staff network open to any disabled person working at UCL, as well as any non-disabled person with an interest in promoting disability equality at UCL.
• UCL’s web pages for disability equality have key information for access to work, accessibility and disability IT support, access to UCL buildings, and specific learning difficulties.
• The Sunflower Lanyard - Invisible Disability Scheme