Tell us about your disability or long-term health condition

If you are disabled or have a long-term health condition, you're strongly encouraged to declare this and register with Student Support and Wellbeing, so we can help put the right support in place.

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Why should you tell us about your disability?

We strongly encourage you to tell us about your disability or long-term health condition as early as possible, ideally before you start your course here at UCL. However, you can contact us at any point during your studies. Full disclosure of a disability or long-term health condition will not affect any application to study here or any other academic review of your work but will simply allow you to benefit from all the available support options, as early on as possible. 

Telling us about your disability will allow the Disability, Mental Health and Wellbeing team in Student Support and Wellbeing to do the following:

• Understand the barriers you face and offer appropriate help
• Offer reasonable adjustments and personalised support
• Act as a point of liaison between you and your academic department to inform them about your additional support needs
• Monitor UCL's provision of support and inclusion of disabled students and those with long-term health conditions

If you feel that you might have a disability (including a Specific Learning Difficulty like dyslexia or dyspraxia) but have not received a diagnosis, please contact us so that we can advise you further.

Specific Learning Differences (SpLD)

Postgraduate courses ending in September 2023

The deadline to return your completed screening form is Friday 16th June 2023. You can contact the DMHW department via askUCL to request the screening form. 

How to disclose your disability

Telling us about a disability or long-term health condition (whether this is a physical or mental health condition) is a straightforward process. There are several ways to tell us, including the following:

• Selecting the relevant option on your application to study at UCL form (this could either be a UCAS or postgraduate application) – those who do so will be contacted by the Disability, Mental Health and Wellbeing team in advance of starting their course and asked to complete an Applicant Support Questionnaire (ASQ) to provide more information
• Contacting us directly by emailing student.wellbeing@ucl.ac.uk
• Contacting the Disability, Mental Health and Wellbeing team when you arrive through the askUCL student enquiries system. However, where possible, please inform us before your arrival via one of the first two options.

If you inform us about a disability or long-term health condition on your UCAS application or any other application form, this information will be entered on the UCL central student records system (Portico). This is confidential personal information and covered by the Data Protection Act. You cannot rely on this first disclosure to alert your department to any adjustments you might need, so please provide the additional information requested when we get in touch with you to enable us to liaise with your academic department and get the support you need in place. 

Who will be informed about my disability?

Any information disclosed to Student Support and Wellbeing staff is treated confidentially as sensitive personal data. This is in accordance with the Data Protection Act. This will only be shared with your permission on a need-to-know basis where it is necessary to facilitate our support for you. 

Find out more about UCL's Student Privacy Notice

Your teaching department

With your permission as mentioned above, the Disability, Mental Health and Wellbeing team will inform your department of your support needs. For some applicants, we may share some basic information as provided on your Applicant Support Questionnaire (ASQ) in advance of your registration with the Student Support and Wellbeing team.

The purpose of this early notification is to promote a 'whole institution approach' towards disability support at UCL; for example, it can help to ensure that a student with mobility difficulties is prioritised early on to have lectures located in accessible locations. Any specific adjustments or support needed will be discussed with you when you first meet one of our advisers to create your Summary of Reasonable Adjustments (SORA). With your consent, your SORA will then be shared with your academic department. 

What if I choose not to disclose?

If you do not tell us about your disability or long-term health condition you may not receive the practical support to which you are entitled. It may also be difficult to make the appropriate reasonable adjustments. Information about a mobility difficulty, for example, is needed well in advance so that accessible rooms can be booked for lectures and seminars. Our advisers are happy to discuss any concerns you may have about disclosure prior to officially disclosing any disability.