Disclosing a disability/medical condition to the University.

At Durham we want every student to reach their full potential. There is support available for you throughout your journey with us to help you succeed.

It’s important to note if you’ve previously had academic adjustments at school or college, support doesn’t automatically roll over to university. Similarly, disclosing a disability on your university application form isn’t enough by itself to get the support you need in place. 

Our specialist disability support team are here to offer advice and guidance and to ensure appropriate adjustments can be arranged. 

This page offers information for applicants. If you are a current student, please click here.

For applicants to Durham, please follow the steps below:

Step 1: Complete our ‘Disability Disclosure Form'.

All undergraduate and postgraduate offer holders will receive an email in March inviting you to complete the Disability Disclosure Form if you would like to do so. This form gives you the opportunity to: tell us about your disability / medical condition; the support you think you’ll need, and any support you’ve had in place before. 

To ensure disability related needs can be met it is essential that applicants disclose their requirements when requested and by no later than 30th June, so that our team can assess applicants’ needs in relation to college membership and accommodation, as well as specific academic programmes.  

As an applicant, if you do not provide relevant information by 30th June, but do so at a later stage, while every attempt will be made to accommodate your needs promptly, the University cannot guarantee that all required adjustments will be in place in time for you to commence your studies.  

Step 2: Supporting documentation

Once you have completed the Disability Disclosure Form you will receive an individual link asking you to upload any relevant supporting documentation to our secure platform.

Supporting documentation may include a medical letter or psychological diagnostic assessment report detailing your diagnosis and the impact your condition has on your ability to study. We’ve provided guidance on acceptable supporting documentation  but we encourage you to contact us if you have any queries prior to submitting any documentation.

Please don't submit medical or supporting documentation relating to the Disability Disclosure Form by other means (for example, by email), as this will not be accepted. You will be redirected to the secure portal, and any Disability Disclosure Form related documentation received outside this portal during your application period will be deleted. This is to ensure that any supporting documentation submitted is held in line with our Data Protection Policy.

Step 3: Implementing support/adjustments at Durham

The information we receive via our Disability Disclosure Form will be assessed and used as a basis to provide appropriate support/adjustments for you during your programme.

In relation to your learning and teaching a Disability Support Plan (DSP) can be created to ensure that all appropriate staff in the University are made aware of any reasonable adjustment that you may require during your studies. The DSP is created by Disability Support and shared with relevant support teams such as your college and academic department.

Where possible a DSP will be created in advance of your arrival; where we may require additional information in order for the DSP to be completed, we will invite you for an appointment at the start of the academic year. 

College accommodation adjustments

For applicants applying for college accommodation at Durham the form enables you to indicate any disability related accommodation needs. Please see below a summary of the process.

1. Complete the Disability Disclosure Form (DDF).
2. Upload your supporting documentation using secure link provided.
3. Once we have received your DDF and supporting documentation, this will be reviewed by our team.
4. If additional information is required, we will contact you to request this. 
5. Confirmation of recommended adjustments will be communicated to you.

We understand that you may have questions about the DDF; we have created a Guidance Document for Applicants which we hope will answer any questions you may have. 

Please note that you will still need to complete the College Accommodation Application in June if you intend to apply for college accommodation. Further information relating to the College Accommodation Application process can be found on the Accommodation and Allocations Office webpage.

Durham University is committed to supporting applicants who may experience financial difficulties relating to additional en-suite accommodation charges being incurred because of a disability need. Please see here for more information in relation to this.