Teaching timetable arrangements for disabled students

The Equality Act 2010 aims to ensure that people who have a disability have equal opportunities to benefit from, and contribute to, the learning and services available in higher education institutions.

The Act covers all aspects of the physical environment including access to, and facilities in, teaching rooms. The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) Quality Code for Higher Education also makes reference to access to an inclusive environment for learning which anticipates the varied requirements of learners, for example because of a declared disability, and aims to ensure that all students have equal access to educational opportunities. 

The University is strongly committed to equality of opportunity in its provision for all students. There are more than 3,000 students who have a disability and the University is committed to providing ongoing support with the focus being on providing accessible services and supporting students in completing their courses as independently as possible.

As part of this commitment, the University believes that teaching rooms should be allocated and timetabled with the needs of disabled students in mind. This includes taking account of physical access to buildings/rooms, the surrounding environment (for example, parking provision) and facilities in the teaching rooms themselves.

For more information about the services provided by Disability Support Services, please consult the following:

Disability Support Services

There is a procedure in place for making alternative arrangements for students who have a disability or a long-term health condition:

• All students requiring alternative arrangements of any nature must be assessed by Disability Support Services. 
• School staff should refer any student with a timetabling issue directly to Disability Support Services as a matter of urgency as the definitive teaching timetable is published at the end of July and there is limited scope for revisions after that date.
• Disability Support Services will assess student needs and pass recommendations for timetabling arrangements to the Timetabling Office where rooms will be allocated/reallocated accordingly.

For more information about the services provided by Disability Support Services, please consult the following:

Disability Support Services

• Before the start of session, the Timetabling Office will only be able to take account of a student's compulsory modules.
• Students do not choose their restricted and free option modules until the first week of session.
• After the two-week change of mind period a student's module timetable will be checked again by the Timetabling Office to ensure that appropriate rooms are allocated for restricted and free option choices. 

Students with disabilities

Examination arrangements for students who have a disability, mental health difficulty, long-term health condition, autistic spectrum condition or a specific learning difference