Reasonable accommodations allow you to fully participate in learning, assessment, college facilities and services.

To apply for reasonable accommodations you need to have had an official autism diagnosis (such as ASD/C or Asperger’s Syndrome), and have registered with the Disability Service in DkIT through the Needs Assessment process.  It is important that you are actively involved in this process, and also in making decisions regarding reasonable accommodations that work for you.

Reasonable accommodations allow you to fully participate in learning, assessment, college facilities and services. When it comes to assessments, for example, a reasonable accommodation could be making a video presentation instead of presenting in person, or having extra time in an exam, or showing your work to the tutor in private, rather than in front of a group. College’s have an anticipatory duty to provide reasonable accommodations for students. This means your college needs to plan ahead and address any barriers that may potentially affect your studies and well-being.

Some college’s and some courses have risen to this challenge by putting in place systems that are on offer to all students, whether registered disabled or not. Examples are audio-recording every single lecture, or providing not just one route of assessment but several different ones for a particular assignment. However, currently this is the exception rather than the norm, and the more established route is to offer individual reasonable adjustments for specific requirements.

To be eligible for reasonable accommodations you need to have had an official autism diagnosis (such as ASD or Asperger’s) and have registered with the Disability Service in DkIT.  The Disability Officer then meets with you and discusses your needs in a Needs Assessment.

It is important that you are actively involved in this process, and also in making decisions regarding reasonable adjustments that work for you. This is not about being singled out – it’s about getting the best, personalised support for you.

• Make sure to really think about what reasonable accommodations would suit you, rather than taking them as they come – what works for you individually?
• Reply promptly to all communications regarding your support and reasonable accommodations, to ensure support is put in place when it’s needed.
• Ask questions if you don’t understand something – Our Disability Officer will be happy to explain anything you are unsure of.

For more information on reasonable accommodations, (AHEAD) The association for Higher Education Access and Disability have produced a detailed guideline for how universities and colleges can help provide students with reasonable accommodations.  Inclusive Learning and the Provision of Reasonable Accommodations – AHEAD