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: Disclose your disability to the University 

All undergraduate and postgraduate offer holders received an email in March inviting you to complete the Disability Disclosure Form. This form provided an 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.  If you have already disclosed via this process please be assured that our team is working to ensure appropriate support is in place. 

If you have not yet disclosed via our Disability Disclosure form and would like to tell us about a disability or medical condition/discuss support, please note that the form is now closed but you can still contact us via our email disability-support@durham.ac.uk. You can also call on 0191 3348115 or call into our offices on ground floor Palatine Centre. We would be delighted to hear from you.

As an applicant, if you provide relevant information at a late 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 made your disclosure 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 by other means (for example, by email), as this will not be accepted. You will be redirected to the secure portal, and any disability 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 from you 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. 

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.