Accessibility Service

The Accessibility Service (housed within the Accommodation and Welfare service) works with students who have disabilities of all kinds. We are committed to supporting online-learning students as well as campus-based ones.

Our role is to offer practical support and advice on a range of disabilities (including learning disabilities, sensory disabilities, long term health conditions, mental health difficulties and mobility difficulties). We can arrange diagnostic and need assessments, practical support such as study skills support and enabling, as well as equipment to prevent you from being disadvantaged in the learning context as a result of your disability.

In order to offer the support that you may require, we need to know as much as possible about your disability and how this impacts on your daily life. Normally you will have indicated any disability you know of on your application form, in which case we will make contact with you before you embark on your studies. We will send you an Accessibility Questionnaire that will enable you to tell us in detail about the difficulties you may experience because of your disability. It will also allow you to tell us about support you may have received in the past and support you feel you will need to successfully complete your studies.

If for some reason you felt unable to disclose your disability on your application form, please get in touch with us. We would welcome the opportunity to offer support to you during your studies.

We know that having a disability is often more than just physical symptoms or learning difficulties. For example, you may find that because of your disability you become anxious or experience depression. Perhaps you struggle to concentrate because of pain levels or due to your medication. If this is your experience, please share this with us as we may be able to put support in place to help you with your broader experience of being a student with a disability.

We also understand that some disabilities are hard to talk about and that some of you might have had negative experiences of sharing information about your disability. We would like to reassure you that the information you share with us will be handled sensitively and that you will be treated with respect and dignity. Any information you choose to share with us does not play a role in the admissions process. It is only used to ensure that adequate support is in place, should you choose to accept a place at University College Falmouth.

If you have a disability and are embarking on studies at Higher Education level, you may be entitled to claim Disabled Student Allowance. For further information and to download the DSA form, please visit: www.direct.gov.uk or contact your Local Education Authority.

We operate on a strictly confidential basis and will only discuss your needs with your department if we have your written permission to do that. We would typically inform your department by way of an Individual Learning Plan. This enables your department to know of any reasonable adjustments which need to be taken into account (eg, if you are a student with dyslexia undertaking a course with exam requirements – you may need extra time during the exam).

As you are a distance learner, it is anticipated that for the majority of the time, our interaction with you will be by telephone or email. Contact details for the department are below. Please call any of the numbers listed, or email, to arrange to speak with an Accessibility Advisor. If there are occasions when you are going to visit campus, please let us know ahead of time so that we can ensure access arrangements are in place for you.

We wish you every success and look forward to hearing from you.

Accessibility Service contacts:

Gaynor Astbury - Accessibility Services Manager
Tel: 01326 370443 (ext 1443)
Email: gaynor.astbury@falmouth.ac.uk

Sophie Atherton - Accessibility Adviser - Tremough
Tel: 01326 253629 (ext 3629)
Email: sophie.atherton@falmouth.ac.uk

Susanna Pope - Accessibility Advisor - Tremough
Tel: 01326 255837
Email: susanna.pope@falmouth.ac.uk

Mel Dove - Accessibility Adviser - Woodlane
Tel: 01326 213737 (ext 3737)
Email: mel.dove@falmouth.ac.uk