What is Disabled Student Allowance (DSA)?

If you live in England and have one or more of the following conditions you can apply:

• Neurodivergent (dyslexic, ADHD etc.).
• Mental health conditions, for example depression.
• Physical disability, for example if you are a wheelchair user.
• Visual or hearing impairment.
• Long-term health conditions such as HIV or cancer.

Applications open in February or March, so it is best to apply as soon as possible. It can take up to 14 weeks to process. As soon as you complete your DSA application, your university’s student services know about you and your needs.

Top tip:

Apply as soon as possible. You can even apply before you have a confirmed university place.

Visual Impairment

If you have a visual impairment you may be offered:

• Screen readers such as JAWS or NVDA.

• Screen magnification software such as ZoomText.

• Sighted guiders to help navigate campus.

• Specialist support professionals to help with formatting or accessing library resources.

• Braille displays, large screen monitors, or portable video magnifiers for reading handouts.

 

Deaf or hearing impairment

If you have a hearing impairment you may be offered:

• British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters, note takers, or communication support workers.

• Radio aids (FM systems) that transmit the lecturer’s voice directly to the student’s hearing aids or cochlear implants.

• Automated captioning software for online lecturers, seminars or other recorded content.

 

Dyslexia

If you are dyslexic you may be offered:

• Assistive Technology such as text-to-speech software (Read&Write) to read digital text aloud and mind-mapping software (MindView) to plan essays visually.

• High-quality digital recorders or note-taking apps (like Glean or Jamworks) to capture lectures.

• 1-to-1 Specialist Study Skills Support to develop strategies for memory, time management, and academic writing.

 

Autism

If you are autistic you may be offered:

• A specialist autism mentor to help navigate the social side of university, manage anxiety and deal with changes to schedules.

• Noise-cancelling headphones for busy study spaces.

• Funding for taxis to avoid sensory overload from public transport.

• Visual timers and organisational software to help with transition between tasks.

 

Wheelchair user

If you are a wheelchair user you may be offered:

• An adjustable-height desk for their home study space, specialised keyboards and trackable mouse.

• If the student does not have accessible transport then DSA can cover the extra cost of accessible taxis for study purposes.

• A library assistant to help access books or carry heavy materials.

 

Chronic Fatigue (ME/CFS)

If you have chronic fatigue you may be offered:

• Funding for taxis to and from campus if public transport is too physically draining.
• Lightweight laptops, ergonomic furniture for home study, and "lecture capture" tools to allow for study during "up" times.
• Allowance for printing and ink so the student can read physical papers in a comfortable position (e.g., in bed or a recliner) rather than hunched over a screen.

 

ADHD

If you are ADHD you may be offered:

• Noise cancelling headphones to block out sensory distractions and ‘focus’ apps that restrict social media during controlled study periods.

• A specialist mentor who helps with goal setting and breaking down projects into smaller more manageable chunks.

• Livescribe smart pens or digital recorders to ensure no information is missed during lectures, as concentrating for long periods can be tricky.