Contents
- Disabled Students Guide
- What is a disability?
- The Disability Service
- Accessing Support
- How the University reviews disability policies
- Other resources
Disabled Students Guide
The SRC Advice Centre has created the Disabled Students' Guide in conjunction with the University's Disability Service to bring together the key areas of support, information and resources available to disabled students studying at the University of Glasgow.
The guide covers registering with the Disability Service, accessing reasonable adjustments, academic support, accessibility and other services available throughout your studies.
The 2026 edition is available as a PDF and in an accessible plain-text format.
You can also access the links and resources referenced in the guide.
What is a disability?
Some students with health challenges may not associate or identify with the term 'disability'. However, under the Equality Act 2010, a person has a disability if they have a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.
'Substantial' is defined by the Act as 'more than minor or trivial'. An impairment is considered to have a long-term effect if it has lasted, or is likely to last, for at least 12 months.
In addition to this legal definition, the University recognises the social model of disability, which recognises that disability is created by barriers in society, such as inaccessible buildings, stereotyping, prejudice and inflexible policies and practices. The University aims to eliminate these barriers.
Students with mental health conditions may not realise that they can access resources and support intended for disabled students. For example, a student who has been taking antidepressants for 12 months may not be aware that they could meet the legal definition of disability.
The SRC also produced a guide to disability-related language in 2021, which explains commonly used terminology.
The Disability Service
The University's Disability Service supports students with a range of conditions, including chronic medical or mental health conditions, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), learning differences, and sensory or physical impairments.
Chronic medical conditions
These include:
- Arthritis
- Crohn's disease
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Diabetes
- Epilepsy
- Heart conditions
- Hepatitis
- HIV
- SLE / Lupus
- Ulcerative colitis
Mental health difficulties
These include:
- Anxiety or panic disorder
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression
- Eating disorders
- Obsessive compulsive disorder
- Schizophrenia
Learning differences
These include:
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Dyscalculia
- Dysgraphia
- Dyslexia
- Dyspraxia (Developmental Coordination Disorder, or DCD)
The Disability Service also supports students who are d/Deaf and/or hard of hearing, visually impaired or have autism spectrum disorder.
Disabled students are encouraged to contact the Disability Service. The first step is to register with the service and complete a Study Support Request form.
You can do this as a registered student or if you have received an offer to study at the University.
You will be asked to upload any evidence of the challenges you are facing. However, even if you have limited evidence, you should still complete the form to begin accessing support.
Accessing support
What support can I access?
Once you are registered with the Disability Service, you will have access to a range of supportive measures and adjustments to help you with your studies.
You will be assigned a disability adviser who will meet with you to discuss your needs and the support available.
Examples of support you might receive include:
- Extra time in exams, or exams taking place in a smaller or separate room
- Flexibility with attendance and submissions
- Teaching staff awareness of your support needs
- Accessibility and mobility measures
- One-to-one support from Mental Health Advisers on campus
- Study skills and proofreading support
- Use of a scribe in exams
You can find a more detailed breakdown of assessment arrangements in the University's regulations.
Once adjustments or support are in place, you can view these through MyCampus. If your condition worsens, you experience a flare-up or receive a new diagnosis, adjustments can be reviewed and amended during the academic year.
You will also be informed whether you are eligible for the Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA), which may help cover the cost of additional equipment or support beyond that already provided by the University.
The University also provides information and examples of assistive technology available to support disabled students.
Disability Co-ordinators
Consider making contact with a disability co-ordinator within your school
Consider contacting a Disability Co-ordinator within your School, who can liaise with the Disability Service to make sure you are receiving appropriate support.
Their role is to support disabled students and promote disability equality more generally within their School.
Counselling Service
The University has a team of dedicated Counsellors and Wellbeing Officers who help students manage their mental health and develop strategies to support their studies.
They may be able to help with:
- Anxiety
- Bereavement
- Relationship difficulties
- Mild to moderate depression
- Life changes
- Self-confidence and self-esteem
The first step is to register with the University's Counselling Service. You will then be offered an initial one-to-one consultation to discuss your needs and identify appropriate next steps.
Support may include:
- Short-term, focused blocks of therapy
- Wellbeing consultations
- Psychoeducation and group work
- Self-help resources
The Counselling Service also provides self-help resources and masterclasses throughout the year covering topics such as managing exam stress, sleep, resilience, anxiety, low mood, perfectionism, motivation, managing change and overcoming loneliness.
The University also offers a confidential helpline and app, available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, where counsellors can provide guidance and support.
Academic support
The University's Student Learning and Development team can help you develop your academic skills, organise your work and access additional learning support.
During your studies, you may experience a decline in your health or encounter a new health challenge that affects your ability to meet assessment deadlines or sit exams.
Your initial point of contact for academic concerns will typically be your Adviser of Studies or course convener/co-ordinator.
There are several options available if your circumstances affect your studies.
Delayed Assessment Permits (DAPs)
Sometimes you need extra time to complete coursework, even when you are not experiencing an emergency.
Delayed Assessment Permits (DAPs) provide limited automatic flexibility without requiring an explanation or supporting evidence.
Every student has three DAPs per academic year. Unused permits do not carry over, and each permit extends the deadline for one piece of coursework by five working days.
If you are registered with the Disability Service and have flexibility with deadlines included in your Study Support Plan, you may use DAPs as required without being subject to the standard limit
Extenuating Circumstances
Extenuating Circumstances is the University's system for supporting students whose studies have been affected by an unexpected health or personal challenge, or a significant worsening of an existing health condition.
The University provides guidance on what circumstances may qualify for an Extenuating Circumstances claim and how to submit one.
The SRC Advice Centre also provides independent advice and guidance on Extenuating Circumstances.
Support to Study
Where health challenges are having a significant impact on academic study and cannot be appropriately managed through extensions or Extenuating Circumstances claims, the University may initiate its Support to Study process.
This is a supportive process designed to better understand the challenges you are facing and assess whether a leave of absence or continued study with additional support or adjustments would be most appropriate.
Withdrawal of study
Students managing unforeseen or long-term health challenges alongside their studies may sometimes feel overwhelmed by academic work and believe that withdrawing completely is their only option.
Before making this decision, it is worth reviewing whether you have access to all the support and adjustments available to you.
You can find further information in the SRC Advice Centre's guidance on withdrawal from study and the University's own guidance.
Accessibility
The University provides accessibility guidance covering:
- Finding your way around the University
- Access guides to services and buildings through AccessAble
- Contact information for British Sign Language (BSL) users
- Mobility scooter and wheelchair loans
- Reporting issues with physical access on campus
The University's Accessible & Inclusive Learning Policy aims to ensure that learning, teaching and assessment materials and methods are accessible to everyone.
The University also provides a digital accessibility guide for students and staff, covering the accessibility of webpages, documents, videos and presentations.
University systems have accessibility statements which outline their compliance and identify areas where improvements are required.
You can also refer to the University's Recording of Teaching Policy to understand how recordings may support your studies.
Assistance dogs are welcome on campus. The University also has an Accessible Events Policy to ensure events fulfil obligations under the Equality Act 2010.
Library
The University Library aims to provide an environment where disabled people have equal access to its services and collections.
All levels of the Library are accessible from street level 2 via lift.
The Library's disability policy outlines support available to disabled students, including:
- Frontline staff trained to respond to the needs of disabled students
- Longer loan periods
- A fetching service
- Proxy borrowing
- Visiting with a helper or assistance dog
The Library also has a Disability Co-ordinator who acts as a first point of contact for disabled Library users.
You can contact them at library-disability@glasgow.ac.uk.
Careers
The University's Careers Service provides guidance and support to students planning their futures beyond University.
Through its agreement with EmployAbility, disabled students can access additional careers support.
Once registered with EmployAbility, you can access:
- Group events and workshops
- One-to-one consultancy and advocacy support
- Information and support on graduate opportunities
Additionally, the University employs a Career Development Consultant for Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) who can provide tailored careers support for disabled students.
How the University reviews disability policies
The University periodically reviews its disability-related policies and processes through:
- Meetings of the Disability Equality Group, chaired by the University's Disability Equality Champion
- Meetings of the Learning & Teaching Committee
- Meetings of the Disability Review Implementation Group
- Meetings of the Equality & Diversity Strategy Committee to review the Equality & Diversity Policy
- Reviews of the Accessible & Inclusive Learning Policy
Other resources
The following University resources provide further information and guidance for disabled students:
For additional information, visit the Disabled Students' Guide online resources page.