- Why should I disclose my disability?
- What are the advantages of disclosing my disability?
- Need more support?
Why should I disclose my disability?
The University of Hertfordshire aims to create an environment where you feel comfortable disclosing a disability or long-term health condition. You can disclose at any time, and you will be invited to do so during admissions and enrolment.
Disclosing a disability will not affect your application to study at the University or any academic review of your work. It helps us identify and provide the support available to you as early as possible.
What are the advantages of disclosing my disability?
If you disclose a disability, you may be able to:
- Receive appropriate support and reasonable adjustments for your studies, including lectures and exams.
- Access information about disability-related funding, such as the Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) and the UH Disability Fund.
- Find out about specialist services and support available to students with disabilities.
We encourage students who disclose a disability to contact their Disability Adviser. Together, you can discuss any support or adjustments you may need. These will be recorded in a Study Needs Agreement (SNA).
Who can see my information?
Information in your Study Needs Agreement will only be shared with your permission.
You may decide that no information needs to be shared. Alternatively, you may agree for specific staff to be told about the adjustments you require, without sharing details about your disability. For example, your lecturers may be informed about adjustments they need to make without being told the nature of your disability.
Contacting your Accessibility and Disability Adviser is your choice. However, we strongly recommend doing so, even if it is only to confirm that you do not need support at this time. If you choose not to speak to an Adviser, this may limit the support we can provide if you need disability-related assistance in the future.
We understand that disclosing a disability may feel difficult. Any information you provide will be handled in line with the University's data protection and confidentiality policies, including:
- Data Protection Policy and Privacy Statement (UPR IMO8)
- Student Mental Health (UPR EQ07)
- Equality and Diversity Policy (UPR EQ03)
Need more support?
If you have questions or concerns about disclosing a disability, you can speak confidentially with a Disability Adviser.
You can self-refer through the Student Wellbeing Disability Service.
Students can self-refer into our service via this link and if you have any questions do contact us via: studentwellbeing@herts.ac.uk or call us on: 01707 284453.