If you have disclosed a disability, health condition, mental health difficulty (MHD) or Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD), such as dyslexia on your UCAS application, the Learner Development Service will contact you and ask you to provide medical evidence and complete a disclosure form.

However, you can disclose a disability, health condition, mental health difficulty or Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD) such as Dyslexia, to Learner Development at any time during your course.

You can download a disclosure form here. Please submit this, along with a copy of your medical evidence to Learner Development.

If you have any concerns about confidentiality you can discuss them, in confidence, with a Learning Development Adviser before you decide whether you wish to disclose a disability.

Once you have returned both of these pieces of information, Learner Development will contact you to arrange a Personal Learning Plan (PLP) appointment.
At this appointment you will discuss your support needs with a Learning Development Adviser and a Personal Learning Plan will be written. The Adviser will also discuss applying for Disabled Students' Allowances (DSAs).

University support is provided through recommendations made on a Personal Learning Plan (PLP). A PLP is a document that makes recommendations for the support you require on your course and covers areas such as teaching and exam recommendations.

1. A PLP might include requests for handouts in large print, transcripts of lecture notes, extended library loans and examination and assessment recommendations. Recommendations are based on medical evidence, the Learning Development Adviser's professional judgement and academic regulations.
2. The PLP is sent to teaching staff and other relevant staff in your department. It advises them of any reasonable adjustments they may need to make. You should be contacted by a tutor to discuss your PLP.

If you do not wish to disclose the exact nature of your disability to your department, you can stipulate that this information be excluded from your PLP.

Disabled students may also be eligible to apply for Disabled Students' Allowances (DSAs) which are provided by the Government and not through the University. DSAs are available to disabled students who qualify for student finance from a funding body and is a grant that can help with the costs of:

• specialist equipment and computer software
• non-medical helpers, like a study skills coach, note-taker or reader
• extra travel costs you have to pay because of your disability
• additional expenses, like photocopying and printing

A Learning Development Adviser will discuss this with you at your PLP appointment, or you can apply independently.

Please be aware that the process of getting DSA support in place can several months.

If you are a new student coming to MMU, you can apply for DSAs alongside your main student finance application.Where possible, you are advised to apply at least 4 months before the start of your course to ensure that all the required support is in place at the beginning of your studies.

DSAs are not means-tested and will not affect any other benefits you may receive.

Disabled Students' Allowances (DSAs) is a grant provided by funding bodies that can be used to pay for any additional study-related support that you may need as a consequence of your disability. The allowances can help with costs of a non-medical helper (e.g. Study Skills Tutor or note taker), items of specialist equipment or software, travel and other costs, such as photocopying.

DSAs cannot be used to pay for personal care support or to ease financial hardship for disabled students. However, you may be entitled to additional financial support through the University's Access to Learning Fund.

Where possible, you are advised to apply for DSAs and to make contact with the Learner Development Service at least 4 months before the start of your course to ensure that all the required support is in place at the beginning of your studies.

Does your PLP state that you can negotiate revised submission deadlines?

(A) If yes - and you are experiencing difficulties meeting deadlines for reasons related to your disability 

The expectation is that, as far as possible, you will meet all coursework deadlines. However, you can discuss and may be able to renegotiate coursework deadlines for reasons related to disability by speaking to your tutor well in advance of the deadline.
Make an appointment with the relevant Unit Tutor or designated member of staff to discuss your needs and where appropriate agree a revised submission deadline.

The Unit Tutor or designated member of staff will complete a (PLP) Coursework Submission Form identifying the revised submission deadline.

You will be given a copy and a copy forwarded to the Coursework Receipting Office/Student Life Office.

Once the (PLP) Coursework Submission Form has been processed, you will receive a confirmation e-mail with the revised submission deadline. Also the revised submission date will show in 'My Assignments' via Moodle and the Coursework Information Site: http://coursework.mmu.ac.uk.

If you have been absent from the university and were unable to request a revised submission deadline or have missed your deadline for reasons related your disability (e.g. hospital admission), please speak to your Unit Tutor or designated member of staff

(B) If yes - BUT the reasons you are experiencing difficulties meeting deadlines are NOT related to your disability i.e. an illness not related to your disability or a family bereavement:

Your request for a revised submission deadline will have to be considered by the Exceptional Factors Panel.

Complete an Exceptional Factors Form (EF1) and submit your form in accordance with the Exceptional Factors process. Full details of which are found at http://www.mmu.ac.uk/sas/studentservices/guidance/

(C) If your PLP does not state you can negotiate revised coursework submission deadlines:

1. If you are experiencing difficulty meeting deadlines for reasons related to a disability (e.g. condition has deteriorated), you should contact the Learner Development Service at http://www.mmu.ac.uk/sas/studentservices/learner-development/contact-us.php
2. If non-disability factors prevent you from attending, completing or submitting an assessment on time then you will have to go through the normal exceptional factors procedures as detailed above.