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.