Reasonable adjustments enable you to participate in the academic assessment process on a fair basis, and according to your preferences. Find out how to arrange reasonable adjustments that work for you.

Reasonable adjustments allow you to fully participate in learning, assessment, university facilities and services. When it comes to assessments, for example, a reasonable adjustment could be making a video presentation instead of presenting in person, or having extra time in an exam, or showing your work to the tutor in private, rather than in front of a group. Under the UK Equality Act 2010, reasonable adjustments are required where disabled students experience substantial disadvantage in comparison with non-disabled people.  Universities have an anticipatory duty to provide reasonable adjustments for students. This means your university needs to plan ahead and address any barriers that may potentially affect your studies and well-being.

To be eligible for individual reasonable adjustments you need to have had an autism diagnosis (or be on the waiting list for an autism assessment) and have told the university about your autism by completing our disclosure of a condition pathway and uploading evidence to our student support portal. Current student link: X Applicant link: Applicant Student Support Portal.  For first time log in, you must select ‘Forgotten your password?’ to set up your login Username and Password. Alternatively, you can email our team at: disabilitydyslexia@chi.ac.uk.

On receiving information about your autism diagnosis, the university’s disability support team will then arrange a meeting with you and discuss your needs.

It is important that you are actively involved in this process, and also in making decisions regarding reasonable adjustments that work for you. This is not about being singled out – it’s about getting the best, personalised support for you.

• Get disability support people AND academics together
• Negotiate your reasonable adjustments, rather than taking them as they come – what works for you individually?
• Focus on learning outcomes rather than assessment procedures – what are alternative ways for you to evidence your knowledge and understanding?
• Ask academics to be creative, and potentially move away from tradition. Acknowledge that this can be uncomfortable for them.
• Remember that the disability team is always there to support you, but they won’t necessarily know the academic requirements.
• Use the Autism&Uni Best Practice Guides as support (see page on UDL)
• Reply promptly to all communications regarding your support and reasonable adjustments, to ensure support is put in place when it’s needed.

The Equality Challenge Unit has published guidance on reasonable adjustments to assist universities in planning and implementing them: http://www.ecu.ac.uk/publications/managing-reasonable-adjustments-in-higher-education/