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Special Educational Needs

Queen's welcomes and encourages applications from students with disabilities. We will endeavour to ensure that all your individual requirements are met to ensure your time at Queen's is an enjoyable and positive experience.

Deciding to disclose your disability can be a difficult choice for students applying to University. While we accept that this is a personal decision, we strongly recommend that you inform us in order that your individual requirements can be addressed.

The University has developed a range of services for student with disabilities, overseen by Disability Services, the centralised unit that coordinates support for studentst with a wide range of disabilities including specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia. 

Upon receipt of your application, the University will write to you asking for some brief details regarding your disability. This information will be treated as sensitive and kept strictly confidential. It will only be used to plan for your individual support requirements ensuring that your transition to Queen's is as smooth as possible.

Once you have been accepted onto your course you will be invited to meet with Disability Services staff to discuss and arrange your support requirements.

Support for Students with a Wide Range of Disabilities

The type of support available from staff at the Disability Services unit will be tailored to suit your individual needs and may include:

  • Arrangement of support workers, including note-takers, library assistants, dyslexia support tutors and interpreters.
  • Assistance with application for a Disabled Student Allowance, available to UK residents studying full-time undergraduate courses. It should be noted that some part-time and postgraduate students are also eligible for this allowance and alternative funding is available for applicants from the Republic of Ireland. Further details can be obtained from Disability Services.
  • Liaising with course staff to ensure that they are aware of your requirements.

Some of the support measures offered, such as material in alternative format, or changes to the physical environment may require significant planning.  Therefore it is strongly recommended that you contact Disability Services early in the year of application to ensure that these can be addressed.

Further details on the range of services and support available for prospective students can be obtained from the Disability Services unit.  Disability Services also provides a list of useful Frequently Asked Questions.