How can we help you? AbilityNet student services

Are you a student with a disability or impairment? Or a parent? Or someone working with disabled students in higher education? Would you like specialist advice and expert information on how best to support your/their studies? AbilityNet can help.

AbilityNet helps people of any age and with any disability to use technology, to achieve their goals at home, at work, and in education. We provide specialist advice services, and publish free information resources on our website.

We also raise awareness of the Disabled Students Allowances, and other support universities can provide. Many people don’t realise that they could qualify for extra help, so don’t get the support they need to succeed.

How we can help

We can help advisers and students at all stages of education, in a number of ways:

• Call our free helpline to discuss questions or issues with individual cases.
• Come to our inclusive tech for education events – a chance to meet our experts, and experience an immersive tech session.
• Check out our free expert webinars – many of which are relevant to education settings and are valuable to students, advisers, and others.

Free resources to share with students

As a charity, we are keen to ensure that students have access to the best quality advice and support, whether that is through the support services in their place of study, or through our resources. Please feel free to share any of our expert resources within your own services:

• Students, parents, and anyone else with an interest in the needs of disabled people can call our free helpline on 0800 269 545.
• You can also download our free expert factsheets, covering a range of disabilities and technologies.
• You can read our student-focused blogs about the latest tech recommendations from our experts. 

Additional support at university 

Many higher education students do not get the extra support they need to succeed in higher education, including extra help from their university, and the Government's Disabled Students' Allowances (DSA).

People who have claimed DSA include students with a wide range of conditions and impairments, including ADHD, anxiety, autism, cancer, Crohn’s disease, dyslexia, IBS, visual or hearing impairments, and many more. Find out today if you or someone you know might be eligible.
 

• Use our free HE Support Checker to find out if you could be eligible for extra support at university due to a health condition or impairment.
• The check is entirely anonymous, and you do not need to give us any personal information.

‘The extra help I receive means I experience university the same way as everyone else’

‘I received specialist help to manage my studies and my disability, and have lots of equipment that aid me when writing essays or exams. Not only this, but my DSA assessor made the university aware of my other needs, such as rest breaks, extra time, and lenient attendance. From feeling like I had to drop out, to now experiencing university like everyone else is something I will always be grateful for.’

– Ellouise, St Mary's University. Get in touch
If you have any queries about technology and disability, you can:

• call our free help line on 0800 269 545 
• email [email protected]
• visit www.abilitynet.org.uk