On this page:
- What does it mean to share your disability information?
- Ways of sharing disability information
- Will sharing disability information automatically put your support in place?
- When should you share this information?
- What happens to the information you share?
What does it mean to share your disability information?
When you share your disability information, you are telling Imperial that you have a learning difficulty, health problem or disability that meets the requirements of the Equality Act (2010). You can share this information at any point during your studies at Imperial. Sharing does not mean you will be treated unfavourably or face discrimination. On the contrary, it enables us to ensure you are provided with the support that you are entitled to during your time here.
Ways of sharing disability information
Sharing disability information as part of your UCAS application
If you share a learning difficulty, health problem, or disability on your UCAS form or other application to Imperial, this information will be entered into your student record. This information is confidential personal information and is covered by the Data Protection Act. You should not rely on this disclosure to alert your department to any additional support requirements or needs that you might have.
Even if you have shared your disability information as part of your UCAS application, we strongly recommend you make an appointment with the Disability Advisory Service (DAS).
Sharing disability information with DAS
You can share your disability information with the Disability Advisory Service by emailing us, by meeting with an advisor, or by sending us a copy of your evidence. However, we strongly recommend you make an appointment with an advisor to ensure any support or adjustments you may require are put in place.
Sharing disability information with your department
You can share a learning difficulty, health problem, or disability by informing someone in your department, for example, the departmental disability officer. This information is not automatically passed to the Disability Advisory Service, so if you would like us to know, please either:
- make an appointment with a disability advisor, or;
- ask your departmental disability officer to let us know.
Sharing disability information by updating your student record
You can share your disability information by updating your student record via My Imperial. Informing us using this method will not lead to your support automatically being put in place. For this to happen, you first must make an appointment with a disability advisor.
Will sharing disability information automatically put your support in place?
Sharing a learning difficulty, health problem, or disability will not automatically lead to your support being put in place. For this to happen, you first must make an appointment with a disability advisor. You must meet with one of our advisors to discuss your needs fully. Without this meeting, it is possible that you won't get any of the support to which you could be entitled.
When should you share this information?
We recommend you inform us as early as possible, for example, on your university application or when you first enrol (on My Imperial).
If you have developed a new learning difficulty, health problem or disability during your studies, please inform your department and contact DAS.
What happens to the information you share?
When you tell Imperial that you have a learning difficulty, health problem or disability, you are in effect declaring that you may have support needs. However, you need to get in touch with the Disability Advisory Service separately to clarify what these needs might be and to ensure that appropriate support is put in place.
When you meet with a disability advisor, we use the information you provide to us to put in place any required adjustments and support. Only staff members involved in your direct student experience will know (for example, your departmental disability officer).
Please read the Data Protection and Confidentiality page for more details on how the Disability Advisory Service uses your information.