Here you will find an introduction to the support and services available at Imperial College. An important part of getting the support you need at Imperial is meeting with the Disability Advice team to have your specific needs assessed.

The Disability Advice team at Imperial College is your main point of contact for any disability related queries throughout your studies. The team is responsible for recommending and coordinating your support or adjustments on any disability related matters within Imperial College. Support is available to students with a range of disabilities and long term conditions, including those on the autism spectrum.

Under the Equality Act 2010, Universities have a duty to make reasonable adjustments where disabled students may be placed at a disadvantage in comparison with non-disabled students. Reasonable adjustments enable you to access and participate in learning, assessment, university facilities and services.

Some examples of reasonable adjustments are:

• Exam or Assessment adjustments (e.g. extra time, use of a PC, etc.)
• Support with reading and research (e.g. extended book loans, assistance to locate or/and collect research material, access to alternative formats, etc.)
• Access to specialist equipment and assistive software (e.g. text to speech to assist with research and proofreading, mind mapping to assist with planning and organising your work, a recording device to assist with note taking, etc.)
• Access to handouts and notes in advance of taught sessions
• Additional support from your tutors (e.g. assistance to catch up on missed work or to check your understanding, as required)
• 1:1 Support (e.g. Mentoring, Study Skills tuition etc.)

You can read more about adjustments and support available here.

If you haven’t done so already we would encourage you to contact our Disability Advice team in order to talk about the support available to you and ensure any adjustments are made in time for your arrival at our university. Your Disability Adviser will also assist you in the process of applying for DSA, if you are eligible for this support, or advise you of the alternative support options available to you if not.

Support is tailored on an individual basis in order to ensure access to the most effective support for you.

There are is also a room available to students on the BSc Medical Biosciences (BMB) course called The Calm Zone. This due to BMB being an ‘active learning’ course, which may pose additional challenges to autistic students. In The Calm Zone, you can take a break and decompress, and a support box is also provided which contains items that may help you to relax during stressful times.

Getting used to life as a university student can be a challenge for anyone, it is important to know that there is support, information and resources available if you need them. Talking to us about the support available, any questions or concerns you have, and visiting campus, might help you make a decision whether you want to study with us, and ensure you have the best possible university experience if you do.

If you decide not to contact the team prior to starting your course you are still welcome to contact us at any point throughout your studies.

It can take time to arrange and implement any support you may require so we would encourage you to contact us in good time prior to your arrival so that we can ensure you have everything in place at the earliest possible opportunity.

Where possible we would suggest you contact our Disability Advice Team as soon you have an offer of a place, even if you haven’t decided that you are definitely studying with us. This will give us plenty of time to talk about your support, give you an opportunity to look around our campus and ensure any support is in place for when you start.

You can make an appointment with the Disability Advice team here.

Meet the team: