Disability Issues

Dyslexia, long-term health conditions and disabilities

The RVC is committed to ensuring that students with disabilities, dyslexia and/or health conditions are fully supported at the College.

The College’s Disability Officer, Celia Cockburn, is available each Monday (Hawkshead) and Wednesday (Camden) to meet with current or prospective students.

Email: disability@rvc.ac.uk
Tel: 020 7468 1180 (internally 5410) Camden only
Location: Camden Room G30, Hobday Building
Location: Hawkshead Room G5, LIVE Building

The following support can be provided:

Advice about any aspect of studying at the Royal Veterinary College with a disability or health condition
Funding available for students with disabilities and dyslexia
Support at the RVC
Procedures at the RVC, such as getting extra time, or obtaining a new dyslexia report
Advice about dyslexia and specific learning difficulties and the technologies and strategies that might be useful during your studies

Any information you do tell us about will be dealt with sensitively and in confidence. Information about your dyslexia, disability or health condition is your own and will not be passed onto others without your consent.

Financial Support

Students with dyslexia, long-term health conditions and/or disabilities may be eligible for Disabled Students’ Allowance. This is a financial package to assist with any extra costs of equipment or support that arise from studying at the College with a disability. This can include:

A computer with specialist software to help proof-read or plan essays
A digital recorder for lectures, to assist with notetaking
One-to-one tuition, to work with you on essay styles, reading and research strategies and other learning aids

Disabled Students’ Allowance is available for home-domiciled students, from Local Education Authorities and more information is available at: www.direct.gov.uk

Exam concessions

There is an application process in order to obtain extra time for exams and students need to provide written evidence of their requirements. For dyslexia or other learning difficulties, this should be an up-to-date (within the last three years) diagnostic assessment from an Educational Psychologist. In all other cases, this must be on headed paper, from a medical professional.

If you need to update your diagnostic report, contact the Disability Officer who can put you in touch with recommended Psychologists. In most cases, the College is also able to meet the costs of any reassessment for students who are currently enrolled.

One-to-one tuition

Dyslexic students can often become more efficient and get their deserved grades with the assistance of a specialist tutor to provide advice and guidance on areas like structuring essays, revision techniques, reading and research strategies.

The Disabled Students’ Allowance can fund the cost of external tuition, or you can contact the College’s Teaching and Learning Development Officer, Belinda Yamagishi (telephone 5113/6868 or email byamagushi@rvc,ac.uk).

Diagnosing Dyslexia

If you think you might be dyslexic but are unsure what to do about this, you can speak to the Disability Officer who can provide screening and if appropriate, a referral to a recommended Educational Psychologist. The cost of getting a diagnostic test may be met by the College, so do contact us if you are unsure. Common symptoms are:

Difficulty taking lecture notes and holding information in your short-term memory
A consistent difference between your exam performance and written assignments
Absorbing written information when doing reading or research
Problems with time management
Limiting your written vocabulary to words that you know are ‘safe’ spellings
Finding it hard to limit your ideas when answering essay questions

If you experience these symptoms, contact the Disability Officer to discuss things further as support could really benefit you on the course.