Access for Students provides DSA (Disabled Student Allowance) assessments in south Wales and South West of England. This very well-established company has a friendly team, helping students with their DSA assessment.

The company does not provide funding or make decisions, they carry out the DSA assessment, which helps identify what equipment and additional services you need to complete your studies with confidence. DSA is a government-funded benefit that helps students with various disabilities, helping them study from specialist equipment allowances to non-medical helper allowances and general and travel allowances.

Students can receive DSA allowances if their conditions impact their ability to study. Students must also meet one of the criteria from qualifying for student finance to being an under or post-graduate student, which includes distance learning. In addition to this, those at an open university to studying an Initial Teacher Education course and studying a first higher education course.

Students that qualify for DSA, may need to have an assessment, which is provided by Access for Students, which is a government registered to provide the service. DSA is a useful resource for students with various disabilities from the purchasing of specialist equipment to non-medical helpers, such as British Sign Language interpreters or note-takers. It can help with extra travel or placement, other disability-related support, such as printing additional copies of documents for proofreading.

Laurent Gardener, the Director at Access for Students, said “Once a student's eligibility is confirmed, they may be asked to contact an assessment centre, such as ourselves. We work with the student to identify what they need. This assessment is paid through the DSA entitlement you have. We provide a detailed report on the equipment and/or other support you can get during the course. We recommend students with disabilities do not buy any equipment or pay for any support until they have been assessed, as they will not be reimbursed.”

Laurent Gardner went on to say “It is important for students with disabilities to note that they may not be eligible if they are EU students, only eligible for fee support or they are already eligible for NHS Disabled Students Allowance, which is a completely separate scheme. Students will not qualify if they are already getting equivalent support from a different funding source, such as the university or social work bursary,”

About Us:

Access for Students is a United Kingdom-based DSA assessment specialist, government registered to provide students with an assessment, identifying the equipment and support they may need to complete their studies. The company comprises a friendly and knowledgeable team, offering comprehensive advice for students who are eligible for DSA and have been told by their funding body to get an assessment of their needs. Access for Students does not provide funding. Their service is to help students identify what they need to complete their studies, such as a sign language interpreter or a specialist note-taking. Full details can be found on their information-packed website at https://www.accessforstudents.co.uk.