What is the role of the DSA?
What is the role of the Assessment Centre?
What is a DSA Needs Assessment Report?
How did CLASS get started?
Do you assess all disabilities?
Do you offer home assessments?
Are there parking facilities nearby?
How long will an assessment take?
How are your assessors trained?
Is this student’s medical evidence sufficient?
What’s the difference between a diagnostic assessment and an assessment of needs?
How do I interpret an educational psychologist’s report?
On what basis do assessors make recommendations?
What if I don’t agree with the assessor’s recommendations?
How quickly will students get their equipment after they have been assessed?
Can students receive equipment before their course starts?
What if a student changes course?
What if my question isn’t on this page?

What is the role of the DSA?
Grants provided under the Disabled Students Allowances are equal to the amount of additional expenditure a student is obliged to incur as a result of taking a course, and as a direct result of having a disability. The four DSA allowances are intended to help a disabled student to benefit fully from the course.  DSAs should:

• Be in respect of expenditure not covered elsewhere in the Regulations, and must arise from undertaking the course as well as from the disability;
• Not be made for disability-related expenditure which the student would incur irrespective of whether or not he was a student; and
• Not be made for expenditure relating to services which can reasonably be expected to be provided by the student’s institution.
  
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What is the role of the assessment centre?
To ensure that this additional expenditure is evaluated correctly, each student is required to attend a DSA Needs Assessment at a DSA-QAG accredited Assessment Centre.  The Needs Assessment is conducted by an assessor with experience of the disability or specific learning difficulty in question, who can help identify areas of disability-related need and recommend compensatory strategies.

Assessment Centres are fully equipped with assistive technology and ergonomic furniture, which students can try during the Needs Assessment to ensure that their recommendations are appropriate.  After the Assessment, the assessor will produce a report setting out the findings of the Assessment.  This is quality-assured by CLASS’s Administration Team before being sent out to the student, the funding body, and, where the student has requested it, to the institution’s disability officer.  Follow up queries and correspondence are handled by the assessor or by the Administration Team. [BACK TO TOP]

What is a DSA Needs Assessment Report?
An assessment report should take the form of a bespoke bid for public funding which outlines the additional cost incurred by a student in respect of undertaking a course and arising from their disability.  It excludes any expenditure which can be reasonably expected to be provided by the student’s institution, or which is the responsibility of the student concerned. [BACK TO TOP]

How did CLASS get started?
CLASS was founded by David Laycock MBE in 1984 as CCPD, the Computer Centre for People with Disabilities, with the remit of making assistive technology available to disabled students in higher education.  Back then, we worked with occupational therapists, speech therapists and physiotherapists to explore the uses of assistive technology for a range of disabilities.  In turn, we improved our own expertise through working with these professionals.

With the expansion of the Disabled Students Allowances in 1993, CCPD was well placed to provide Assessments of Need.  We were a founder member of the National Federation of Access Centres (NFAC), and NFAC’s first HEI member.  In fact, CCPD was the first university-based Assessment Centre in the UK.

In 1992 we moved to new, larger premises at 72 Great Portland Street, home to our assessment facilities, administration team, and technical support.  In 2005 we increased our assessment capacity by 50% with the creation of two new assessment rooms, enabling us to see more students during busy periods. [BACK TO TOP]

Do you assess all disabilities?
Yes.  As one of the largest Assessment Centres in the country, CLASS has the staff, space, and facilities to assess all disabilities.  These include:

• Asperger’s, autism, and mental health – CLASS employs assessors with experience of counselling and mental health issues, including professional counsellors and mentors.  Since 1996, CLASS has pioneered the recommendation of mentoring support for students with autistic spectrum disorders and mental illness.
  
  
• Hearing impairment (HI) – CLASS ensures that qualified BSL advanced interpreters are scheduled for HI students requesting this service, and our technology consultant ensures that CLASS stays abreast of current developments.
  
  
• Multiple disabilities – Many of our assessors are trained in more than one area of expertise, enabling them to assess students with multiple disabilities.  In very complex cases, CLASS may arrange for two assessors to be present, to ensure that all aspects of a student’s disability are taken into account.
  
  
• Physical disability and mobility problems – CLASS is wheelchair-accessible, and our staff are happy to provide additional mobility support as required (such as assistance into and out of vehicles).  In addition to assistive technology, a wide range of ergonomic furniture, including orthopaedic chairs, is available for testing.
  
  
• Specific learning difficulties – All seven assessment rooms are fully equipped with assistive technology designed for students with specific learning difficulties (dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, etc.), and CLASS assessors include dyslexia tutors and other specialists in specific learning needs.
  
  
• Unseen disability – Some disabilities are invisible to the eye, but can have a profound impact on quality of life.  CLASS assessors are experienced in assessing the difficulties associated with unseen disabilities and long term illness, including HIV/AIDS, chronic fatigue syndrome, diabetes, cancer, connective tissue disease, and repetitive strain injuries.
  
  
• Visual impairment (VI) – at CLASS we have a room specially equipped with a wide range of technology to assist visually impaired students.  CLASS staff include a specialist VI assessor and a former RNIB trainer.  All materials, including DSA Assessment Reports, can be supplied in alternative formats, including large font and tape.  CLASS staff can escort students to and from public transport if requested.

None of the above?  Often a disability doesn’t fall into an easy category, and sometimes it can simply be difficult to talk about.  If you have any queries or concerns, you can talk to CLASS staff in absolute confidence, by calling 0800 0153158, or clicking here. [BACK TO TOP]

Do you offer home assessments?
Home assessments may be available in cases where, as a result of their disability, students cannot travel into Central London.  Students should call to book an appointment as usual, and explain the need for a home visit.  With the agreement of the funding body, the Administration Team will contact suitably qualified assessors to arrange that.

The assessor will bring some assistive technology to the home assessment.  However, some equipment – particularly large items, such as ergonomic furniture! – can only be tested on CLASS’s premises. [BACK TO TOP]

Are there parking facilities nearby?
Parking in Central London is both difficult and expensive.  Before making the decision to drive to CLASS, students should contact their funding body, as they may be willing to cover the cost of a taxi to and from the DSA Needs Assessment (students should be sure to mention this to their assessor). [BACK TO TOP]

Details of the nearest parking facilities can be found here.

How long will an assessment take?
The majority of Needs Assessment are completed within two hours, although complex cases may take longer.
Assessments are tightly scheduled, and it is therefore important that students arrive on time.
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How are your assessors trained?
CLASS assessors must be experienced in the three areas of disability, higher education, and technology.  All new assessors must follow CLASS’s training programme, which includes shadowing experienced assessors.  Our programme of Continuing Professional Development requires assessors to undertake at least three days additional training per year. [BACK TO TOP]

Is this student’s medical evidence sufficient?
At CLASS, we can only carry out a DSA Assessment of Needs if the student provides medical evidence of disability.  This could be a medical report, doctor’s letter, or, in the case of a specific learning difficulty, an educational psychologist’s report.

It is important that a diagnosis is given.  For instance, an Educational Psychologist’s report may provide extensive details of all tests administered, only to conclude that the subject is not dyslexic, or that the subject’s difficulties are general rather than specific.

In addition, evidence which satisfies the eligibility criteria for DSA may not be sufficient for the purposes of a Needs Assessment.  For instance, a one line letter stating that the student has a disability will lack sufficient detail for the assessor to interpret when evaluating a student’s needs.

If you have any doubts concerning the scope or validity of a student’s medical evidence, call us on 0800 0153158, or click here.
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What’s the difference between a diagnostic assessment and an assessment of needs?
A diagnostic assessment provides evidence of a specific learning difficulty (SpLD), and is the document the student needs to submit to the funding body as evidence of disability.  It usually takes the form of an Educational Psychologist’s Report, and includes the diagnosis of dyslexia or another SpLD.  Students are responsible for the cost of obtaining this evidence.

An Assessment of Needs is not intended to provide a diagnosis, as it relies on the medical evidence already obtained.  It takes place at an Assessment Centre such as CLASS, and takes the form of an informal discussion with a DSA Needs Assessor, to identify strategies to help students compensate for the effects of their disability in higher education. [BACK TO TOP]

How do I interpret an educational psychologist’s report?
CLASS provides training to funding bodies on understanding specific learning difficulties and decoding educational psychologist’s reports. If you would like to book a training session please call us on 0800 0153158, or click here. [BACK TO TOP]

On what basis do assessors make recommendations?
CLASS reports are produced according to the Strategy Enhancement Model, which breaks study processes down into five areas: Research, Composition, Proof Reading, Note Taking, and Time Management.  While carrying out the Assessment and writing up the Report, the Assessor will take account of the medical evidence provided regarding each study process, supplemented by details from the student’s own experience.

For example, a particular student with specific learning difficulties may have a relatively fast reading speed and be able to read course texts without difficulty, but have a relatively weak handwriting speed which leads to problems taking notes.  The assessor will therefore focus on the area of need, i.e. Note Taking, rather than on Research, an area of comparative strength.

This approach ensures that reports are individually catered towards the needs of the student, rather than providing generic ‘shopping lists’ of equipment and support.  The aim of every assessment is to identify the individual, unique needs of the student, taking into account such factors as medical evidence, personal experience, choice of institution, and the nature of the course.

CLASS assessors cannot recommend equipment or support purely on the basis of course-related need, or personal convenience.  Nor can they recommend support which it is the obligation of the HEI to provide.  If you have any queries, call us on 0800 0153158, or click here.
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What if I don’t agree with the assessor’s recommendations?
Call us straight away on 0800 0153158, or click here to send an email.  In the subject line, please put the name of the assessor and, if available, the assessment reference number (this takes the form of two letters and seven digits, e.g. TS-0910-001).  The Administration Team will deal with your query as quickly as possible, forwarding it to the relevant assessor if appropriate.

CLASS cannot alter a recommendation on the basis of course-related need or personal convenience. [BACK TO TOP]

How quickly will students get their equipment after they have been assessed?
After the assessment, the assessor will produce a detailed report setting out each student’s needs, and recommending strategies.  This should be sent to the student’s funding body within 10 working days, unless the student has requested to see a draft copy first.

Once the funding body has received a copy of the DSA Needs Assessment Report, it will usually order any recommended equipment direct from the supplier (although some bodies, such as the NHS, may pay funds directly to the student).  A delivery date and time will then be agreed between the supplier and the student.  During busy periods, both funding bodies and suppliers can experience delays, so it is best to allow extra time for this part of the process. [BACK TO TOP]

Can students receive equipment before their course starts?
The Department for Business, Innovation, and Skills (BIS) recommends that in certain cases funding authorities could consider purchasing equipment before a student’s course starts.  For instance, if the student has been found to be eligible for DSA, and has an unconditional offer of a university place, it would be reasonable to consider purchasing the equipment before the beginning of term.  Also, students with particularly severe disabilities, such as blindness, may require more time to train on their equipment, and would benefit from receiving it in advance. [BACK TO TOP]

To read the BIS guidance for Awards Officers on this topic, click here.

What if a student changes course?
A student’s needs can change as a result of moving course. For this reason, a reassessment or ‘top-up’ assessment may be required. To discuss this, call us on 0800 0153158, or click here. [BACK TO TOP]

What if my question isn’t on this page?
The Administration Team will try to answer your question.  If we can’t, we’ll try to find somebody who can!  Call us on 0800 0153158, or click here. [BACK TO TOP]