About CLASS

about us

As the first HEI-based Assessment Centre in the UK, CLASS has been around for over 20 years. It remains London’s oldest and largest Assessment Centre, with 14 assessors providing over 2,000 Assessments of Need per year in all areas of disability.

The Story: 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.

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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.

From our early days, CLASS has been actively involved in keeping the DSA sector transparent, regulated and up-to-date. CLASS staff run disability and DSA related mailing lists and forums, and our staff include the Assessor Representative to the DSA Quality Assurance Group (DSA-QAG), and the Treasurer of the National Network of Assessment Centres (NNAC). As part of our commitment to the sector, CLASS offers training to Local Authorities and Disability Officers.

The People: CLASS assessors are experienced in assessing a range of disabilities, including specific learning difficulties, physical disability, mental health, and visual and hearing impairment.

	Many come to CLASS with a background in disability support, ranging from physiotherapy to counselling, RNIB training to dyslexia tuition. When you book your appointment, you will be assigned to an assessor with experience of your particular needs. Whether you need to book an appointment, track the progress of a report, or learn more about the DSA, CLASS’s Administration Team is on call from 8 till 5. If we don’t have the answer, we’ll try to find somebody who does! The Space: CLASS is located a few minutes’ walk away from Oxford Circus Tube Station, in the heart of London. The Centre has six assessment rooms equipped with the latest assistive technology and ergonomic furniture. Facilities include a specially equipped room to cater for the needs of visually impaired students, and several large rooms suitable for wheelchair-users.


	The Technology: CLASS remains one of the few centres to employ a dedicated, full-time Technology Consultant to keep up-to-date with the latest assistive technology and ergonomic equipment. We purchase and test new hardware and software as it becomes available, to ensure that everything we recommend does exactly what it’s supposed to.

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CLASS - 72 Great Portland St. - London - W1W 7NH - 020 7911 5808 - site by blue streak design