How did CLASS get started?
How does the application process work?
What happens during a DSA Needs Assessment?
Do you assess my disability?
Do you offer home assessments?
How do I find you?
How long will an assessment take?
What do I need to bring with me?
What’s the difference between a diagnostic assessment and an assessment of needs?
How do assessors make recommendations?
What if I don’t agree with the assessor’s recommendations?
Where's my DSA needs assessment report?
Where's my stuff?
Can I get equipment before my course starts?
What if I change my course?
What if my question isn’t on this page?
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]
How does the application process work?
For a step-by-step guide to the DSA application and assesment process click here
What happens during a DSA Needs Assessment?
To ensure that the Disabled Students’ Allowances are evaluated correctly, each student is required to attend a DSA Needs Assessment at a QAG recognised Assessment Centre. The Needs Assessment is conducted by an assessor with experience of your disability or specific learning difficulty, who can help identify areas of disability-related need and recommend compensatory strategies. You will not be tested. A Needs Assessment is a relaxed, informal meeting, giving you the chance to discuss your needs with an expert and try out possible solutions.
After the Assessment, the assessor will produce a report setting out the findings of the Assessment. This is proofread by CLASS’s Administration Team before being sent out to the you, your funding body, and, if you have requested it, to your disability officer.
Follow up queries and correspondence are handled by your assessor or by the Administration Team. [BACK TO TOP]
Do you assess my disability?
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’s assessment staff employs a BSL Level 2 qualified assessor, and a HI technology consultant to ensure that CLASS stays abreast of current developments. Our administrators are experienced at using the Textphone service, and one member of the team is trained to BSL Level 1 to help students with face-to-face enquiries.
- 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 six assessment rooms are fully equipped with assistive technology designed for students with specific learning difficulties (dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, etc.). 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 you 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.
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Do you offer home assessments?
Home assessments may be available in cases where, as a result of your disability, you cannot travel into Central London. Just call to book an appointment as usual, and explain the need for a home assessment. With the agreement of your funding body, the Administration Team will contact suitably qualified assessors to see whether anyone can visit you at home.
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]
How do I find you?
For full details of how to get to CLASS, including public transport links and a map, just click here.
Are there parking facilities nearby?
Parking in Central London is both difficult and expensive. Before making the decision to drive to CLASS, you should contact your funding body. They may be willing to cover the cost of a taxi to and from the DSA Needs Assessment if your disability means that you cannot use public transport (you should be sure to mention this to your 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 you arrive on time.
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What do I need to bring with me?
To carry out a Needs Assessment, we need to see two documents:
- Evidence of your disability.
- A letter from your funding body confirming that you are eligible for DSA.
Evidence of disability:
At CLASS, we can only carry out a DSA Needs Assessment if you provide medical evidence of your disability. This could be a medical report, doctor’s letter, or, in the case of a specific learning difficulty, an educational psychologist’s report.
This will usually be a copy of the same evidence you submitted to your funding body when applying for DSA. Occasionally, 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 you have a disability may not have enough detail to help the assessor evaluate your needs.
If you are an Open University student, we may have already received evidence of your disability from the OU. You do not need to bring additional evidence.
If you have any questions about your medical evidence, call us before your assessment date on 0800 0153158, or click here.
Letter of eligibility:
You should have received a letter from your funding body (which could be your Local Authority, NHS Student Finance Direct, the Student Awards Agency for Scotland, or a research council), stating that you are eligible for DSA and that the next stage is to book an appointment with an Assessment Centre.
You need to bring this letter with you to your Needs Assessment, as it demonstrates that your funding body has agreed to finance your DSA recommendations.
If you are an Open University student, we may have already received confirmation of eligibility from the OU. You do not need to bring additional correspondence.
If you have any questions about this letter, call us before your assessment date on 0800 0153158, or click here. [BACK TO TOP]
What’s the difference between a diagnostic assessment and an assessment of needs?
A diagnostic assessment provides evidence of a specific learning difficulty (SpLD). This is the document you need to send to your funding body as medical evidence. 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.
A Needs Assessment 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. The aim is to identify strategies to help you compensate for the effects of your disability in higher education. [BACK TO TOP]
How do assessors make recommendations?
Recommendations are made on the basis of disability-related need, which differs for every student. For this reason, CLASS does not provide standard ‘shopping lists’ for each category of disability. The aim of every assessment is to identify your individual, unique needs, taking into account such factors as medical evidence, personal experience, choice of institution, and the nature of your course.
CLASS assessors cannot recommend equipment or support purely on the basis of course-related need, or personal convenience. 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 six digits, e.g. TS-056-001). 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]
Where's my DSA Needs Assessment Report?
After the assessment, the assessor will produce a detailed report setting out your needs, and recommending strategies. This report is then proofread and processed by the Administration team. We aim to send the report to your funding body within 20 working days of your assessment, unless you have requested to see a draft copy first.
Sometimes your assessor may ask you to provide additional information in order to complete the report. The report will not be sent to your funding body until this information is received.
If you want to track the progress of your report, call us on 0800 0153158, or click here. However, it would be helpful if you could wait at least 15 working days before calling to check. [BACK TO TOP]
Where's my stuff?
Once your funding body has received a copy of the DSA Needs Assessment Report, it has to approve CLASS’s recommendations. They will usually order any recommended equipment direct from the supplier (although some bodies, such as the NHS, may pay funds directly into your account).
Supplier contact details are included in your Report. Suppliers will usually contact you to arrange a delivery date and time, but if you have any queries, you can contact them directly. During busy periods, both funding bodies and suppliers can experience delays, so it is best to allow at least 20 working days for this part of the process.
You should be notified by your funding body if any of your recommendations have not been approved. Occasionally your funding body may request further clarification from your assessor. In this case, please call us on 0800 0153158, or click here to send an email. If emailing, please put the name of your assessor in the subject line, and, if possible, your assessment reference number (this takes the form of two letters and six digits, e.g. TS-056-001). These details are available on the front page of your Report. [BACK TO TOP]
Can I get the equipment before my course starts?
The DIUS recommends that in certain cases LAs could consider purchasing equipment before a student’s course starts. For instance, if you have been found to be eligible for DSA, and have 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 DIUS guidance for Awards Officers on this topic, click here.
What if I change course, or leave higher education?
A student’s needs can change as a result of moving course. For this reason, a reassessment or ‘top-up’ assessment may be required. [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. |
