Some university students may wish to claim Disabled Students’ Allowance to fund additional costs or support related to their stammer.
Broadly, Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) applies to higher education. There is Disability Rights UK guidance at Applying for Disabled Students’ Allowances (disabilityrightsuk.org), and more in the Links below.
A guide for universities by STAMMA and STUC, 2021 – linked from New guide for universities on stammering – says (page 25) that while many students may not, some students who stammer may find it useful to use Disabled Students’ Allowance in order to access:
- “Speech and language therapy, where they wish to use the tools and techniques that this provides. Note that speech and language therapy should not be assumed to be appropriate or insisted on. Therapists should be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council.”
- To buy equipment such as an electronic fluency device: see Apps & devices (stamma.org). STAMMA says that such devices should not be assumed to be appropriate, or forced on a student.
- “To arrange public speaking training in order to desensitise and provide new skills for students who wish to engage in this way.”
The university’s disability service should be able to help: see Resolving issues at university or FE college.
For DSA purposes, “disability” means the same as in the Equality Act, at least in England (under the regulations below).
Links
- Applying for Disabled Students’ Allowances (disabilityrightsuk.org) – from Disability Rights UK
- Help if you’re a student with a learning difficulty, health problem or disability (gov.uk) – government guidance on Disabled Students’ Allowance
- Supporting students who stammer in higher education, 2021, for universities by STAMMA (the British Stammering Association) and STUC – pages 19-20 and 25
- Higher Education: disabled students’ allowances: equality analysis (gov.uk) – on the effect of changes made to disabled students’ allowances in the student support regulations for the academic year 2015 to 2016
- Education (Student Support) Regulations 2011, SI 2011/1986, Part 5 Chapter 3 as amended – giving the legal basis for Disabled Students’ Allowance in England. Under regulation 2(1) “disability” means the same as in the Equality Act.
