The Accessibility and Disability Resource Centre (ADRC) is the main source of support for students who require reasonable adjustments as a result of a disability, physical or mental health condition or injury.
The ADRC can provide eligible students with a Student Support Document (SSD) which includes information about the disability or impairment, the effects this may have on study and recommendations for access arrangements and adjustments.
You can find out more about the support offered by the ADRC on their website.
If your reasonable adjustments are not being adhered to or you have questions about the process, the ADRC should be your first port of call. We can also help clarify the process and liaise with your college or department if that would be helpful.
STUDENT SUPPORT DOCUMENT (SSD)
An SSD provides a summary of recommendations specific to a student to help support their studies.
This will be sent to the agreed contacts in University and College who can then ensure the recommendations are put in place.
Recommendations could include reserved seating during lectures, extended library loans or 1:1 study skills sessions; recommendations will be tailored to an individual’s specific needs.
Further information about SSDs can be found on the ADRC’s website.
EXAMINATION ACCESS ARRANGEMENTS (EAAs)
If you are a disabled student, you might be eligible for an EAA to help alleviate any academic disadvantage you may face during an examination due to your disability.
Examples of EAAs include extra time in exams, rest breaks, use of a computer, or a separate room to complete exams.
In early Michaelmas Term you should discuss any adjustments for your exams with your College Tutorial Office to allow enough time before your exams to obtain the appropriate supporting documentation and practice with the approved adjustment (where appropriate). For Easter Term exams your College will need to apply for an EAA by the division of Lent Term. For exams in Michaelmas or Lent Term, applications will need to be submitted as early as October. Reasonable adjustments do not carry forward from year to year.
You will also need to provide medical evidence to support your application, such as, but not limited to, a full diagnostic report written by a Practitioner Psychologist or Specialist Teacher.
Where supporting documentation is required, but not available, by the division of Lent Term, it must be submitted no later than the last Friday of Lent Term.
Further information about EAAs and the process of applying for EAAs can be found here.
The ADRC’s website also provides information about Examination Access Arrangements.
Adjusted Modes of Assessment (AMAs) can be put in place where an EAA does not adequately address the needs of a disabled student.
An AMA will relate to the specific needs of the individual student. Examples could include replacing a written examination with an essay, a portfolio of essays, or a long extension.
AMA applications will only be considered when submitted by the College on the student’s behalf, except in the most exceptional circumstances. The AMA application deadline for the 2025/2026 academic year is Friday 7 November 2025.
This deadline is to ensure that any adjustments to teaching and other support can be put in place and that adjusted modes can be discussed with the Faculty or Department concerned. Late requests or evidence will not be accepted unless there is a valid reason for delay, which will be determined on a case-by-case basis by the Secretary of the EAMC.
Further information about the AMA process can be found here.
Adjusted Mode of Study (AMS) is part of a reasonable adjustment for an extended period of study of one year of full-time academic study over two years. An approved AMS is tailored to each student based on the course and papers available, but shall not alter the teaching or assessments themselves.
An AMA application does not permit students:
- To study full-time courses on a part-time basis - it is for disabled students who as a consequence of their disability, when studying full-time, cannot complete the workload to engage with a full-time course.
- To facilitate other work, responsibilities, sporting or other extra-curricular activities - academic studies must be prioritised in these circumstances.
- To facilitate a recovery period following illness or initial diagnosis.
Where a student is not currently capable of engaging with their studies or assessments, as a result of their disability or another reason, a period of intermission is required. Where a student is unwilling to intermit, the Procedure to Support and Assess Capability to Study should be initiated, or the equivalent College procedure.
AMS Applications will only be considered when submitted by the College on the student’s behalf, except in the most exceptional circumstances.
- The deadline for AMS Applications to begin in Michaelmas Term 2025 is Friday 12 September 2025
- The deadline for AMS Applications to begin in Lent Term 2026 is Friday 28 November 2025
Further information about the AMS process can be found here.