Funding

If your student/staff/client is deaf or deaf-blind, they won’t usually have to pay for communication support themselves;

The Equality Act (2010)

It is unlawful for providers of Further and Higher Education and most service providers in England to discriminate against Deaf and disabled students/ people.

You are obliged to provide auxiliary (additional) aids and services, including communication support, if these constitute a reasonable adjustment under the new act. For more links on the Equality Act, see our Useful Links page.

Access to Work (AtW)

Access to Work is a Government scheme for Disabled people that can help to pay towards equipment at work, adapting premises to meet disability needs, or a support worker.

The employer is responsible for arranging the ‘reasonable adjustments’ the Deaf person may need, and costs can either be claimed back through the AtW scheme (as long as the costs have been approved beforehand by AtW) or paid for directly.

It may also be available for paying towards a BSL signer at job interviews.

For more information on AtW, please go to the www.direct.gov.uk website.

University / Higher Education (DSA)

University / Higher Education support usually funded by Student Finance England / Student Finance NI in the form of the Disabled Students Allowance (DSA).

It is best applied for immediately when you have been accepted on your course.

Use the Gov.uk website to locate a Needs Assessment Centre AND contact the Disability Team from your University as soon as possible to avoid any unnecessary delays in funding.

For more information from Student Finance in BSL watch https://m.youtube.com/user/SFEFILM/videos and https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kAlbEmipLaQ.