For disabled students

Read the Being a disabled student video transcript.

Read the Disclosing a disability video transcript.

Read the Supporting disabled students video transcript.

Read the Support available for disabled students video transcript.

Read the Disability inclusion at Oxford video transcript.

Whatever your particular circumstances, the earlier we know about your individual requirements then the sooner we can begin to meet them. We only ask you to tell us so that we can offer support if it is needed and make reasonable adjustments to facilitate your access to your course and our University.

Please follow our guidance on declaring your disability on your UCAS form. UCAS also has further advice on sharing a disability. This Advance HE guide gives more information for disabled applicants applying to undergraduate courses.

You might also want to contact the college you're applying to and let them know; check our college pages for their contact details. 

If you need to take one or more of our admissions tests as part of your application, you can request access arrangements.

From 2026, Oxford will be using admissions tests owned and managed by UAT-UK. Not all courses have an admissions test so check first if this applies to you. You should notify UAT-UK of any access requirements before you book your test and provide appropriate documentary evidence. 

If you are applying for Medicine, please refer to the guidance for the UCAT. If you are applying for Law, please refer to the guidance for the LNAT.

If your application is shortlisted, you will be invited to attend an interview. Please visit our interview pages for general information on how to prepare for your interview and what you can expect.

Please contact your college before your interview if you will need specific adjustments, for instance materials in alternative or accessible formats, extra time for reading written work before an interview, or adjustments to the interview timings.

• Tutors understand that anyone might feel nervous about their interview. They will want to help you relax, so that you can do your best.
• It’s fine to ask the interviewer to repeat any question.
• If you prefer, have a notepad on which to note key points of questions, so you can address each one.
• Take your time. If you need to think about an answer for a few moments, that is entirely acceptable.
• If you are asked to read something aloud, ask if you can read it quietly to yourself first to get an overview.
• If you are asked to write, but know your handwriting is sometimes difficult to read, offer to read it back to interviewers.
• Most importantly, do not worry. Tutors will be aware of your particular circumstances if you have made them clear on your application. Remember that many students with disabilities and SpLDs have been to Oxford before. The interviewers are looking for your strengths and your potential to study here, not to pick out the things you find difficult.

The University recognises that students sometimes fail to achieve their potential on their first attempt at school or college because of circumstances beyond their control (including ill health). We take care to treat each application individually and would always take such mitigating circumstances into account if they are brought to our attention.

Applicants may like to mention these circumstances in their personal statement or their referee could also do so as part of their academic reference. However, while difficult personal circumstances will be taken into account, they do not guarantee shortlisting for interview or lead to a lower conditional offer. 

If applicants wish to share any particular circumstances after submitting their application, they should contact the college considering their application. If they have made an 'open' application (i.e. not expressed a college preference), they will need to wait to share any extenuating circumstances until after they have been informed which college has received their application. 

Visit the course pages for specific details.

More than 7,700 students have declared a disability and receive wide-ranging support through the University's Disability Advisory Service (DAS). We are committed to making reasonable adjustments and addressing individual support. This is to promote a positive experience and allow students to participate fully and enjoy a fulfilling university experience.

If you are offered a place at Oxford, please contact the Disability Advisory Service as soon as possible. There is no need to wait until your examination results are announced. It will help you to plan properly and get things in place before your arrival, so you can get on with enjoying student life and all it has to offer.  

You can visit our Disability Advisory Service webpages to find out about the range of support that is available at Oxford. Study support is developed around your individual circumstances, which means that you have a say in what equipment or study support will be most helpful to you, but you also have responsibility for thinking about and letting us know what you might need. 

This can be difficult as it is not always easy to know what life at the University is going to be like before you get here. However, there are a lot of people who can help you through the process and contacting the Disability Advisory Service is a good starting point.

If you are a UK student we also strongly recommend that you make an early application for the Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA). 

It can take several months from the point of application before full support is implemented, therefore the earlier you apply the better.

Please note that you will need to provide evidence of your disability to be eligible for DSAs (or for alternative exam arrangements at Oxford). Our Disability Advisory Service will be happy to assist you with making your DSA application if necessary.

Students who are not eligible for a UK Disabled Students' Allowance should, in the first instance, seek funding from their own country, funding body, sponsor, research council or other source. However, if there is no funding available, the University makes provision for students who require disability-related study support.

Please contact the Disability Advisory Service for more information about accessing this support. 

With the expert guidance of the Disability Advisory Service (DAS), our colleges currently support around 5,000 disabled students and are experienced in responding to particular requirements.

All colleges provide rooms for undergraduates in their first year, and many can also accommodate students for some or all of the remaining years of their course. Most colleges have a limited number of accessible/ground floor rooms with ensuite bathrooms.

If you have an essential disability requirement relating to college allocation or accommodation, it is important to contact your college and DAS as soon as possible to make them aware of your circumstances, so that they have time to explore what reasonable adjustments can be made. It may not always be possible to adapt a room to meet all your needs, but colleges are always willing to look at the possibilities.

The University Accommodation Office provides information about accommodation in the private sector for all students. Students with partners or dependent children should contact the Office as soon as they have been accepted as University-owned accommodation may be available.

You may also find it helpful to visit the University Access Guide for further information.