Guidance for disabled applicants
We welcome applications from disabled students, including those with sensory and/or mobility impairments, long-term mental health conditions, autism, long term illnesses and Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLDs).
Our admissions decisions are based on academic merit alone and our Disability Advisory Service currently holds records for more than 7,300 students. Over 1,900 of these students have declared a specific learning difficulty (SpLD) such as dyslexia, dyspraxia or ADHD and a similar amount have declared a mental health disability.
Whatever your disability, we can provide reasonable adjustments during the application process as well as reasonable adjustments and agreed support throughout your time studying at Oxford.
Please talk to us
We strongly recommend that you attend an Open Day if you can. There are three main Open Days each year: two at the end of June or beginning of July and one in mid-September.
You can also contact college disability co-ordinators who will be able to answer your questions and offer advice.
You may also like to refer to the University Access Guide for information on buildings around Oxford, and to explore an interactive map of the city centre. Detailed information about access to specific buildings is also available from individual colleges and departments.
Tell us about your disability
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 about how best to do this. 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.
Admissions tests
If you need to take one or more of our admissions tests as part of your application, you can be considered for whatever access arrangements you usually have for public exams (that is, your GCSEs and A-levels, or other equivalent qualifications). Lots of students do this, so please don’t miss out: make sure you mention your access requirements to whoever is registering you for your test or tests.
For more information about the arrangements for admissions tests, please check our admissions tests webpage.
If you are applying to study Law you will need to sit the LNAT, and submit an Examination Access Requirements form when you book your test.
Interviews
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.
Having a mental illness has always made me doubt the prospect of my university success, academically or otherwise. Thankfully, my tutors and fellow students make me feel valued and respected, which allows me to truly flourish in Oxford.
- Anna
During the interview:
- 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.
Receiving an offer: what next?
Arranging study support
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.
The unimaginable has happened - I have been awarded a degree with distinction and a prize for best dissertation. I was able to do an amazing amount of work and edit my dissertation very fast with the assistive technology you recommended and put in place. For once I was able to do a vast amount of work without it impacting on my health.
- Sabena
Funding for disability support
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.
College allocation
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.
If you feel your college may be unable to meet an essential disability requirement, our key advice is to contact your college and the 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.
Accommodation
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. You may need arrangements made for a carer, or require an adjustable desk and ergonomic seating.
If you wish to live in college we recommend that you organise a visit to look at the accommodation to establish whether any adaptations (temporary or permanent) are necessary. This should be arranged via the Disability Advisory Service as soon as possible because adaptations can take a while to organise. 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.
Students with disabilities talk about their experiences at Oxford
At Oxford, over 6,300 students are registered with the Disability Advisory Service.
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. For more information, visit the Disability Advisory Service’s (DAS) webpages.
Most Popular Questions
Will the impact of my condition on my exam results be taken into account?
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 and the referee could also do so. However, while difficult personal circumstances will be taken into account, they do not guarantee shortlisting for interview or lead to a lower conditional offer.
Visit the course pages for specific details.
Will I be granted extra time for my admissions test?
Any alternative arrangements you usually have for public exams (that is, your GCSEs and A-levels, or other equivalent qualifications) can be applied to your admissions test. This could be extra time, or other access arrangements such as a large print copy of the test paper.
For more information about the arrangements for admissions tests, please check our admissions tests webpage.
What provision is made for disabled students during interviews?
We recommend that you 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.
Please visit the interviews section of this page for more advice.
