Navigating university life can be challenging, particularly for students with disabilities or long-term health conditions. This post will walk you through the key services, resources, and support systems available to disabled students at King's, from academic adjustments to wellbeing support. Make sure to read our other post on support from KCLSU and outside of the university. If you are looking to map out your own support network, why not use our handy template?
This guide was created with the support of KCL Disabled Students’ Society, Adjust KCL! and our Disabled Students Network.
Offers Information, advice and guidance to prospective and current disabled students. Available to any disabled student (including undiagnosed), long term medical condition (including mental health conditions), or specific learning difficulty i.e. dyslexia. You do not have to identify as disabled to access support.
How do I access support?
What support can the Disability Support and Inclusion Team offer me?
Your Disability Adviser is a really good first port of call for all disability-related queries you might have. Have access needs around exams? Chat with your adviser. Worried about meeting deadlines? To your adviser!
The Disability Support and Inclusion Team can also support you with:
Find out more about Disability Support at King’s and details of drop-in sessions here.
What is a KIP? KIP’s or King’s Inclusion Plans are documents you and your Disability Adviser (see above) create together that outline your access needs. KIP’s are then circulated to all members of staff who teach you, or your supervisors if you’re a PhD student
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If you’d rather approach your teaching staff yourself, that is completely fine. You may need to remind them about your KIP from time to time, as sometimes they can forget things. It is worth emailing your teaching staff individually with your KIP in case it isn’t circulated properly. You can access a copy of your KIP through Student Records.
Your personal tutor is a member of teaching staff in your department, there to support you throughout your studies.
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If you’re an undergraduate, you will typically meet with them once a term, but you can also arrange to see them in their office hours, request to meet via Teams, or via email. You can find details of your personal tutor on Student Records.
MCF’s or Mitigating Circumstances Forms are a way of getting extensions to assignments when things go wrong. Had a flare-up? Submit an MCF!
PAAs are what you need if you have access needs around exams. They will give you access arrangements whilst completing assessments. These are only available for undergraduate and Masters’ students.
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You can find information on the types of access arrangements that are usually made here. These can include extra time, sitting exams in separate rooms, having a scribe or a computer, taking rest breaks, and anything else you might need Don't feel embarrassed - if there’s something you need in place, ask! Read more on assessments at King’s, and access arrangements here.
KASL is great for teaching study skills to people with specific learning differences. You can self-enrol via the KEATS (Moodle) dashboard. You can book one-to-one appointments with an academic skills tutor here. This is particularly useful for students who do not qualify for DSA. You can also find information on Academic Integrity, Writing in Plain English and Dissertations here.
There are ten Assistive Technology Rooms (ATRs) spread across the six King's library sites. Each room is equipped with ergonomic workstations with adjustable desks and chairs, a scanner and a printer. You will need to bring your own Dragon headset - contact [email protected] if you do not have a headset of your own.
For more information about the type of equipment involved and how to book, see here.
The PGR Disability Support Hub is a collection of resources specifically for disabled PGR students.
Finance problems, immigration problems, problems with home life? KCL Student Services can provide you with comprehensive advice on just about anything! For information on advice, see here. You can contact Student Services here.
Access King's is the staff disability inclusion network at King’s. It is open to all postgraduate disabled King’s students, as well as disabled staff.
Every faculty has its own Equality, Diversity and Inclusion lead. They can be really helpful people to contact if you’re having trouble getting your access needs met through your personal tutor. For up-to-date contact information on your faculty’s EDI lead, you can contact your department via email.
Faculty Wellbeing Advisors (FWAs) can support you, using a range of Coaching and Mentoring tools, to create a wellbeing plan. The FWAs are also well placed to help you understand which other King's, and external, services may be helpful for you. They also hold events on a range of wellbeing topics. You can find their contact information below:
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Like many counselling services, their policy is to refer to emergency services in certain instances. While this is relatively rare, it is worth knowing that contact with the police/ambulance services is a possibility.
Generally speaking, students can book individual appointments with the career service. However, the Careers+ service means if you disclose a disability, you can get a longer 40-minute one-to one appointment. This can be related to your disability and career options, or something unrelated. You can book an appointment here.
Most useful for finding internships, insight days, placements, graduate jobs etc. This site also advertises career events, CV workshops etc.
KTB is very useful for finding campus jobs and summer jobs at KCL. It is particularly good if you want student ambassador roles and research roles, or if you are looking for temporary contract when you are able to work.
If you’re a student with a disability or long-term health condition, don’t hesitate to explore these resources. Support is just an email or a conversation away, helping you focus on what truly matters—your success and wellbeing at university.