Overview
Welcome to Access Solent
PLEASE NOTE: We will be remotely supporting students and staff during the autumn term 2020. You can email us, book a remote drop in below or leave a voicemail message. We are unable to take incoming phone calls but can phone students via our remote drop in service.
To book a remote drop in please scroll down this page
What is Access Solent?
Access Solent is Solent University's disability and neurodiversity support service for students.
Our aim is to remove barriers and support students to reach their full academic potential.
How can we help?
We provide information, advice and guidance for disabled students during their time at Solent, as well as access to on-campus support and facilities.
University is different from school and college and may present new challenges. Therefore we recommend you check with us what support is available, even if you feel your disability will not affect your studies.
Check out the rest of this site to find out about all the support that is available, before you make a decision.
Who can ask for support?
Anyone with the following declarations is eligible:
- specific learning difficulties (e.g. dyslexia, ADHD)
- chronic or long-term medical conditions (e.g. epilepsy, diabetes)
- physical or sensory impairments (e.g. cerebral palsy, hearing impairment)
- mental health conditions (e.g. depression, bipolar)
- autistic spectrum declarations
- temporary injuries (e.g. broken wrist)
What support is available?
We offer:
- a range of activities, workshops and facilities
- confidential information and advice to prospective and current disabled students
- advice on applying for Disabled Students' Allowance or other funding for academic disability support
- screenings for specific learning difficulties (e.g. dyslexia)
- advice about diagnostic assessment
- classroom support and exam arrangements
- short term loads of equipment including digital voice recorders and laptops with assistive technology
- liaison with teaching staff (with permission)
- events supporting transition into higher education
- information and advice for staff who are supporting students
Register with Access Solent
To access any support, you will need to register with us first.
Complete the registration form and Summary of Support Needs form. We will also need diagnostic evidence or a Needs Assessment Report.
Email these documents to access@solent.ac.uk. If you book a remote drop in you can also attach this to the booking.
Access Solent drop-ins
The Access Solent team run a daily drop in service (Monday – Friday between 10am – 1pm). This is booked on the scheduler below and we will phone you back. Applicants cannot book a phone drop-in until they are enrolled students but can email access@solent.ac.uk with any questions.
The Drop ins are for quick questions about disability support and there is no limit on how many you can attend, as and when questions arise for you. A drop in appointment is a maximum of 15-20 minutes.
You can book your drop in slot up to 4 hours before; please ensure your phone number is correct on your student record and you are available to answer the phone. If you are no longer available please cancel your session using the booking system below. If you do not answer your phone within the first few minutes of your booking we will leave a voice mail where possible, and you will need to re-book.
If you are out of the country or not using a UK mobile number we may not be able to phone, so please tell us on the booking form so we can arrange an online call instead.If you have not already completed an Access Solent Registration Form (document above) we recommend doing so and attaching it to the booking in the scheduler below.To book a remote drop-in appointment...
- Enrol on this page as a student. A new window will open.
- In the new window click 'enrol and subscribe me to this page' to complete enrolment.
- Once enrolled, open the schedule tool below.
- Select a time and date and attach any relevant information for your drop-in booking
Advice from students
The videos below contain stories from some of our successful graduates and their advice to other students on accessing University support.
Lucinda's Student Journey
Lucinda is a Solent University graduate in BSc Hons Geography and Environmental Studies This is her student journey and advice for other students on accessing disability support at University.