Students can get access to a DSA laptop if they’re eligible for support from the Disabled Students Allowance. DSA computers could make a huge difference to your success at university, so read on to find out more about them.
If you’re a student in Higher Education with a disability or a specific learning difference, you may be eligible to apply for a grant from the Disabled Students Allowance. Some of the conditions that would make a student eligible for a DSA grant include:
If you’re applying for a DSA laptop and you’ve received a DSA approval letter to confirm your funding, you’ll need to make a one-off contribution of £200. Depending on your level of household income, you may be eligible for reimbursement. To apply for a DSA laptop, there’s a set of criteria you’ll first need to consider. Students should be:
If you meet the criteria you’ll also need a needs assessment with a professional assessor.
If you make a successful application for a DSA laptop, you can expect to receive a state-of-the-art computer that meets your needs. And there’s a selection of DSA laptop suppliers to consider approaching:
The type of laptop a student might expect to receive depends on the software they need to run. For instance, students with visual impairments may need dictation software to help provide them with audio cues. In this case, they may need a laptop to feature a more powerful processor than a standard off-the-shelf laptop.
Students lucky enough to receive their first DSA laptop choice may get to pick from a range of laptop manufacturers like Fujitsu, Dell, Lenovo, HP, Acer, Toshiba, and Apple.
If you’re successful in your application for a DSA laptop and receive an appropriate laptop for your needs, you may find you want to upgrade to another model. For instance, some people may prefer a DSA Macbook, especially if they’ve worked with these before. Macbooks have a specific layout that people with ADHD or OCD, for instance, may find harder to switch over from.
Whatever your needs, preferences, or circumstances, your DSA computer supplier should be able to support your upgrade. And, of course, this will incur a cost that you would need to cover.
Yes. All students must contribute a minimum cost of £200 towards their DSA laptop. However, if total household income is lower than the annual threshold, you can claim to get a reimbursement of the £200.
In summary, everyone must pay £200 towards the cost of their DSA laptop. Those with lower household incomes may be able to claim a reimbursement, though. And, in some cases, students may be able to apply for support from their University or Colleges financial support or Financial Assistance Fund.
A DSA laptop is only the start of getting the support you need to thrive at University or College. Most students also need specific types of software or Assistive Technology, like Caption.Ed, to support their studies and help them achieve their potential.
Caption.Ed is inclusive software that can help students in the following areas:
Other types of software students can get through the DSA include:
Our small but mighty team builds leading-edge software that people love. We pride ourselves on a user-led approach to product design. The voice of the customer shapes what we create and that’s exactly how great assistive tech should be made.
