The College is keen to support students with a disability, Specific Learning Difficulty (such as dyslexia or dyspraxia) or a long-term mental or physical illness. The University has a centrally situated Disability Resource Centre, a Counselling Service, and ever-increasing resources to enable students with difficulties of all kinds to live and study at Cambridge.
Due to the difficulties of altering ancient buildings, access to several College facilities remains awkward. However, there is wheelchair access to the Hall, Bar and the first room of the Library, and movement round the main site is satisfactory. We also have some wheelchair-accessible accommodation, and would encourage any candidate to contact the College Admissions Office, as well as the Disability Resource Centre, to discuss their requirements.
Before applying we encourage you to read the information from the central University and get in touch to discuss your requirements. You may also wish to check whether a Written Assessment: Pre-Registration Required is required in your subject and read about access arrangements or other adjustments for these if needed.
When you complete your UCAS form, please tick the disability disclosure box and choose the most relevant category. You will send us further information later. All candidates who tick the disability disclosure box on the UCAS form or who receive adjustments for school exams (for any reason) are required to send us an Adjustments Form and related documentary evidence. The Adjustments Form should be completed fully even if there is repetition of details that are already on your UCAS form. Even if you do not require specific adjustments, we still need confirmation of this.
The documentary evidence is normally provided by your school or college and confirms your disability, illness or specific learning difficulties and the allowances currently given in school or college e.g. a letter confirming previous assessment, dates undertaken, Local Authority Statement etc. You should NOT send a full Educational Psychologist report at this stage unless there is particular reference to the support that you require that will help King's to make appropriate adjustments to our assessment and selection procedures.
If you are invited for interviews, your invitation to interview will not normally make specific reference to adjustments you have requested. Please do not be concerned about this. In late November you will receive specific confirmation of any adjustments being made for interviews or tests at King's.
If your disability, Specific Learning Difficulty or long-term illness has seriously disrupted or disadvantaged your education, we would also encourage you to submit an Extenuating Circumstances Form. This provides additional context against which we can consider a candidate's academic record or, where appropriate, interview performance.
When you have an offer The Disability Resource Centre will contact offer holders who declared a disability on their UCAS form regarding support at Cambridge, including the Disabled Students Allowances (DSAs) etc. Offer holders are also encouraged to contact the King's College Admissions Office or the Disability Resource Centre with any questions or concerns relating to a disability, Specific Learning Difficulty or long-term illness. We ask all students whether they have any special accommodation needs as one of the questions on the accommodation request form in the late-August / early September before you start your course. These are taken into account when we allocate accommodation.
