How to Register

How to register with the DSS

Registration with the Disability Support Service (DSS) is a separate process to registering as a student with NUI Galway.

Students with evidence of a disability, long-term physical or mental health condition, or a specific learning disability should register with the DSS. You only need to register with the DSS once and this remains in place for the duration of your course. You can register with the DSS at any stage during your studies; however, it is recommended that you register as soon as possible after starting your course or receiving a diagnosis.

Registration with the DSS allows you to avail of reasonable accommodations during your studies. Please follow these three steps to register with the Disability Support Service.

1. What you need to register

To register with the DSS you must provide verification of your disability, which can either be an Evidence of Disability Form ‌or a Medical Report confirming a diagnosis from the appropriate consultant. Please see the table below for information on the type of report required and the age limit of the report. If you were deemed eligible for the DARE (Disability Access Route to Education) scheme, you do not need to resubmit your evidence of disability to our office. We can access your documentation from the CAO.

Disability	Report	Age of report
Autistic Spectrum Disorder	Consultant Psychiatrist OR Psychologist OR Neurologist OR Paediatrician	No age limit
ADD/ADHD	Consultant Psychiatrist OR Psychologist OR Neurologist OR Paediatrician	No age limit
Blind/Vision impaired	Ophthalmologist/Ophthalmic Surgeon OR Letter from NCBI OR attended school for the Blind	No age limit
Deaf/Hard of hearing	Audiogram OR attended school for the Deaf	No age limit
Neurological Condition	Neurologist OR relevant Consultant	No age limit
Speech and Language Communication Disorder	Speech and Language Therapist	No age limit
Physical/Mobility	Orthopaedic Consultant OR relevant Specialist	No age limit
Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD) Dyspraxia/Dysgraphia	Educational Psychologists report AND Occupational Therapist OR Neurologist	No age limit
Mental health condition	Consultant Psychiatrist OR Specialist Registrar	No older than 5 years
Significant Ongoing Illness	Relevant Consultant e.g. Diabetes Type 1: Endocrinologist or Paediatrician	No older than 5 years
Specific Learning Difficulties (Dyslexia or Dyscalculia)	Educational Psychologists report	No age limit

If you do not have the documents listed above, please contact the Disability Support Service for advice.

2. Online Registration Form

All students who wish to register with the Disability Support Service must read this NUIG DSS Data-Protection Notice to understand the roles of confidentiality and consent when processing your personal information.

When you have read the Data-Protection Notice, please complete this online registration form to register with the Disability Support Service.

3. Needs Assessment

After you have completed and submitted the online form, a member of the DSS team will conduct a needs assessment and offer appropriate supports and accommodations. These will be set out in a Learning and Educational Needs Summary (LENS) report which will be sent to you and to your College, School or Discipline. Supports and accommodations are approved on the basis of:

the nature and impact of your disability, health condition, or learning difficulty
the requirements of your academic course
national guidelines, for example: the Disability Advisors Working Network (DAWN) guidelines to reasonable accommodations in exams

Mature Students Guide 21 PDF (16MB)

Access Diploma Programmes Guide 2020 PDF (16MB)

QQI PDF (16 MB)

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