Disability Services Newsletter

Transcription

1 1 st Floor, Neuadd Rathbone, College Road, Bangor. Tel: December 2015 Issue 39 Spotlight on Steph and Alex, new members to our Team I m delighted to have joined the team of Disability Advisers at Bangor. I came to Bangor to study Psychology, and since completing my Masters I have worked in the University for 15 years. Most of this time was spent working in Bangor Access Centre, mainly as a DSA Study Needs Assessor, but also in a variety of other roles which included work with assistive technology. Having been here for so long, I ve got plenty of experience of how the University works, and knowledge of the processes and support in place for disabled students. I m very much looking forward to my new role. Steph Horne, Disability Adviser I am a recent MA graduate in Music at Bangor University. I have had close connections with the Disability Service since beginning my MA in Since completing my MA I have worked as a part-time lecturer in Music and as a support worker for the Disability Services. I have been newly appointed as Assistant Coordinator of the Support Worker s Scheme and look forward to contributing towards an enjoyable and prosperous experience for Bangor University students. Alex Bailey, Assistant Coordinator, Support Workers Scheme MA, BA.

2 Inside This Issue Spotlight on Steph and Alex, new members to our Team... 1 We ve still not met with all of you and we may be able to help!... 3 Dyslexia Service Student Group Workshops... 4 Study Skills Centre... 4 Exams... 5 Nursing students... 5 Top Tips from the Counselling Service for Coping with Exam Stress... 6 Student Counselling Service... 8 Bangor ACCESS Centre... 9 Personal Learning Support Plan (PLSP) FAQs Library & Archives Update from Gill, Support Worker Co-ordinator Social eyes Want to be a Peer Guide? A Recruitment Evening for Technically Talented Disabled People BBC Digital Are you living in Halls? Halls Accommodation for next year Physical Access we need your feedback! Careers & Employability Service Our contact details Page 2 of 20

3 We ve still not met with all of you and we may be able to help! If you ve not already seen one of the Advisers, please come and see us as soon as you can. We d like to catch up with how you re getting along - here are a few examples of how we can help: Fiona and Cheryl Mental Health Advisers personal and academic support and guidance, including advice on strategies to make studying and everyday tasks more manageable; exam provision (eg, extra time, provision of a computer, etc); library provision (eg, extra time on loans, book fetching service); access to specialist computer facilities and loan of equipment; help with your application for Disabled Students Allowances (DSA); provision of support worker (eg, notetaker, mentor); car parking permits. So don t struggle! Make an appointment to see one of the Advisers by ringing Tracey on or disabilityservice@bangor.ac.uk Steph, Ruth & Esther Disability Advisers Page 3 of 20

4 Dyslexia Service Student Group Workshops The Dyslexia Service are running two group workshops during December and one during February for students registered with the Service. This series of workshops will provide a supportive environment within which to discuss, share and develop strategies for academic study in preparation for forthcoming examinations and dissertations. Revision and Memorisation Techniques Tuesday 1 st December 2.00pm 3.30pm Doing Your Best in Exams Tuesday 8 th December 2.00pm 3.30pm Dissertation Planning and Mapping Tuesday 2 nd February, pm 3.30pm SPACES ARE LIMITED, so if you are interested in attending any of the Student Group Workshops, please dyslex-student@bangor.ac.uk to register your interest. Study Skills Centre Essay Writing 8: Editing and proof-reading Wednesday 2 nd December, Main Arts Lecture room 5, 2pm Identifying and fixing common writing errors Editing is a critical stage in the writing process, enabling writers to ensure that meaning isn t lost in poor wording. In this workshop we introduce techniques that will help you to identify patterns of errors that are common in writing. Please bring a draft of an assignment that you are working on with you to the workshop, or an assignment that you have previously written. Doing your best in exams Wednesday 9 th December, Main Arts Lecture room 5, 2pm Exploring successful approaches to exam preparation and technique Exams are often held up to be a daunting experience. Timed to coincide with the revision period for the winter exams, this workshop aims to reduce exam anxiety and stress by exploring successful approaches to exam preparation and technique. Contact: Caryl Pritchard Page 4 of 20

5 Exams Q Where and when can I see Exam Timetables? A The Exam Timetable for Semester 1 is now released. See: p.en Q What are reasonable adjustments? A Reasonable adjustments are arrangements to remove or reduce disability-related barriers faced by students. In exams, these can include: use of a scribe or reader; extra time; large print, coloured or braille exam papers. Q How do I ensure my exam adjustments will be in place? A There are a couple of steps you MUST take: Have a PLSP (Personal Learning Support Plan) in place. If you don t already have one, you will need to discuss your exam requirements with an Adviser. Unless we already have a copy of a doctor s note or other appropriate documentation on file, we will need some form of evidence of disability / long-term health condition. examinations@bangor.ac.uk, and include the following details: Your name and student ID. Your year of study and the name of your degree programme. The module code of exam(s) that you are taking, along with the date that they are being sat. WHICH of the adjustments from your PLSP you require for each of the exams you are sitting. Once this information has been received, an Exam Adjustment Form will be completed and e- mailed to you as confirmation that your adjustments have been made. But, should you wish to discuss your arrangements with a member of staff from the Examinations Office, please note this on your and an appointment will be made for you. For the January exams, the deadline is Friday, 11th December. IMPORTANT: If you miss the deadline (11 December), we cannot guarantee that we can put in place your adjustments. Nursing students Please contact your School for exam adjustments. Page 5 of 20

6 Top Tips from the Counselling Service for Coping with Exam Stress The run up to exams and the exam period can be a stressful time for all students. It is natural to feel nervous, and some nervousness may actually be helpful in enhancing performance. But excessive worrying and overwhelming stress makes it difficult to think clearly and recall information, leading to a decline in performance. It is helpful to start putting in place good coping strategies well before the examination period starts especially if you are prone to increased stress levels around exams. If these good foundations are well-established then you can approach the exam period with greater confidence and it will go much more smoothly. Helpful coping strategies include: In the term before your exams you can: Decide what you need to know; check the syllabus; look at old exam papers; find out the standard required. Have a look back at how things went in previous exams think about what you did well as well as anything that was difficult. Improve exam style; develop an exam vocabulary (eg know the difference between key words, such as examine, interpret, explain) and practice identifying the main focus of some questions from past papers. Organise your notes, including all sources, lectures, tutorials, own reading etc. Make revision key cards. Use skeletons, mind maps, spider diagrams, reading aloud / bullet points or any other memory aids that you find helpful. Find your ideal revision environment - the best place, the most productive time of day and plan around this. Keep a diary of work accomplished. In the week before an exam you can: Check the structure of the exam paper - multiple choice or essays; number of questions to attempt; marks value of each and decide the time to allocate to each. Revision - vary topics and difficulty levels to help you stay focused. Set realistic targets. Spend time on recall as well as reading. Practice writing answers, or parts of answers; this helps you to decide how much to write in a set time. Page 6 of 20

7 Take preventative action on predictable health problems e.g: to avoid allergies, period pains, stress headaches. Avoid additional stress - for example: it may not be the best time to make major financial decisions. The day before an exam you can: Check date, time and place of exam and arrangements to get there. Remember to check your personal start time carefully eg, if you have extra time at the start of the exam. Check equipment needed for exam. Review revision cards. Don t attempt to learn new material. Think through the exam situation - a mental rehearsal - and prepare strategies if problems arise. Use relaxation techniques to get a good night s sleep ( see Get Some Head Space below.) On the day you can: Stick to your normal routine. If you can t eat, take glucose or sweets with you in case you get light-headed in the exam. Use relaxation techniques to keep calm. Briefly read revision cards if this helps your confidence. Arrive on time and remember to take a watch. In the exam: Read through the paper, plan your time, decide priority order of questions, and plan your answers. Ensure answers are relevant. Don t waste time being stuck but change to another answer. Attempt the right number of questions (don t be tempted to spend too long on one question just because you like it). If you have time, check over your work, but don t try to rewrite long sections. For further advice on exam stress management see the counselling service web site and click on self-help web links and podcasts including: includes short relaxation and meditation exercises to practice for just 10 minutes each day. usable effective time management tips and techniques to help you know how to manage time and make the most of it. follow the Workbooks link for help with procrastination. Also, for helpful guidance on exams and revision, see studyskills.bangor.ac.uk Page 7 of 20

8 Student Counselling Service Page 8 of 20

9 Bangor ACCESS Centre Educational Apps review In each edition of the Disability Services Newsletter, the Access Centre will be reviewing two free study apps to help you with your studies. In this edition we will be looking at one revision app and one organisation app. StudyBlue Flashcards & Quizzes This is an app available to iphone and android users. The app helps you create flashcards and quizzes for your study material and can be a very handy tool for those difficult examination days when cramming all that information feels like a struggle. Access Centre rating : 4 out 5 Studious How often do you forget about the date and time of your test? Do you always know the deadline of your homework, the time of your next lecture, and the subject of your next class? Thanks to Studious, this problem will be solved once and forever. All you need to do is to enter all information about your class, time, professor, location, etc., and this cool application will remind you about it just in time! Access Centre rating : 4 out 5 Page 9 of 20

10 Personal Learning Support Plan (PLSP) FAQs What is a PLSP? Additional support for students who require reasonable adjustments as a result of disability is provided by a Personal Learning Support Plan. PLSPs outline the effects of disability and include the recommended adjustments that are required to ensure students are able to access their course and facilities. Am I eligible to have a PLSP? If you require reasonable adjustments as a result of disability you are entitled to a PLSP. Disability in this context includes long-term and enduring health conditions, physical impairments, mental health conditions or specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia. What do I have to do to get a PLSP? You need to take a number of steps: Register with Disability Services at Provide us with evidence of disability 'Agree the PLSP Who will see my PLSP? Only relevant staff who need to put in place recommendations and reasonable adjustments: Disability Services Key staff within your academic school Key staff in central services For more information, see Page 10 of 20

11 Library & Archives How to get help getting books: the book collection service and other support Problems Accessing Books There are many reasons you may find it hard to collect books from library shelves, here are a few examples: You may have sensory processing issues and find some of our library environments challenging. You may have anxiety and prefer not to enter some of our library spaces. You may have physical issues or health conditions which make it challenging to access some of our shelves and spaces. Eligibility for the Book Collection Service To qualify for the service, you must have been assessed by the University Disability Services, and have Book Collection listed on your Personal Learning Support Plan. Book Collection Service You can ask library staff to collect books from the shelves for you. 1. Choose the books you want from the library catalogue: 2. Contact the library to ask for the books to be collected from the shelves by library staff, using your preferred method of communication: Page 11 of 20

12 Library Chat: click Ask the Library on the library catalogue In person: ask library staff 3. As long as they are available, the books will be ready to collect from your library site of choice by 4pm the following day. Requesting Books from Other Library Sites Are you also aware that you can request books from other library sites? If you mainly use one library site, e.g. Main Arts, but want a book from Deiniol science library or another site, you can ask library staff, who will arrange for the book to be sent across to your chosen library. It will usually arrive the next day. Quote from one of our Students "Whilst I've struggled in the past to use the library service when going to collect books, with the book service providing help courtesy of the disability services, it means I don't have to worry about very much and makes my life a lot easier." Update from Gill, Support Worker Co-ordinator It s been all go since I started as the Support Workers Co-ordinator this past August! We are already having a very busy year with over 100 students receiving lecture notes from us. I am delighted that we have recently recruited an Assistant Coordinator, Alex Bailey, (see page 1), as well as more than ten new note takers, to help ensure that we give the best service that we can to students. Gill Wade We have also merged successfully with the dyslexia service, with the Support Workers Scheme taking shared responsibility for arranging appointment for 1:to:1 support with Dyslexia Tutors. I am thoroughly enjoying my new role: being part of the team is very inspiring and I have been made extremely welcome by new colleagues and students alike. Page 12 of 20

13 Social eyes Students have been attending a weekly Socialeyes group run by the Disability Service. Socialeyes is a learning resource developed by the National Autistic Society (NAS) Cymru and University of Wales, Newport, to assist people with Autism Spectrum Conditions (including Asperger s Syndrome) to develop their social interaction and communication skills. The aim of Socialeyes is to help participants explore the social world and become more confident in social situations; it has been designed to help learners explore social interaction so that they can make an informed choice about how they might respond in similar situations. The group is informal and friendly; it meets weekly on Wednesday afternoons during term time. If you are interested in joining Socialeyes, or just want more information about it, please contact Esther Griffiths (Disability Adviser) on socialeyes@bangor.ac.uk All students who attend Socialeyes will be awarded Bangor Employability Award XP points for attending. Want to be a Peer Guide? It doesn t seem long since Bangor was alive with all the Peer Guides in their bright T-shirts helping everyone out - yet we re already busy recruiting next year s Peer Guides! Do you want to help new students settle in here? Could you meet and greet them, show them around, answer questions and help them make friends? Do you want to earn some BEA points? If you ve answered yes to the above questions why not apply to be a Peer Guide? For more information please contact Kim Davies on: peerguiding@bangor.ac.uk visiting in person 1 st floor, Neuadd Rathbone Page 13 of 20

14 A Recruitment Evening for Technically Talented Disabled People BBC Digital Thursday 17 December :00-19:00 Quay House, MediaCityUK, Salford BBC Digital are looking for people who have tech skills, qualifications or experience and whom also have a disability. It s a networking, development and recruitment event to help [the BBC] to attract more disabled talent to roles in BBC Digital. The event is happening in Manchester on the Thursday 17 th December. It is open to people with disabilities with tech skills and experience (or recent graduates with a relevant degree, for example Computer Science). More information and details on how to apply can be found at the bottom of the article in the link below. Are you living in Halls? Are you in Halls? Do you have ergonomic furniture or other items related to your disability or health condition in your room? If you have furniture such as an ergonomic chair or adjustable desk, or a piece of equipment such as a fridge or medicine cabinet in your room in Halls, we need to make a note of this in your PLSP. If you are not sure if items are already noted in your PLSP, please check your PLSP in mybangor it will be in the Physical Environment & Getting Around. If you have items that are not listed, please let us know by ing disabilityservice@bangor.ac.uk so we can update your PLSP. Halls 2016 We hope to open the application process for current students who wish to live in our halls of residence in 2016/17 on 1 st December Go to nearer the time for more information or telephone for more information. Page 14 of 20

15 Accommodation for next year Physical Access we need your feedback! Bangor University is sited on a hill and it has many old buildings which are being improved, but some do not have particularly easy access. We are working to change this but in the meantime we have to work with what we have available. If you encounter difficulties accessing a building or location, or spot an issue with physical access around the university, please do let us know by sending an to disabilityservice@bangor.ac.uk. It can be really helpful if you snap a quick photo on your phone to us to help us understand what the issue is. Page 15 of 20

16 Page 16 of 20

17 Careers & Employability Service Record your activities on My Employability Hub! My Employability Hub is the part of My Bangor where you can access your University employability account and see your progress on My HEAR and My BEA. When you start using My Employability Hub, we recommend that you start with two interactive online induction sessions (around 10 minutes each) which will tell you all you need to know about developing your employability, how you receive recognition for your activities, and how to track what appears on your BEA and HEAR! My Core Development Induction My Activity Log Induction Individual appointments are also available if you would like to discuss your activities or have any queries about how to use the system. Log into the Hub today to get started, and if you d like to get in touch. Page 17 of 20

18 Page 18 of 20

19 Page 19 of 20

20 Our contact details Carolyn Donaldson-Hughes, Head of Disability Services Esther Griffiths, Ruth Coppell, & Steph Horne Disability Advisers Fiona Rickard & Cheryl Parkinson, Mental Health Advisers Gill Wade & Alex Bailey Co-ordinators, Support Workers Scheme Nicky Cameron & Dylan Griffiths SpLD Advisers Tracey Morris, Administrator Tracey on to make an appointment to see a Disability Adviser or Mental Health Adviser or disabilityservice@bangor.ac.uk To make an appointment with the Dyslexia Service, Miranda or dyslex-student@bangor.ac.uk To make an appointment with the Counselling Service, Helen on or counselling@bangor.ac.uk Pictured above are, from left, Alex, Esther, Tracey, Steph, Cheryl, Ruth, Fiona, Carolyn and Gill. For details of services provided by the Disability Team visit Page 20 of 20