Mental health difficulty is a broad term used to describe a continuum between `relatively mild anxieties and frustration associated with everyday life, and severe problems affecting mood and the ability to think and communicate rationally. It is common for students to experience ‘mental health difficulties’ which may be long-term (have lasted or likely to last for a year or more) and may fluctuate. The impact on study can be wide and varied. 

Good Practice Guide: Inclusive Teaching for Students Who Experience Mental Health Difficulties.

SpLDs (Specific Learning Difficulties – or learning differences) are thought to affect 10% of the UK population. Most common amongst students are dyslexia and dyspraxia, with a small number of diagnoses of dysgraphia or dyscalculia.

In practice very many of the characteristics co-occur and overlap. SpLDs affect the way information is processed and learned, which can have a very significant impact on formal education and study, and self- confidence. Research shows SpLDs are neurological and not linked to intellectual ability, socio-economic or language diversity. Students with SpLD often have significant compensatory strengths and can be creative and innovative thinkers.

A predominant strategy for pre-University students with SpLD is to work harder for longer. This is not a realistic long term strategy for University as to do so means students miss out on valuable opportunities for social and cultural capital.

Good Practice Guide: Inclusive Teaching for Students with Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLDs), Including Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and Dyscalculia. 

Visual impairment is the term used to describe a loss of sight that cannot be corrected using glasses or contact lenses. There are two main categories of visual impairment:

• Registered partially sighted, which means the level of sight impairment is moderate
• Registered blind, which means a severe sight impairment where activities that rely on eyesight become impossible

Students with visual impairments will experience varying degrees of sight loss; the majority will have some sight which may be useful for different things for each individual. For many, the visual impairment will not be obvious to others, even when someone is registered blind. Using the same teaching and learning spaces consistently is likely to be beneficial and prevent unnecessary additional effort in terms of orientation thus preserving energy for study.

Good Practice Guide: Inclusive Teaching for Students with Visual Impairment.

Unseen impairments and medical conditions cover a wide range of diagnoses including cancer, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, pain conditions, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME)/ chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and Crohn’s disease. Their effects may include fatigue, pain, general ill heath, and a need for more frequent access to food or bathroom facilities.  As well as the impacts on academic study, students often miss out on valuable opportunities for social and cultural capital.

Good Practice Guide: Inclusive Teaching for Students with Unseen Impairments and Medical Conditions

Students with physical impairments may have difficulties with mobility, manual dexterity and speech. Some students might use a wheelchair all or some of the time, might need support with personal care and assistance navigating between teaching, learning and other spaces. Some physical impairments are fluctuating whilst others remain constant; significantly impacting on their ability to access study venues, materials and opportunities. 

Good Practice Guide: Inclusive Teaching for Students with Physical & Mobilty Impairments

The term ‘deaf’ covers a very broad spectrum of hearing loss; ranging from mild, severe or profound, along with differing communication needs. Deaf people may wear hearing aids or have a cochlear implant; this can help some understanding of speech or environmental sounds. However, hearing aids and cochlear implants can only assist hearing, they cannot restore normal hearing.

Some deaf students may rely on lipreading and speech to communicate, others may use British Sign Language (BSL), Sign Supported English (SSE), a lipspeaker, use captioning or a notetaker. At times students may choose to use a combination of support, depending on their individual communication needs and the learning environment.

All deaf and hard of hearing students have individual needs, it is essential to check with the student which strategies they find most appropriate for their learning. 

Good Practice Guide: Working with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students