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Providing evidence and registering

You need to send us evidence of your disability before we can set up reasonable adjustments or give you additional support.

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Once your evidence has been reviewed Universal Reasonable Adjustments will be applied to your studies and assessments.

Forms of evidence we need

Letter from a doctor

Any medical evidence if in the form of a letter should be signed, dated in the last six months and on headed paper. It should include details of:

  • The diagnosis and date of commencement
  • Expected duration of the condition or impairment, or confirmation that it is ongoing
  • The impact on normal day-to-day activities
  • Potential difficulties when using public transport, where relevant
  • Details of side effects of prescribed medication, where relevant
  • We cannot accept GP records printouts as evidence

Medical evidence form

Download the Medical evidence form (Word document).

This can be given to the GP or other appropriate qualified professional. It cannot be completed by a therapist or counsellor.

We can accept this in one of these ways:

A written statement or letter from a doctor, or appropriate qualified medical professional, which confirms a substantial and long term adverse effect on the individual’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. This can be using our Medical evidence form (Word document).

An ASD referral as long as this has been signed by a qualified medical professional and outlines the justification for the referral.

A Statement of Special Educational Needs (SEN) issued by a Local Authority can be given.

A Diagnostic Assessment from a psychologist or suitably qualified specialist teacher. Please note that the author must hold a current SpLD Assessment Practicing Certificate or be HCPC registered at the time of the assessment and follow SASC guidelines.

If you had a diagnostic assessment before the age of 16, and you were awarded reasonable adjustments in your exams, you will need to provide a JCQ Form 8 with your diagnostic assessment.

Goldsmiths offers further guidance and can arrange an assessment for students who have, or think they have, a Specific Learning Difficulty.

You will need to provide an authorised translation if the original evidence is not written in English. See your embassy for a list of authorised agencies. The original (untranslated) document must also be provided, and this must be signed by the author.

Sending us your evidence

First, read our Data Protection and Confidentiality Statement to understand how we will use what you send us.

Send your evidence from your @gold.ac.uk email to disability@gold.ac.uk.

If you have not enrolled and don't have Goldsmiths email, include the name you used when applying and the programme you will be studying.

Payment for evidence

It is your responsibility to obtain evidence and, if your Doctor charges you for this service, pay any fees incurred.

Our local partners, Amersham Vale GP Practice, will provide medical evidence for free. We recommend our students register with them.

If you are experiencing financial hardship you may be able to apply to the Student Hardship Fund for a contribution towards the cost of obtaining evidence.

What happens next

An adviser from the team will then review your evidence.

If this is adequate, Universal Reasonable Adjustments will be put in place straight away. An adviser will also email you with your additional funded support options and the next steps on how to access this.

It may be that based on your medical evidence, an adviser thinks that you need adjustments in addition to Universal Reasonable Adjustments and will ask that you book an appointment. Equally, you may want to discuss further support with an adviser.

If you need to meet with an advisor

During the appointment, the adviser will typically discuss the following with you:

  • The impact of your impairment or condition on your studies
  • Additional adjustments, equipment or support you will need to have full access to the course and an opportunity to demonstrate the full extent of your academic abilities
  • Funding you are eligible for and helping you to apply
  • An individual support plan called a Reasonable Adjustment Support Agreement (RASA) that sets out required adjustments which will be shared with staff involved in delivering the support and adjustments

Disability advisers can also signpost you to other relevant support services at Goldsmiths and externally.