During your time at the University of York, you may come across the term reasonable adjustments. This can be in relation to your course and studies, but you may also hear it when attending events and in other aspects of your university experience.

The York Strengths Team works hard to make sure its York Strengths Development Sessions are as accessible as possible, and that everyone has a positive experience when they attend. Reasonable adjustments play an important role in this.

There are some questions that students regularly ask us about reasonable adjustments, so I thought I would share them.

What is an adjustment?

Simply it’s an adjustment to make sure students with disabilities, or physical or mental health conditions, are not disadvantaged when attending our Development Sessions. If you have a disability or health condition we can make reasonable adjustments to help you get the most out of the session.

I know this sounds a bit vague but it is meant to be –  each person and their needs will be different so the adjustments will be very varied.  

A few examples of adjustments that have been made for York Strengths Development Sessions are:

• Large print copies of resources
• Resources printed on different coloured paper
• Materials sent in advance of the session or digital copies sent to be used with a screen reader
• Labelled materials (eg lego blocks with colour written on)
• Audio loop / facilitator wearing a mic
• Smaller group size / room location, eg near to toilets
• Access to a quiet room
• Glossary or key terms list

What is reasonable?

You may be surprised by what adjustments can be offered. If you are not sure whether it’s reasonable to ask for something or not, ask yourself  “do I need this in order to get the most out of the session?” If you need it rather than simply want it, then it is likely to be reasonable. In any case, you can always ask.

How do I ask for a reasonable adjustment?

When you register for a York Strengths Development Session on Handshake, you will be asked to let us know of any reasonable adjustments you need. A list of suggested adjustments is available to select but you can also provide more detail or ask any questions in the box provided. A member of the team will then be in touch to discuss your needs. 

What if I don’t know what adjustments I need?

If you are unsure whether or not you will require an adjustment for a York Strengths Development Session please get in contact with the Team at york-strengths@york.ac.uk before booking. We are more than happy to help you identify any support you might need. 

Attending a York Strengths Development Sessions is a great way to find out more about yourself by identifying your strengths – the things you are good at, and love to do. Knowing that there is support available which can be arranged in advance will help you focus on discovering yourself, enabling you to make the most out of the session and take your identified strengths forward on your further career journey.