Non-Standard Reasonable Accommodations (NSRAs)

When is an NSRA needed?

An NSRA may be needed when the accommodations already set out in a student’s LENS report are not sufficient for them to access teaching, learning, assessment, placement or progression on an equitable basis.

NSRAs are considered individually, based on the functional impact of disability. They are not based solely on diagnosis and do not lower academic or professional standards.

A quick guide for lecturers and programme teams

Use this process when a student, the disAbility Service or a School identifies that standard arrangements may not be sufficient.

Step	Question	Action
1. Identify the barrier	What activity cannot the student access or complete because of disability-related impact?	Describe the functional barrier, rather than the diagnosis.
2. Check the essential requirement	Is attendance, format, timing, method or placement arrangement essential to the learning outcome or competence standard?	Identify the specific outcome, accreditation requirement or safety issue.
3. Consider the preferred option	Can the recommended arrangement be implemented while maintaining standards?	Approve it where possible.
4. Consider equivalent alternatives	If the preferred option cannot be delivered, what alternative would remove the barrier effectively?	Work through Options 2–4 in the matrix with the disAbility Service and student.
5. Record and decide	What is the agreed arrangement, owner and implementation date?	School responds within five working days; Dean considers the recommendation within a further five working days.

Decision principles

Start with the least restrictive effective accommodation.

Maintain essential learning outcomes, competence standards and academic integrity.

Base decisions on functional impact, not diagnosis.

Administrative inconvenience, timetabling, workload, historical practice, precedent or perceived fairness to other students are not sufficient reasons to refuse an accommodation.

If the preferred option cannot be implemented, consider an effective equivalent alternative before considering deferral or non-approval.

Only the information necessary for the academic decision should be shared with the School.

The student should receive a clear decision; they should not have to resolve disagreements between services or academic units.

Find an accommodation option

Use expandable sections or filters rather than presenting a long static list.

Area	Typical issue	Preferred starting point	Other options
Assessment	Student cannot complete the usual assessment method	Alternative assessment	Viva, take-home assessment, split examination, reweighting, equivalent assessment
Coursework deadlines	Disability-related impact affects submission	Flexible deadline	Rolling deadline, extended completion, alternative submission
Attendance and participation	Student cannot consistently attend required activity	Equivalent learning activity	Hybrid participation, recorded teaching, attendance support plan
Placement	Student cannot complete standard hours, shifts or location	Reduced daily hours or accessible placement	Part-time placement, adjusted shifts, extension, alternative placement
Programme progression	Full academic load is not manageable	Reduced module load	Split year, extended registration, curriculum resequencing
Professional competence	Competence cannot be demonstrated through the usual method	Alternative demonstration	Simulation, observed practice, structured portfolio, modified competency pathway

Example decision route

Student cannot undertake a live presentation because of disability-related communication barriers.

Identify what the presentation is intended to assess: subject knowledge, communication, group collaboration, live delivery, or another specified outcome.
Consider the preferred option: a recorded presentation.
If this is not suitable, consider a small audience, structured viva voce, written equivalent or another academically equivalent format.
Record the rationale, agreed arrangement and implementation responsibilities.
Refer the agreed recommendation for Dean consideration where required.

Roles and timelines

Role	Responsibility	Target
disAbility Service	Discuss needs with the student; submit an NSRA recommendation based on functional impact; support implementation	Day 0
School / programme academic lead	Consider the preferred matrix option; identify an effective alternative where needed; give academic rationale	Within 5 working days
Dean	Approve, approve an equivalent alternative, seek defined further information, or issue a reasoned decision	Within a further 5 working days
Academic Registry Student Cases	Provide procedural and consistency advice for complex, delayed or unresolved cases	As required

Decision outcomes

Every NSRA request should result in one of four clear outcomes:

Approved as requested — the preferred option can be implemented.
Approved with an equivalent alternative — the original option cannot be delivered, but another arrangement effectively removes the barrier.
Further information required — specify exactly what is needed and put an interim arrangement in place where necessary.
Not approved — explain why neither the requested arrangement nor effective alternatives are reasonable or compatible with essential academic, professional or safety requirements.

How to request an NSRA

The disAbility Service will prepare the request with the student. Academic staff should provide the academic information needed to reach a decision, including:

the relevant learning outcome, competence standard, accreditation or safety requirement;

whether the requested arrangement can be implemented;

if not, why it cannot be implemented;

which matrix alternatives have been considered;

the proposed effective alternative, implementation owner and timeframe.

A non-approval must give a specific academic rationale. A general statement that an arrangement is difficult, unprecedented, unfair to others or inconvenient is not sufficient.

Escalation and review

Where a case is complex, affects more than one School, cannot be resolved within the stated timeframe, or involves professional competence requirements, it should be escalated through the Dean and Academic Registry Student Cases route. Decisions and implementation should be recorded in HALO and reviewed for consistency and student progression.