Disability
If you have a disability - learning, physical, sensory or other sort - you can find lots of useful information on this page.
Your difficulty or disability does not have to stand in your way when you want to do something. Read on to find out how you can seek support to do the things you want to do.
![Mo Volunteering [Converted].JPG](/assets/gallery/Mo%20Volunteering%20[Converted].JPG)
Do you want to get involved and have some fun?
A number of projects exist for young people in Hertfordshire. Some can be found on the mogozout website below and there is a good listing on the Youth Connexions website – look at the tabs along the bottom of the spreadsheet, for example there are youth clubs, Saturday clubs and a whole variety within the section called ‘other’.
Support in going on to train after you leave school
Do you have a learning disability?
All further education colleges in Hertfordshire offer courses for learners with severe and moderate learning difficulties. These courses will be at the pre entry level if you have severe learning difficulties and at entry 1, 2 or 3 if you have moderate learning difficulties. College courses can help you become more independent and develop skills for life and work.
Your learning needs will be supported by the college. It is important to let the college know you have learning difficulties and discuss your learning needs with your Youth Connexions Personal Adviser.
The four colleges in Hertfordshire are:
If you want to go on into higher education (HE), Skill UK offers advice to disabled learners wanting to go to HE. www.skill.org.uk
Do you want to find employment?
Work opportunities are available in our county for learners with severe and moderate learning difficulties. These can be different types of employment from opportunities to do paid work in open employment, volunteering and working in social enterprises. There can be support depending on the employer and the type of work opportunity. To find out more discuss this with your Youth Connexions Personal Adviser. If you don’t have a Personal Adviser contact the Youth Connexions Learning Difficulties and Disabilities (LDD) team on 01462 704901
Work Solutions is a Hertfordshire service offering support to disabled adults looking for paid employment, find out more here.
Do you have a physical disability?
Opportunities to go to further education college in Hertfordshire are available to learners with physical disabilities. Colleges are able to make reasonable adjustments and funding can be allocated to purchase in a piece of equipment or to employ a Personal Assistant to help with independence and care needs. Your Personal Adviser at Youth Connexions can help you negotiate with colleges. If you don’t have a Personal Adviser contact the Youth Connexions LDD team on 01462 704901.
The colleges themselves will have a Learning Support department and have a nominated person who can help learners with physical disabilities work out how to support your needs in college.
Support in the work place for employees with physical disabilities is available through the Access to work scheme. More information on Access to Work can be found on the government website here.
Do you have a sensory disability?
Further education colleges in Hertfordshire will have a specialist appointed person to support learners with sensory difficulties. This can be a teacher or specialist support worker of the deaf, or a teacher or support worker with experience of supporting learners with visual impairment difficulties.
Colleges can provide support workers with BSL, or oral communicators, tuition in Braille and support with specialist software to support learners so that they are not disadvantaged when taking up a course in their local college. It is important to let the college know about your needs and to discuss these with your Youth Connexions Personal Adviser. If you don’t have a Personal Adviser contact the Youth Connexions LDD team on 01462 704901
Useful information for you in Hertfordshire
- ‘Ideas for life’ is a series of leaflets for young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities covering finding a job, benefits, relationships and much more. Click here.
- For information on disabilities for all ages in Hertfordshire, visit Hertsdirect
Useful national websites
Downloads