LAMDA welcomes applications from all sections of the community regardless of ethnicity, religion, gender or disability.
This information is for any student whose personal or academic life may be affected in some way by a medical condition, disability, impairment, or specific learning difficulty.
It is our policy to recognise that everyone is an individual, and we will work with you to identify potential barriers to your studying and will do what we can to remove them. We will make any reasonable adjustment to ensure that disabled students can train at LAMDA.
This document is also available in large print, audio-tape or on disk, and can be printed on different coloured paper for ease of access. Please contact Admissions for more information.
Admissions
The LAMDA Admissions process is committed to supporting students with disabilities
Applicants are advised to notify LAMDA on the application form if they have a disability, prior to audition/interview. This will allow the Admissions officers to provide suitable facilities for audition/interview. If applicants decide not to disclose a disability, this will limit LAMDA’s ability to meet their needs throughout the admissions process. However, applicants should be reassured that any information disclosed is irrelevant to the decision of the audition/interview panel.
Having received an offer of an audition/interview, applicants are encouraged to contact the Registrar or Head of Course to provide more details on their disability. Applicants may be invited to visit LAMDA to discuss support arrangements and requirements with the regard to the nature of the disability and availability of support. This information will remain confidential and only released to other staff members with the applicant’s permission.
For applicants from non-EU countries or from countries without reciprocal health arrangements with the UK, it is vitally important, if there are medical care needs, to establish prior to arrival, what might be available on the National Health Service (NHS). Such students are encouraged to organise private personal health care plans or insurance policies, to ensure they are able to cover any eventuality.
Student Support
The Registrar is available to discuss any issues related to disability. Queries can often be resolved via a telephone call, email or letter. It is strongly advised that a visit to the Academy is the best way to assess the facilities available. Once enrolled on a course, students who disclose a disability will be encouraged to complete a Learning Agreement to ensure they are fully supported in the training.
Financial Assistance
Students in receipt of a funded place under HE can use also use their assessment to apply for the Disabled Students Allowance Fund administered by the Government through Local Education Authorities. This Fund can provide equipment and additional teaching. For full information, telephone 0800 731 9133 asking for booklet called A Guide to Disabled Students’ Allowances on or website: www. dfes.gov.uk/studentsupport/formsandguides. This is available in Braille on audiotape and there is a free textphone service on 0800 328 8988.
Students not in receipt of funded places can obtain an assessment from the Dyslexia Centre to assist during the training but cannot apply for extra help from the Disabled Students Allowance Fund. This is reviewed on an individual basis and students should discuss their situation with the Registrar.
Medical Support
The Academy has an arrangement with the Courtfield Medical Centre in Kensington. The Centre will see any LAMDA student on an emergency basis and will refer to additional medical services where necessary. The Centre can also register students within its catchment area. However if the student is not a resident in the catchment area, they are strongly advised to register with a medical practise in their area on arrival in London. Details of the catchment area can be obtained from the Centre.
Dyslexia
LAMDA uses the Dyslexia Centre in Kensington for dyslexia support. LAMDA can organise an initial assessment for any student who believes they may be dyslexic or possess a learning difficulty or has not been assessed since the age of 16. The assessment will determine the level of student support required.
Deaf and Blind students
Any deaf or visually impaired student will be provided for on an individual basis, however LAMDA does not employ specialist support staff.
LAMDA has provision to provide Braille texts and welcomes students with guide dogs.
Deaf students who require note takers and signers in London should contact the City Literary Institute (City Lit) in Holborn who can provide further information. There is a great demand for signers, note-takers etc, so students are advised to arrange the support as soon as they have been offered a place.
Further and Higher Education Unit
City Lit
Keeley House
Keeley Street
London WC2B 4BA
Telephone: 020-7242-1440 (Voice/Minicom)
Health and Safety
Everyone with an identified impairment who would have difficulty evacuating the teaching spaces unaided should ensure that they have a personal safety plan for each of the teaching spaces expected to be used. Please ensure that a personal safety plan is shared with the Facilities Manager who is responsible for fire evacuations
Everyone attending LAMDA has a responsibility for health and safety and should be aware of the procedures to be followed when the fire alarm sounds. Details of the evacuation procedures for teaching and performance times are available in the student handbook. Contact the Facilities Manager on 020 8834 0508.
Assessments
The nature of the training at LAMDA ensures that the majority of assessment is undertaken through practise. Where a written exam or sight reading is required, special arrangements can be made. In appropriate cases students may use personal computers, audio-cassette recorders or undertake a verbal examination. Additional time is permitted for the preparation of a sight reading test. Arrangements for assessment may be included in the Learning Agreement
Building and Facilities
LAMDA owns two sites in West London. 155 Talgarth Road is the base for the Academy and the MacOwan Theatre is the performance space. In addition, students on the stage management and technical theatre programme will also be based at the scenic workshop at London Bridge for some elements of the training. space. LAMDA would encourage any student with a disability to visit the school prior to entry, to view the premise and discuss any access or other issues before starting the training.
155 Talgarth Road
The site contains nearly all the rehearsal and teaching spaces for the Academy. LAMDA is committed to a redevelopment plan that will ensure the building has 98% accessibility. In 2006 LAMDA installed two wheelchair lifts which have allowed wheelchair access to a majority of the ground floor spaces and has improved access from 5% to 48%. There remains no access to the basement and first floor of Talgarth Road.
MacOwan Theatre
The MacOwan Theatre is fronted by Victorian artist studios and was developed to include the performance area. The theatre has direct ground floor access, from street level to the foyer, theatre stage area, auditorium, lower dressing room, lower production office, toilets and workshop. There is an accessible toilet for wheelchair users. Due to the design of the building, there is no wheelchair access to the first floor.
Every effort is made to allow access to technical equipment in the MacOwan Theatre, however restrictions may be enforced in order to meet the Health and Safety requirement of the individual, their peers, staff and members of the public. Decisions as to equipment access are taken with the individual and with regard to current Health and Safety legislation.
External teaching spaces
St Philips Church
St Philips Church is a rented facility on Earls Court Road a short distance from the MacOwan Theatre. The teaching space is primarily used for rehearsing final year productions to allow close contact with the MacOwan Theatre. There are no disabled toilet facilities.
Colet House
Colet House is a rented facility next door to the Talgarth Road Site. LAMDA uses three spaces. Currently this facility is inaccessible to wheelchair users.
Monitoring of provision and future development
The make-up of the student cohort is monitored each year and LAMDA continues to welcome applications for all students in line with its Equal Opportunities policy.
With each new cohort of students, a review of the facilities is undertaken to ensure that all students are given the same high standard of training in order to fulfil their potential. Each new disabled student is enabled on a individual level, with the training and facilities arranged to meet their needs. Every effort will be made to arrange the timetable to make full use of accessible facilities to support the training of any disabled students.
LAMDA is at the start of a re-development of the Talgarth Road site which will include an up-grading of the facilities to allow the building 98% access. This development will be undertaken in stages and as the work is completed, so the information on the website will be updated. As part of the re-development programme, the MacOwan Theatre will undergo a refurbishment and consideration will be given to improving access and toilet facilities.
This page was last updated 18 November 2008
