SEN/ Disability Registration Guidelines
For students with special educational needs (SEN) arising from different types of disabilities and require reasonable adjustment/ support for their studies, please register as SEN students with the University by referring to the table below according to your studentship .
| Students | SEN registration unit | Registration procedures | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| UG students | Academic Registry | Here | (852) 3411 5838, ugs@hkbu.edu.hk |
| SCE and CIE students | School of Continuing Education (SCE) | Here | Individual Programme |
| Research Postgraduate Students | Graduate School | Here | |
| Taught Postgraduate Students | Academic Registry (Taught Postgraduate Studies Section) | (852) 3411 5127, hkbu_tpg@hkbu.edu.hk |
1. Students are invited to declare their disability or special educational needs (SEN) on a voluntary basis in early September when they are newly admitted to HKBU.
2. Applicants are required to submit medical proofs and supporting documents for registration in person, including a professional assessment report issued within the last five years that must contain a diagnostic statement identifying the disability condition and the recommendation for reasonable academic accommodations/adjustments and/or other support services as well as proofs of special examination arrangements in public examinations. Please refer to the next tab for details on the documentation criteria.
3. Applicants will receive notification of their application result via email.
4. USSEN staff will liaise with different units to arrange support services requested to facilitate student’s university life, if necessary.
Applicants should submit the following documentary evidence: (1) medical proof of the disability and (2) diagnostic, professional assessment report if SEN support service is required. Supporting documents in a language other than English and Chinese are generally not accepted.
(1) Medical Proof of Disability
- The medical proof should be issued by a qualified specialist/ a registered medical practitioner/ the Hospital Authority/ the Department of Health/ the Education Bureau within the last five years, unless otherwise specified.
- The proof should clearly state the type of disability and provide a diagnostic statement identifying the disability condition, as well as indicating whether the effects of the disability condition are permanent, temporary, episodic, or fluctuating.
(2) Diagnostic and Professional Assessment Report
- Submitting specific supporting documents, i.e. diagnostic and professional assessment reports (details required as listed here) if specific support or intervention is needed.
- The supporting document(s) should be issued within the last five years, unless otherwise specified, and provide the following information:
- Date of appointment AND the issuance date of assessment report;
- Accessor’s full name, signature, certified professional status, and contact information;
- A diagnostic statement identifying the disability condition(s);
- Recommendations on reasonable academic accommodations or adjustments and/or other support services;
- Impact of disability conditions on the learner’s academic learning and campus life.
- Other supporting documents such as special academic adjustments and special examination accommodations approved by the previous college, secondary school, the Hong Kong Examination Assessment Authority, or other recognized public examination agencies will generally be accepted.
The University reserves the right to request clarification and/or further documentation of disability, as well as more updated or additional information when deemed appropriate. Please note that the requests may not be accommodated if there is any wrong or missing information from the documentations required above.
(a) Physical & Sensory Disabilities
| Type of PD | Type of Professional Required | Report Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Hearing Impairments | Ear, Nose, Throat (ENT) specialist, audiologist or relevant professional | To specify the degree of hearing loss of each ear. Speech & Language problems should be included in the assessment report (if any) issued by a speech therapist. |
| Physical & Mobility Disabilities | Physiotherapist, occupational therapist or relevant professional | To state the learner’s conditions and degree of disability (i.e. writing ability, mobility & physical functioning). |
Visual Impairments (e.g. lower vision, blindness, colour blindness) | Ophthalmologist, optometrist or relevant professional | To specify the learner’s visual acuity, visual field, or colour amblyopia, colour-blindness problems. |
(b) Learning and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities
| Type of PD | Type of Professional Required | Report Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder | Psychiatrist, clinical/educational psychologist, paediatrician, neurologist, neuropsychologist or relevant professional | To specify the learner’s diagnosis and area(s) of difficulty. |
Autism Spectrum Disorder (e.g. Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome) | Psychiatrist, clinical/educational psychologist, neurologist, neuropsychologist or relevant professional | To specify the learner’s diagnosis and area(s) of difficulty. |
Specific Learning Disabilities (e.g. Dyslexia, dyscalculia) | Clinical/educational psychologist, paediatrician, neurologist, neuropsychologist or relevant professional | To specify the learner’s diagnosis and area(s) of difficulty. |
| Speech & Language Impairment | Speech therapist or relevant professional | To state the severity of the learner’s disability & area(s) of difficulty (i.e. fluency, voice & articulation). |
(c) Mental Illnesses (Report within one year)
| Type of PD | Type of Professional Required | Report Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Mental Illness | Psychiatrist or clinical psychologist or relevant professional | To state the learner’s diagnosis & area(s) of difficulty. |
(d) Others
| Type of PD | Type of Professional Required | Report Requirement |
|---|---|---|
Visceral Disabilities/ Chronic Illnesses/ Acquired Brain Injury/ Rare Diseases | A registered medical practitioner/ specialist, clinical psychologist, physiotherapist, occupational therapist or relevant professional | To state the learner’s diagnosis, conditions, and difficulty area(s). |
1. Provide relevant information and sufficient documentation to support your requests.
2. Participate in your support planning and implementation process, such as checking with your course instructors on the special arrangements prior to in-class assessment dates, collecting feedback from course instructors on what works for you and what needs to be modified.
3. Update the respective SEN registration unit of any changes to your needs and/or difficulties.
4. Students are strongly encouraged to register your special educational needs, if any, as early as possible. Current students with valid HKBU studentships are welcome to register their special educational needs anytime during the study when such needs arise.
5. Respond to The Unit for Students with Special Educational Needs (USSEN) if we contact you for an individual meeting to discuss further support that would be appropriate, reasonable and effective.
6. Reach out to USSEN or relevant departments to seek support when needed.
1. Registration for disability or special educational needs (SEN) support is voluntary. Students are free to withdraw at any time without any consequences.
2. Confidential data obtained from a registered student will be used for the purposes of service arrangements, except where it is essential and under strict privacy agreement, or that it is required by law/regulation.
3. The data collected will be handled with strict confidentiality in compliance with the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance of Hong Kong. For details of the University’s Privacy Policy, please click here.
4. Consent to release confidential information would be sought from the student during the declaration process. The registered student can request to review and amend the consent information at any time during their course of study at HKBU. The given consent will expire upon graduation.
For any enquires about the programme, please contact us by 3411 5230 or ussen@hkbu.edu.hk during office hours.