Sighted Guide

Our Sighted Guides are practitioners who provide support in navigating around campus if you have a vision impairment. 

Role of a Sighted Guide

How do I know if I am eligible for a Sighted Guide?

If you have funding through the Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) and the University of Derby is your provider, you can book your support with us directly. 

For students who are eligible for DSA, but have not yet applied, read our Applying for DSA webpage or Contact Us at Student Services. 

For students who are not eligible for DSA, please speak to your Disability Advisor for Disability Support. 

To book your Sighted Guide support, please contact the Student Support team on nmh@derby.ac.uk. 

I haven't started university yet, how do I get support in place?

Visit our Applying for DSA page for support in how to apply for the Disabled Students Allowance prior to starting university. 

Once support is in place, you will receive a DSA2 letter outlining the provider of your Non-Medical Helper. 

If your Non-Medical Helper provider is the University of Derby, please email nmh@derby.ac.uk as soon as possible so we can organise your support for your first day.

How do I get allocated a Sighted Guide?

Please contact the Student Support team on nmh@derby.ac.uk to be allocated a Sighted Guide, either by the University of Derby or Cosmic People. 

One of the team will get in touch to ask you some follow up questions about your support preferences. 

You will be provided with the name and photograph of your Sighted Guide. 

Do I have to pay for my support?

No, the Disabled Students Allowance fund your support for the amount of hours agreed on your DSA2 letter. The Student Support team is responsible for invoicing sessions directly from your funding body. The only responsibility you have is to confirm your support has taken place on Connect.

How do I confirm that the session took place?

Support sessions provided by the University of Derby are recorded using a platform called Connect. You will receive a weekly email to your Unimail account from Connect asking you to confirm whether your session took place or not. This allows the Student Support team to let your funding body know if the support has taken place. To ensure that the Disabled Students Allowance continues to offer you support, you must confirm your sessions. 

If you are experiencing issues using the Connect platform, please inform the Student Support team on nmh@derby.ac.uk 

To confirm that your sessions either took place or not, please log on to your Connect platform. 

What should I do if I need to cancel my support?

Contact the Student Support team at the University of Derby on nmh@derby.ac.uk or 07860097674 (text only)

If you support has been provided by Cosmic People contact them on support@cosmic.co.uk or 01283716333 

If you support has been provided by Randstad contact them on StudentSupportCentral@randstad.co.uk or 01612478800

Your Sighted Guide will claim for a booked session if you cancel with less than 24 hours' notice. 

What should I do if my Sighted Guide does not arrive?

Contact the Student Support team at the University of Derby on 07860097674 (text only)

If you support has been provided by Cosmic People contact them on 01283716333 

We will try our best to find you another Sighted Guide at the last minute and will notify you whether or not we have been able to put this in place. 

Can I change my Sighted Guide?

Please contact the Student Support team if you need to make a change to your Sighted Guide support. Be as open and honest as you possibly can, to ensure we get the support right for you. 

Please note that support may need to continue with your current Sighted Guide for a short period whilst we find a replacement.