How do I ask for deadline extensions for my disability?

First, ask for a standing adjustment, not a one-off

Ask your university's disability or wellbeing service to write deadline extensions into a learning support plan as a reasonable adjustment under the Equality Act 2010, rather than requesting one-off extensions each time. This is the move most guides miss. A fixed coursework deadline is what the law calls a provision, criterion or practice, and where it puts you at a substantial disadvantage because of your condition, your university has to make a reasonable adjustment to remove that disadvantage. Book an appointment with a disability adviser and ask, in plain terms, for extensions to be pre-agreed in your plan so they apply automatically.

Say something like: "Because of my disability, fixed deadlines put me at a substantial disadvantage, so I'd like a standing reasonable adjustment for coursework extensions written into my support plan." You do not need a formal diagnosis to be covered. The Equality Act's test is whether your condition has a substantial, long-term effect on day-to-day activities, not whether you hold a diagnostic letter, though evidence (a clinician note, GP letter, or DSA paperwork) helps the service set the plan up quickly.

Then formalise it with evidence so it sticks

Once you've asked, the service will usually log the adjustment in a learning support plan and share it with your department. Get this in writing and check what it actually says. A good plan spells out the terms, for example:

• A set number of days' extension you can take on coursework without a fresh request each time.
• Who you notify, and how, when you use an extension (often a short email or an online form, not a meeting).
• That you will not be asked to re-supply medical evidence every time your condition flares up.

That last point matters. The duty in higher education is anticipatory, which means the university is meant to plan ahead for disabled students rather than only react once you are already behind. The Office of the Independent Adjudicator (the body that handles student complaints) says disabled students should not normally have to use the one-off mitigating-circumstances process for things a standing adjustment should already cover, and that providers should not normally demand fresh evidence each time an ongoing condition flares. Keep the mitigating-circumstances route for genuine one-offs, such as a sudden bereavement or an acute flare that goes beyond your usual plan.

If the university refuses, escalate

If your department or the disability service refuses a reasonable adjustment, ask for the refusal in writing with the reason, then use the formal complaints procedure. If the complaint is not resolved, you can take it to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for free once you have a Completion of Procedures letter. Worth knowing: an EHC plan does not continue at university, so the Equality Act and Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) are your post-19 route. DSA, worth up to £27,783 for the 2025 to 2026 academic year and not repayable, can fund study support that takes the pressure off deadlines, such as a specialist mentor or study-skills sessions.

This page is general information, not clinical or legal advice.