Studying with health impairments

Examinations

• Extended time for written examinations or coursework assignments
• Scheduled breaks during examinations
• Alternative forms of assessment (e.g. oral instead of written examinations)
• Modifications to practical examinations
• Examination rooms with special equipment and/or a separate examination room
• Non-consideration of spelling errors

Studies and Courses

• Provision of accessible study materials
• Preferred seating arrangements or technical equipment (e.g. FM systems, screen readers)
• Individual scheduling arrangements to accommodate therapy sessions or medical treatment
• Modification of attendance requirements

Course of Study

• Extension of deadlines for projects and final theses; non-consideration of spelling errors
• Adjustments to the study plan
• Exemption from certain deadlines due to illness
   

Important: The measures listed above are intended as examples only. The specific accommodations that may be granted must always be determined on a case-by-case basis and tailored to the individual circumstances of the student.

• Documented disability, impairment or health condition – supported by a medical or psychological certificate, assessment, or professional report.
• Study-related disadvantage – it must be evident that the impairment affects academic studies or examination performance.
• Proportionality – the accommodation must not alter the academic requirements or learning outcomes, but only adjust the conditions under which assessments are completed.
• Formal application – the application should be submitted in good time before examinations or other assessed coursework and must include a justification and supporting documentation. The requested modification or accommodation should also be clearly specified.
   

Important Principles

• To apply for reasonable accommodation, it is not necessary for the impairment to be officially recognized as a severe disability or to have a formal disability status.
• A medically certified health condition or diagnosed disability does not automatically entitle a student to reasonable accommodation. In addition to providing evidence of a long-term health condition or impairment, students must demonstrate plausibly in which areas and in what way their studies and/or examinations are affected, and how this results in disadvantages compared to other students.
• Only actual barriers to participation arising from an impairment can be addressed through reasonable accommodation measures.
• Reasonable accommodations are always granted for a specific examination or assessment. As a result, a new application for reasonable accommodation will generally need to be submitted for each examination or assessment concerned.

Before submitting an application for reasonable accommodation, students are encouraged to seek individual advice. Support is available from the Department of Study Matters and/or the Representative for Students with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses. All consultations are treated confidentially and in accordance with applicable data protection regulations.

In addition, it may be helpful to discuss your situation with the relevant lecturer at an early stage. In many cases, practical and realistic accommodation measures can be identified collaboratively and then included in the application.
 

Application Procedure:

• Submit an informal written application, including:a statement of reasons, supporting documentation, and a description of the requested accommodation measure(s).
• Review by the Examination Board
• Decision and notification to the student and, where appropriate, to the relevant teaching staff
• Implementation of the agreed accommodation measures

Important Note on Early Application!

Students who require reasonable accommodation for examinations or during their studies are strongly advised to submit their application as early as possible.

Applications generally require some processing time, as the responsible bodies must carefully review the submitted documents and, where necessary, consult with the relevant teaching staff or clarify outstanding questions. In some cases, additional supporting documentation may also be required.

Furthermore, the requested measures, particularly organisational adjustments or examination-related accommodations, may require advance planning and coordination. Modifications to the course of study often involve internal consultation and administrative arrangements. Early submission therefore ensures that all parties have sufficient time to prepare and implement appropriate measures effectively, allowing reasonable accommodation to be arranged in the best possible way.
 

Not all study-related effects of a disability, chronic illness, or health condition can be compensated for through reasonable accommodation.

Reasonable accommodations may only relate to the conditions under which academic work is completed or to the format of assessment. It is not possible to waive an examination requirement entirely or to alter the assessment criteria. The learning outcomes and competencies defined in the study and examination regulations must still be achieved. Likewise, the academic requirements and qualification objectives of a degree programme must not be reduced or modified through reasonable accommodation.

No Undercompensation!
Reasonable accommodations should be designed to fully offset the disadvantage resulting from the impairment. The aim is to provide students with disabilities or health conditions with conditions equivalent to those of students without such impairments. Therefore, the accommodation should not be less extensive than necessary to ensure equal participation

No Preferential Treatment!
At the same time, reasonable accommodations must not result in an unfair advantage over other students.

For this reason, the substitution or modification of certain assessment requirements may not be possible where these constitute an essential component of the programme and are indispensable for achieving its learning outcomes and qualification objectives.