Studying with disabilities

As a rule, the Gernman Studentenwerk surveys students every 3 years on their economic and social situation. In 2016, eleven percent of students stated that their studies were made more difficult in connection with long-term physical, mental or sensory impairments. More than half of these relate to mental illness.

• Mobility impairments (e.g. paralysis, malpositions)
• Visual impairments (e.g. visual field impairment, color vision deficiency, blindness)
• Hearing impairments (e.g. hearing loss, deafness)
• Speech and language impairments (e.g. stuttering, speech impediment)
• Chronic diseases (e.g., Chron's disease, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, epilepsy)
• Mental illnesses (e.g., depression, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, addictive disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder)
• Partial performance disorders (e.g. dyslexia, dyscalculia)
• Other disorders (e.g. ADD/ADHD, autism spectrum disorders)

It is often not easy for students to acknowledge their own impairments and to disclose them to third parties. They often waive their right to compensation for disadvantages out of fear of discrimination or shame. Others risk their academic success by misjudging their ability to perform and the difficulties they face in studying due to their impairment.

Problems could be avoided if students were better informed about the topic of "disadvantage compensation" from the very beginning. For example, many do not know that the pace of study can also be individually adjusted. Therefore, it is important to contact the counseling centers as early as possible.

Everyday study

"A day in the wheelchair at TU Ilmenau" (Youtube)
 

Living

Rooms/apartments suitable for the disabled or disabled-friendly are available in the residential facilities Haus P and N. It is important to register early.

Read more

Parking lots and Campus map

Students with limited mobility have the option of having their student ID card (thoska+) activated for restricted parking spaces.

Campusplan

Financing

There is no one-stop financing for studies. A number of different cost bearers take over the financing of the usual living expenses and the additional needs caused by the disability. It is not always easy to clarify who is responsible for financing. Involved cost units are in particular: the BAföG offices, the local and supra-local social welfare agencies, the agencies for basic security for job seekers and the health and long-term care insurance companies. In individual cases, employers' liability insurance associations, third parties or their liability insurers, pension offices, etc. may be obligated to make payments.

Read more (German only)

Study and exams

In principle, the university should ensure that the framework conditions of a course of study are designed to be barrier-free. With regard to the structural or technical infrastructure, much has already been done. As a rule, however, in view of the diversity of impairments, appropriate precautions must be taken for each individual case in order to create equal opportunity study conditions. These can include technical aids, relocation of courses to accessible rooms, or the use of assistance to operate applications.

Overview of the accessible rooms

Some students have to repeatedly take breaks for longer or shorter periods, often unpredictably, due to illness, such as people with MS disease or rheumatic attacks.

By individually adapting the study and examination conditions within the framework of the compensation for disadvantages, successful study is possible.

Lecture and exercise material can be found by students in Moodle.

• The existence of a long-term health impairment (obligation to provide evidence)
• The health impairment leads to a disadvantage or difficulty in studying
• The effect of the impairment must not be relevant to the content of the examination. This means that qualification or learning objectives must be fulfilled, even if by other forms, times, etc.

When determining measures, both the effects of individual impairments and the usual conditions for completing the respective course of study are important.

There can be no general recommendations for measures relating to specific forms of impairment. Only examples can be given. By orienting the compensation for disadvantages to the individual case, flexible adaptation to different situations and needs is possible.

Applying for and being granted compensation for disadvantages in examinations, theses and/or modification of study conditions (individual study plan) is usually carried out as an administrative act. Students submit the application for compensation for disadvantages in writing (informally) to the examination board (via the respective examination office). An appeal can be lodged against a rejection.

In the application, students must state the desired examination modifications and justify their necessity. They must also provide suitable evidence of the health impairment and its specific impact on the examination, e.g.

• Certificates from (specialist) doctors, if necessary also statements from licensed psychological psychotherapists (Formular in German)
• Treatment reports from hospital and rehabilitation stays
  Statements from rehabilitation providers or approval notices from integration assistance providers
  Severely disabled person's pass or assessment notice from the pension office.

Important: timely application (Study and Examination Regulations - General Provisions, §28) and comprehensible description of the impact of the individual impairment on the service to be provided Guidelines for compensation for disadventages (german)

No, there is a margin of discretion.

If there are disadvantages compared to fellow students in examination situations due to impairment, compensation for disadvantages must be granted (legal entitlement). The desired modifications must enable equivalent performance records and be in line with the content requirements of the study and examination regulations (discretion).

Compensation for disadvantages can be adjusted at any time.