Know what you need

• Map out your needs: What do you encounter in your studies? Think about concentration, planning, communication, stimuli or physical accessibility. What support have you had before and what worked well?
   
• Write down your most important points: What do you want to discuss? What do you need? Write this down briefly and specifically so that you stay on point during the meeting.
• Know your rights and options: Check out the regulations within your educational institution: extra time for tests, supervision, tools or adjustments to the schedule.

Entering into the conversation: how do you come across well?

• Choose the right moment and the right person: Schedule an appointment with a teacher, mentor or student counsellor. You can tell your story better in a quiet setting.
• Explain what you need in a short and powerful way: Not everyone is familiar with your situation. Be clear: ‘I have difficulty in stimulating environments and work better in a quiet space. Is there a solution for this?’
   
• Be honest, but businesslike: You don't have to tell them everything. Focus on what is needed to study well and keep the conversation concrete.
• Actively ask for solutions: ‘What options are there for extra support?’ or ‘How can we solve this together?’

Make sure you are heard

• Check if you have been understood: Ask at the end: ‘Have I explained it correctly? What specific things can we agree on?’
• Make a follow-up appointment: Support can be adjusted if you notice that something is not working. Schedule a time to evaluate this.
• Don't keep walking around with doubts: if you feel you are not being heard, ask another counsellor or fellow sufferers for advice. You are not alone!

Sometimes you do not get the help you need, you are not taken seriously or you get bogged down in the bureaucracy of your educational institution. Below you will find an overview of the steps you can take if you do not get what you are entitled to.

Keep trying and look for other ways in

• Try another point of contact: if a counsellor or study supervisor is not helpful, find another person at your educational institution, such as a student counsellor, care coordinator, study advisor or confidential advisor.
• Ask about internal regulations: Many educational institutions have a policy regarding students with support needs. Ask explicitly about this. Submit an official complaint via the school's complaints procedure. This complaints procedure describes who you can submit a complaint to: the school management, the board or a complaints committee.

Written communication can help

If discussions do not yield results, put everything in writing:

• Send a clear e-mail explaining your situation and asking for a solution.
• Keep your e-mail short and to the point: describe what you need and refer to any rights or agreements.
• Ask for an official response and set a deadline by which you expect a response (for example, within 10 working days).

Check your rights: what is regulated by law?

As a student with a support need, you have rights. Some important things to know:

• Educational institutions have a duty of care to provide suitable education for students with a disability or support need (Equal Treatment on the Basis of a Disability or Chronic Illness Act - WGBH/CZ).
• Institutions must offer reasonable adjustments, such as extra time for tests, alternative forms of testing or flexible study routes.
• You are entitled to study advice and personalised guidance.
• Schools must adhere to the UN Disability Convention. This means that education must be accessible and inclusive.

If your institution does not meet these obligations, you can appeal.

Submit a complaint to the educational institution

If discussions do not yield results, you can submit an official complaint to the educational institution. The school's complaints procedure describes who you can submit a complaint to: the school management, the board or a complaints committee.

This can usually be done via:

• The complaints desk of your institution (check the website of your school or university for the procedure).
• The examination board, when it comes to matters such as testing or study progress.
• The ombudsman (some schools have an independent ombudsman who helps students with complaints).
• The participation council or student council/platform, which can advise you or raise your complaint with the board.

Does the school not have its own complaints committee? If not, it must be affiliated with a regional or national complaints committee. Check this in your school's procedure.

Involve an interest group

If the educational institution does not take your complaint seriously, you can seek external help:

• The College for Human Rights if you feel that you are being discriminated against or treated unequally because of your support needs. They will investigate whether discrimination has taken place and make a judgement.
• Student union LSVb for questions and complaints about accessibility and support.
• Interest groups in the region.
• Education Inspectorate for violation of rights or inaccessible procedures.
• National Complaints Committee in education.

Consider legal action

If you cannot resolve the issue with your educational institution, you can seek legal assistance via:

• A student legal advice centre will give you free legal advice.
• The Legal Advice Centre will give you free legal advice.
• If it is really necessary, you can consult a lawyer specialised in education law.

Subject: Request for appropriate support

Dear [name of teacher/student counsellor],

My name is [your name] and I am studying [programme] at [educational institution]. I need support and would like to discuss with you how I can successfully complete my studies.
I find that I [briefly describe your challenge, e.g. have difficulty with long lectures, need extra time for tests, have trouble filtering stimuli, etc.]. This sometimes makes it difficult for me to perform optimally.
To improve my academic success, I would like to make use of [name specific support, such as extra time for tests, written summaries, a quiet workplace, supervision]. I understand that there are arrangements within [name of institution], and I would like to discuss the options available to me.
Could I make an appointment with you to discuss this? I would like to know what times you are available.
Thank you in advance for your time and help.

Yours sincerely,
[your name]
[your student number]

Subject: Official complaint regarding the feasibility of my studies and support
To: [complaints office/examination board/ombuds officer]
Cc:

Date: [date]

Dear [name or ‘Dear Sir/Madam’],
I am hereby submitting an official complaint about the lack of appropriate support for my studies at [educational institution]. Despite previous conversations and requests, I am experiencing structural problems in the feasibility of my programme, which is hindering my academic success.
Situation:
I have [briefly describe your support needs] and I have indicated several times that I need [e.g. extra time for tests, clear instructions, flexible deadlines]. On [date(s)] I discussed this with [name of official/teacher], but insufficient action has been taken.
Consequences:
Due to the lack of appropriate support, I am experiencing serious obstacles to my studies, such as [describe impact, e.g. study delay, stress, unachievable deadlines]. This impedes my right to equal opportunities in education.
My request:
I request that you respond and propose a solution within [e.g. 10 working days]. I would like to see [a concrete solution, e.g. adjustments to testing, supervision, clear communication] arranged so that I can continue my studies without unnecessary obstacles.
If no satisfactory solution is found, I will consider further steps, including a complaint to the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights or legal support.
I look forward to your response.

Kind regards,
[your name]
[your student number]
[your contact details]

• Read here the tips that can help you for more study success.
• Have a look at the other facilities, accommodations or schemes that might be helpful for you, too.

• Read other people's experience stories here.
• Share your experience story too. With your experience story, you can give others, such as education professionals and fellow students, an insight into what goes well and what could be better when studying with a support need. An inspiration source with tips, hints and flops. Together with you, ECIO provides an experience story with impact.