Possibilities for guidance and advice within educational institutions
Within an educational institution, the people who might be able to provide you with guidance are the student psychologist, the confidential adviser, the academic career counsellor, the student counsellor and the study adviser. Each educational institution has its own guidelines for this, and the designated person may have a different job title. It is therefore a good idea to check with your educational institution to find the right person for you to contact.
Accommodation schemes
Nationwide schemes
The Equal Treatment (Disability and Chronic Illness) Act (Wgbh/cz) requires educational institutions to make adjustments in response to all reasonable requests.
This means that an adjustment must actually help you. However, it must not involve disproportionate costs to the educational institution in terms of time or money. This Act also states that the educational institution must ensure equal treatment for all students, both with and without a disability.
Schemes provided by educational institutions
When you are a student with a disability or special need, educational institutions must do their best to make adjustments and provide extra support and guidance. Educational institutions do this in a variety of ways. With that in mind, it is best to start by contacting one of the people listed at the top of this page. You can also look up your educational institution on this website to find out who the designated point of contact is.
Have a look at the other facilities, accommodations or schemes that might be helpful for you, too.
Tips for guidance and advice within the educational institution
How can you learn more about the possibilities within your school?
- Ask your educational institution where you should turn to for guidance and advice about studying with a disability and/or special need. You can start by asking one of your lecturers, for instance, if you are not sure where to find help.
- Let them know you would like more information about studying with a disability and/or special need: there are many possible adjustments that might help you.
What other help can your educational institution offer?
When you have a disability or special need, you may encounter certain obstacles during your studies. There are a number of people who can help you. It is therefore always a good idea to seek out these individuals within your degree programme whenever you run into obstacles during your studies.
The best way to find out which accommodations are possible at your educational institution is to ask your study counsellor or study adviser. They can offer you advice and refer you to important people or possibilities for care both within and outside your educational institution.
Students who need extra support as a result of their disability can be paired with a fellow student (study buddy, student coach or buddy) at some institutions. Often this is a senior student from the same study programme, who is himself sometimes supported by a student psychologist in guiding the student. The buddy helps, for example, with finding his way around the institution or with making and executing a schedule. In addition, the student can ask his or her questions in an approachable way.
For more information and examples on student participation see https://ecio.nl/en/studentenparticipatie/.