An auditory or visual impairment

If you experience study difficulties due to hearing or visual problems, we will try to solve them together with you as best as we can. If you have hearing problems, this might involve studying with an interpreter, an adapted study plan or an adapted examination room. Visual problems include an adapted study plan, the use of reading software or an adapted exam.

• The University of Groningen (UG) always assesses requests for facilities on a case-by-case basis. Facilities you have previously received at another educational institution will therefore not automatically be granted. However, they can help you decide what kind of support is appropriate for you. You can discuss these insights with a study advisor or student counsellor.

• The facilities that are possible depend on your experienced obstacles, the available documentation, and possibly a meeting with the student counsellor. The board of examiners of your program will ultimately decide on the allocation. In doing so, it will take into account the program's learning outcomes and the practical feasibility of the facilities.

  Please note that educational and examination facilities at Dutch universities may differ from what you are used to in other countries. In some countries these facilities are more extensive, while in others they are comparable or more limited. These differences may result from variations in the role of universities in health care, public or private funding structures (including tuition fees), and how concepts such as reasonableness and feasibility are interpreted. We therefore advise you to take these differences into account. If you would like more information about the facilities available at the UG before your arrival, please contact us at ssc-info rug.nl. One of our student counsellors will be happy to advise you, taking your personal circumstances into consideration.

• Do your circumstances affect your studies and are you (potentially) falling behind? If so, please contact us in good time. The study advisor can help you come up with a realistic study plan or a possible reduction of the BSA standard. You may also be eligible for facilities and/or financial arrangements in the event of study delay. The student counsellors at the Student Service Center (SSC) can provide you with further information about this during your studies.

• Study advisors and student counsellors work according to a strict code of confidentiality. Information you share with them will never be shared with others (inside or outside the university) without your permission and will therefore not influence admission, selection, assessment, or other formal procedures.

Thomas studied at the UG with a visual impairment and went on to do a PhD in Sweden. He talks about his experiences in studying in this blog.

In the video below you'll get to know Laci, an international exchange student with special needs who talks about his experiences at the University of Groningen.

• The Student Service Centre (SSC) offers various courses and workshops to support your studies.

• On the website of the national Expertise Centre for Inclusive Education, you will find information on the various disabilities, study tips, the consequences for a course and possible adjustments.

• The Student Well-being Portal [UG computer account needed] provides an overview of all contact points, resources and initiatives in the area of student well-being. In the section 'Peer contact & support' you will find a number of target groups described, with a lot more information and tips that you might recognise yourself in.