Students

Students with and without health impairments should study equally successfully and participate fully in the rich development opportunities of a course of study.

However, in order for equal study to be realized, students with health impairments often need adapted conditions that enable them to study in a self-determined manner in their particular life situation.

Topics:

1. Examinations and compensation for disadvantages
2. Preferential dial-in procedure for courses
3. Reimbursement of the semester fee for the semester ticket
4. Services of the library
5. Services of the Studierendenwerk
6. Services of the ServiceCenter Lehre

7. Further information

In order to compensate for the additional difficulties caused by a health impairment, in particular also in preparing for and coping with examinations, affected students have the right to adapted examination conditions. This is to ensure that students with and without health impairments (or disabilities) can take exams on an equal footing, with the same chances of success.

Eligible students are:

• with prolonged physical or mental illnesses
• with disabilities
• with acute limitations, such as the consequences of an accident
• with chronic illnesses
• with other disabilities, such as dyslexia, dyscalculia or dyslexia
• in serious exceptional family stress situations - for example in connection with pregnancy and birth or the care of parents - Equality Office

What­nö­ti­do I need to do for my­n application­?

• Submit your request informally and / or using our form "Request for Exam Modification" well in advance of the service to be provided. Requests made after the fact cannot be considered.
• Attach a doctor's note to your request. For this purpose, submit our "Handreichung zur Erstellung eines Attestes" to your physician. The  certificate does not necessarily have to contain a diagnosis but the restrictions relevant to your studies. Your request must also be comprehensible for non-experts.

Briefly describe your underlying limitation and how it negatively affects taking the exam. Provide details of the form of compensation required.

The form of compensation must be appropriate to the impairment in question. Possible forms include:

• an extension of working hours and deadlines
• substitution of a written exam for an oral exam (or vice versa)
• individual examinations instead of group examinations or 
• homework as a substitute for certain examinations.

The compensation for disadvantages must not change the subject requirements or the level of an examination. The examination must be equivalent in subject matter: The examination modification may only compensate for a disadvantage, but may not provide an advantage.

­Where do I submit my­application­?

Submit your application to the respective examination office in your department. The examination board will decide on your application on the basis of the documents submitted.

Submit your application as early as possible, since in practice the adjustment of the examination conditions often involves some organizational effort (different examination room, additional supervision in case of time extension) and the decision on the application also takes time.

If possible, talk to the examining person at the beginning of the course, as for reasons of data protection the lecturers will not necessarily be informed of your request.

Where can I find advice and assistance with the application process?

Please feel free to contact either us, the Service Office for Studies and Disability, the Representative for Studies and Disability or the Student Advisory Service of your department at any time. The students of the ARbS (Autonomes Referat für barrierefreies Studieren - AStA-Kassel) will also be happy to support you with any questions you may have about studying with more difficult conditions and help you, for example, with filling out the application or creating an adapted timetable.

Especially students with health restrictions (disabilities), students with children or with family care responsibilities are often dependent on attending seminars at very specific times: After all, the special challenge they face alongside their studies demands additional organizational effort from them.

Details of the procedure

In order to support such students, the University of Kassel sometimes conducts a "preferential dial-in procedure" in some departments. Students can thereby - if certain requirements are met and proven - apply for a status that ensures that they will be assigned a place in the seminar of their choice.

For full details on the preferential dial-in procedure, the departments currently participating, and the required deadlines and forms, please refer to the information page of the Women's and Equal Opportunity Office (Family-Friendly University).

Please note:

Receiving a place in a course via the preferential dial-in procedure does not mean that you would automatically be eligible to take the associated exam(s). This may require additional conditions that continue to apply regardless of the dial-in process. In principle, the preferred dial-in procedure has no effect on whether or not you are allowed to take an exam at a particular time (note the order!). You should therefore ensure that you are entitled to take an exam in the desired course anyway and only then make use of the preferred dial-in.

As a student with a disability, you are entitled to a refund of the semester fee for the semester ticket by applying for a refund.

Link Information Semesterticket Upgrade Deutschlandticket:
www.uni-kassel.de/uni/studium/im-studium/studentische-selbstverwaltung/service-und-beratung/semesterticket/upgrade-semesterticket

Link Application for Upgrade Deutschlandticket at NVV for students:
https://abo.nvv.de/nvv/abo/new.aspx

Link General info page Semesterticket Uni Kassel:
https://www.uni-kassel.de/uni/studium/im-studium/studentische-selbstverwaltung/service-und-beratung/semesterticket

Service counter

Do you have questions or need assistance in obtaining literature? Please contact the service desk on the first floor of the library. You will find it right at the end of the short staircase leading from the main entrance of the library to the first floor.

A tactile map with Braille and large print for people with visual impairments is being planned and will be placed diagonally to the right behind the main entrance in the library's entrance area.

The barrier-free entrance to the library is located to the right of the main entrance and can be operated and opened with a lever handle (to the right in front of the barrier-free entrance).

Please note: The main entrance to the library is a revolving door.

If you have any suggestions or requests regarding barrier removal or other issues, please feel free to contact us or Ms. Britta Beecken-Hamann at: beecken[at]bibliothek.uni-kassel[dot]de

Literature conversion

The library offers students with visual impairments the opportunity to convert instructional materials into appropriate screen reader readable formats.

Contact:
Phone: +49 562 804 7715
literaturumsetzung[at]bibliothek.uni-kassel[dot]de
For more information, please look here: Literature conversion service for the visually impaired.

LfS-Room: Special workstation for blind and visually impaired students

The library has a specially equipped workstation for the blind that any visually impaired student can use.

Equipment:

• a screen reader from the company Reinecker
• an 80 Braille display from the Baum company
• a braille printer
• a scanner for scanning documents and books
• a reading lamp
• a high quality monitor
• Jaws and Zoomtext on the PC available there
• a braille typewriter and braille paper

Who can use this workstation?

All students with visual impairments are eligible to use it. All you need to do is to be introduced to the room and the equipment beforehand and to set up a personal account on the PC. Please contact Mr. Stephan Volkwein for this purpose. Now you can get the key for the LfS room at any time during the opening hours of the library in the main entrance area and work there in peace.

Contact LfS room:

E-mail: volkwein[at]bibliothek.uni-kassel[dot]de
Phone: +49 561 804 7181
For more information, please read the following link: Use LfS room

Accessible library introduction

Time: Always at the beginning of the winter semester
Location and meeting point: Campus library, Holländischer Platz, entrance hall.

Description:
In cooperation with the Service Office for Studies and Disabilities, the University Library offers the possibility of a library introduction for students with health restrictions and disabilities and for all those who would like an introduction with a little more time at the individual stations. The event gives the opportunity to get to know the campus library as the largest location of the UB Kassel under the aspect of accessibility. All students who are interested in the support services offered by the Campus Library can participate.

Contents:

• Literature search in the catalog portal KARLA
• Media search at the shelf
• Self-service devices for borrowing and returning items
• Advice at the service desk
• Support for visually impaired students etc.

Barrier-free library tour:

Always on the first Tuesday in November.

Britta Beecken-Hamann
Kassel University Library
Representation Department II: Use

E-Mail: beecken[at]bibliothek.uni-kassel[dot]de
Phone: +49 561 804 - 2142

Assistance needs can be requested by e-mail: info[at]bibliothek.uni-kassel[dot]de

Telephone interpreting service for the hard of hearing and deaf: Tess Relay Services (Sign & Script): Link

Counseling services

The Studierendenwerk offers counseling services (psychological counseling, social counseling, legal counseling, student finance counseling) and provides  with orientation and decision-making assistance in various life and study situations.

For more information, visit the Studierendenwerk website: https://www.studierendenwerk-kassel.de/de/beratung/sozialberatung/

Social Counseling (Concetta Mugavero and Mike Pillardy)

Main focus: Assistance with social benefits, international students, studying with children and students with chronic illness and disabilities...

Open office hours in attendance Monday 10am-12pm in the Campus Center, 3rd floor, room 3342 - Please pull a ticket at the ticket printer.

Phone consultation hours: Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 1-4 p.m.
Phone: +49 561 804-2564

Student Finance Advising:

https://www.studierendenwerk-kassel.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Dateien/Beratung_Studienfinanzierung/Flyer_Studienfinanzierung.pdf 

Counseling and support services for non-university students

In addition to our counseling services for students with disabilities and chronic illnesses, you will find further counseling and support services at the Studierendenwerk Kassel for all aspects of everyday life outside of university: These include, for example:

• Financial counseling
• Legal advice
• Social counseling
• Psychological counseling center
• Questions about housing and student residences

To contact us, please call the office at 49 561 804-2800 or visit the following site:
https://www.studierendenwerk-kassel.de/beratung/

Barrier-free living

The student dormitories of the Studierendenwerk have several barrier-free dormitory spaces.

• To apply for an accessible residence hall space, please contact: https://www.studierendenwerk-kassel.de/wohnen/
• You can also apply for a publicly subsidized barrier-free apartment in Kassel if you have a certificate of eligibility for housing from the city. All citizens with a low income can obtain such a Wohnberechtigungsschein. Further information on the Wohnberechtigungsschein:
  https://www.kassel.de/service/produkte/kassel/Bauverwaltungsamt/wohnberechtigungsschein.php
• Application for obtaining a Wohnberechtigungsschein:
  https://fms.stadt-kassel.de/jfs/findform?shortname=form000102&formtecid=3&areashortname=kassel
• Please also check if you are eligible to apply for housing allowance.
  More information on housing allowance:
  https://www.kassel.de/service/produkte/kassel/sozialamt/wohngeld-beantragen.php
• To apply for funds for a conversion or to purchase aids, please contact the EUTB (Ergänzende unabhängige Teilhabeberatung) of SLiN e. v. at: http://www.slin-ev.de/beratung.html

Special workstations

• In addition to the actual PC workstations, the E-Assessment Center (Henschelstraße 2) has two special workstations. The special workstations are located in the administration office of the E-Assessment Center.

Seat A (for visually impaired students) has:

• an extra large monitor
• a screen magnifier with integrated light
• a cold light reading lamp
• an 80 Braille display from the company Focus
• Jaws
• Magic

Seat B (for the hearing impaired) has

• a LA hearing loop

Both special workstations are on larger and electrically height-adjustable tables, so there is enough room for both work assistance and wheelchairs. Also, students with high needs for quiet and privacy can take advantage of these workstations.
In addition, there are two other workstations in the E-Assessment Center in the seclusion room with height-adjustable, wider tables that are also suitable for wheelchairs.
 
Recommendation:
If you would like to use one of these workstations, please contact the E-Assessment Center team well in advance. The e-mail address is eklausur[at]uni-kassel[dot]de
All special conditions due to a disadvantage compensation, also in case of a time extension, must be discussed and clarified in advance with the lecturer or the examination office, so that these can be taken into account when conducting the examination."

Further helpful information can be found on the page of the  E-Assessment Center.

Central media lending

Among other services, Central Media Lending provides students with a variety of resources for a short-term period.

You can borrow here

• an FM system for the hearing impaired (model: Williams sound DLT 100)
• an OHP of the company WolfVision Vz 8plus4 Visualizer (digital overhead projector
• a video camera
• In addition, there is the possibility of producing audio recordings or descriptions in the sound and editing room. For this purpose, this room must be booked in advance for a certain period of time. The recordings are not produced by the media lending service, but have to be done by yourself.

You will find the Central Media Lending on the first floor of the Service Center Teaching: (Room 0209)
Further helpful information can be found on the page of the Me­di­en­aus­lei­he.

Autonomous department for barrier-free studying. link

Accessible university sports

Rudren inclusive: https://www.rudern.de/pararudern

If you have any questions or are interested, please contact:

Simon Nowak

Email: simon-twin1[at]gmx[dot]net

Disabled Sports Community Kassel:

www.bsg-kassel.de/