Counseling for Students with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses
Our range of services are designed with all students at Freie Universität Berlin in mind, including Erasmus exchange students and doctoral candidates.
We specialize in counseling and advising on compensations for disadvantages, recommendations for making university life more accessible, returning to university after an extended illness, and support in applying for inclusion services at studierendenWERK BERLIN.
Our counseling service is one-on-one, tailored specifically to your needs, and confidential.
Katrin Fischer (left) und Anja Ahrens (right) standing beside a roll-up banner for advice and support services at the 2022 inFUtage
Image Credit: privat
Counseling sessions with our advisors Anja Ahrens (trained psychologist) and Katrin Fischer (team leader) are needs-based and solution-oriented. They can support you with any issues you may have related to studying with a health condition or disability. They focus on developing solutions and action plans tailored to your needs so that you can achieve your goals at Freie Universität Berlin. The consultations are strictly confidential. Simply get in touch with the team to arrange an appointment.
Below you can find useful information on the topic of compensations for disadvantages, tips for financing your studies, and going abroad to study when you have a disability.
Individual Arrangements – Sending an Application
Students and doctoral candidates who have health conditions related to a disability and/or chronic illness have a right to complete their degree programs and examinations with the requisite accommodations on the basis of equal opportunity. As stated in the Berlin Higher Education Act (Berliner Hochschulgesetz, BerlHG), by granting compensations for disadvantages, we hope to offset specific disadvantages related to chronic illnesses or disabilities so that students benefit from fair study and examination conditions. The student is expected to complete equivalent alternative assessments without any changes to the general learning outcomes that are expected of all students.
Below you will find answers to the most important questions on submitting a request for compensation for disadvantages.
If your university studies are made more difficult because of a health condition, then you can apply for certain accommodations to compensate for disadvantages. This does not mean that you are getting “preferential treatment” as these changes do not concern the content of your studies or quality standards. By applying for compensation for disadvantages, you may be able to avoid having to study beyond the standard time to degree.
Students who have a disability or chronic illness can apply for compensation for disadvantages according to Section 11 of the Framework Regulations for Degree Programs and Examinations.
This includes students who have chronic physical illnesses, mental illnesses, neurodevelopmental disorders such as dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), sensory disorders, and mobility issues.
This definition of disability is in line with Section 2 of the Book IX of the German Social Code German and Federal Act on Participation (Bundesteilhabegesetz). You do not have to have a severe disability to apply, but you will not be able to get compensation for disadvantages if you have an acute (short-term) illness that results in you being unable to take an examination. You can find further information under Legal Matters.
We can offer different types of accommodations to adapt study and examination conditions to your needs.
For example:
- Preferred admission to courses with limited capacity
- Adaptations to class scheduling and organization
- Adaptations to classroom/study space setup
- Adaptations to internship conditions
- You can be granted extra time to complete your degree, i.e., anyone can apply for extra time to complete their bachelor’s or master’s degree, or you can apply for a semester on leave or part-time study
- Use of individual technical aids or a personal assistant (request to be submitted via studierendenWERK BERLIN)
In the case of examinations (pursuant to Section 9 of the Framework Regulations for Degree Programs and Examinations):
- Changes to examination conditions, e.g., a separate room, providing a seat
- Changes to allocated time for certain purposes: changes to scheduling of examinations; extra time given to complete written examinations, term papers, and final theses, exercises, projects; allowing for one or more breaks
Compensations for disadvantages and accommodations can vary widely depending on the nature of your chronic illness or disability. We recommend arranging a consultation with us to determine which accommodations and study conditions are suitable for you.
In order to apply for compensation for disadvantages you are required to submit proof of your chronic illness or disability. This means that you will need an up-to-date medical certificate from a doctor or psychotherapist that describes the nature of your chronic illness or disability and suggests ways of compensating for disadvantages where possible. We recommend getting a statement from the Office for Students with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses that details suitable measures for improving your study conditions. You can book a consultation to discuss the best support options for you.
We recommend booking a consultation to discuss the best accommodations and support options for you in line with the regulations to compensate for disadvantages. Simply arrange an appointment with the Office for Students with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses, preferably by email.
You can submit your request to your examinations office. In most cases you can simply send them an email. Some departments provide templates for this purpose. The relevant examination board is responsible for approving requests. This is why you should submit your request well before your examinations are set to take place (approximately four to six weeks in advance).
Different regulations on the validity of this document are in place across the individual departments. Please look into whether you will need to submit a new request every semester and which documents you will need to provide.
Requests for degree programs leading to a state examination (such as law, veterinary medicine, and pharmacy) are to be submitted to the State Examination Office (Landesprüfungsamt). A medical certificate is usually required.
You can arrange a counseling session to clear up any other questions you may have. Together we can find a solution to best suit your needs.
If you are unable to study for a semester for health reasons, you should think about applying for a semester on leave. If you are unable to participate in a full-time study program for health reasons, then you can apply for part-time study. No further proof is required! However, there is no entitlement to a special part-time study curriculum.
Applications can be submitted to the Student Administration Office via the Self-Service Portal. You are not entitled to a BAföG grant in either of these cases. Instead you can look into whether you are eligible to apply for Arbeitslosengeld II (unemployment benefit II) or Grundsicherung (basic income benefits). Please inform yourself in good time.
Here is where you can find further information on support options for studying abroad, especially the current Erasmus+ program.