Studying with a disability or chronic illness

The Disability Officer is happy to help you – entirely individually!

A disability, chronic illness or other impairment makes studying considerably more complicated. It can seem like everything needs more work, more effort and more commitment compared to other students who appear to be healthy.

Nevertheless there is no reason for a disability or chronic illness to stop you from graduating from your FH Vorarlberg studies successfully! Many obstacles can be overcome with timely preparation, the right aids and a few special arrangements. Our Disability Officer provides support to students with disabilities or chronic illnesses so that they can encounter the best possible overall conditions at FHV that enable successful study.

In which situations should you contact the Disability Officer?

If you are already studying at FH Vorarlberg or want to start studying soon and feel that your studies are or will be negatively affected by your disability or illness, you should contact the Disability Officer. She is your person to contact if you experience:

• Physical handicaps such as limited mobility
• Sensory handicaps such as limited sight/blindness or hearing loss
• Psychological handicaps such as depression or burnout
• Partial performance handicaps such as dyslexia or ADD
• Chronic illnesses such as allergies/asthma or other long-lasting illnesses

What services can you use?

• Advice when selecting the right course of study
• Negotiating special arrangements for admission if you cannot participate in the regular admission procedure or would be disadvantaged as a result of your disability or chronic illness
• Assistance and support during studies: this includes anything that helps assure your everyday studies are as unimpaired as possible, starting with the installation of your technological aids on campus through to negotiating special arrangements for examinations
• Further advice, e.g. about scholarships
• The team at the International Office can inform you about special grants for study abroad through the Erasmus+ programme

What is important?

A good start to your studies must be well prepared!

Therefore, inform the Disability Officer in good time about your disability or illness. This is the only way to ensure that you receive the support you need right from the start.

If you find it difficult to talk openly about your disability or chronic illness, you can also contact the Disability Officer anonymously to find out about the support available in your particular case. Anonymous telephone or mail consultation is available at any time! Your information will be treated confidentially.The most important special arrangements

Disabled students have the right to an alternative examination method if they cannot sit a regular examination due to their disability. For example, it is possible to take an oral examination instead of a written one if a student is unable to write by hand. More time can also be granted for assessment if need be. If you cannot attend an examination due to an illness, you must inform the programme administration about this immediately. It is important you do this so that the examination can be repeated later without you being penalised.

Having a disability or chronic illness requires a lot of energy and strength. It can often be impossible to keep up with the taxing pace set by other students. In these cases, studying part-time may be an attractive solution to adapt your academic progress to your own needs. Part-time study means that you consult with your head of programme to decide which classes you attend in one semester and which classes you will make up during another semester. However, this lengthens the duration of your study.

Contact person for students with disabilities

Personal details

The representative for students with disabilities or chronic illnesses is blind due to an incurable retinal disease. She studied industrial engineering at the University of Karlsruhe (TH) and knows from her own experience all the hurdles and stumbling blocks caused by a disability. Conversely, she also knows what takes out stress of everyday study life in the event of an impairment and what measures are helpful. For some time now, she has been teaching process and innovation management in various degree programs at the FHV.