As a part of the follow-up on a political agreement on better conditions for pupils and students with disabilities, a work group has presented a report on the conditions for students with disabilities in higher education.

The purpose of the report is to clarify important conditions and frameworks with an impact on the equality between students with disabilities and their fellow students. This includes conditions that affect students with disabilities’ well-being and learning outcome. Furthermore, the report examines opportunities for support and compensation in order for students with disabilities to study on the same terms as students without disabilities.

Conditions for students with disabilities

Overall, the report compares the situation of students with disabilities and students without disabilities. In addition, the report focuses on two subgroups of disabilities: students with psychological disabilities and students with reading and writing difficulties. According to the work group, the share of students with disabilities has over a ten-year period increased from 3 to 11 per cent in 2020. Furthermore, the work group observes that students with disabilities encounter more difficulties compared to students without disabilities. Students with disabilities experience:

• Higher unemployment, higher dropout rates and longer average time of completion;
• Lower well-being and poorer affiliation;
• Lack of availability in their learning environment;
• More insecurity, difficulties, and worries at the commencement of their studies;
• An additional work load as a result of administrative barriers;
• Lack of flexibility regarding the administrative and legal framework;
• Insecurity and worries in relation to their economy.

In particular, the group of students with psychological disabilities differ as they experience higher unemployment and dropout rates, longer time of completion and lower well-being.

The work group’s initiatives

In light of these findings, the work group presents four central initiatives to improve the conditions for students with disabilities in higher education:

• Improved involvement of the group before and during the commencement of their education programme;
• Improved availability in the learning environment of teaching aids and audio visual equipment and accessible teaching resources in time;
• Regularly support during their education;
• Increased flexibility of the organization of a full-time education.

The work group substantiates each initiative with specific suggestions, which among others include a universal and tolerant design regarding commencement of study; an invitation for coming students to contact the higher education institution in relation to the planning of their education; support for the use of teaching aids and audio visual equipment; reducing the wait for special educational assistance (support scheme); and the opportunity to take courses in another way (e.g. evening classes and online classes).

More information (in Danish): Improved conditions for students with disabilities 

Source: Eurydice Unit Denmark