Promoting an individualised approach to teaching involves making adjustments, primarily to teaching methods and techniques, for a specific student with a disability without compromising established academic standards. Providing reasonable accommodations and compensatory measures is often mistakenly seen as lowering academic standards and the quality of teaching. Teachers are obliged to ensure that all their students achieve equal learning outcomes, not by exempting students with disabilities from certain activities, but by finding creative ways for students to meet the requirements of individual courses despite their difficulties.
To implement reasonable adjustments to teaching and examinations according to individual student needs, Academic Accommodations Counselling issues recommendations for individually adapted methods of taking exams and participating in teaching during studies. Adjustments to examination and teaching methods may include the use of special aids, adapted materials, extended time for exams, and similar forms of support, depending on the type of disability.
If you need advice on adapting classes or exams for a student with a disability, or if a student presents medical documentation and requests specific adaptations (such as replacing a written exam with an oral one, or extended time for completing the exam), please contact Academic Accommodations Counselling at prilagodbe@uniri.hr. In cooperation with experts from various fields, it can (1) issue recommendations for reasonable adaptations of classes or exams in accordance with the student’s disability and/or (2) organise an informative lecture or workshop for teachers on adaptation methods.
Below are two examples of class and exam adaptations, illustrating the difference between visible and invisible types of disability.
Example 1: Muscular Dystrophy
Students with muscular dystrophy use wheelchairs to move around, making it easier to identify their disability.
What can you do?
If you notice that a student with muscular dystrophy is in your class or course, you can contact Academic Accommodations Counselling, or encourage the student to do so, to determine the necessary adjustments. Academic Accommodations Counselling issues a recommendation for reasonable adjustment of classes or exams for each individual course, according to the specific needs of the student, at the request of the student and/or you, the teacher. The recommendation is sent to the teacher or head of the department and the coordinator for students with disabilities at the relevant unit. In addition to the recommendation, Academic Accommodations Counselling can also provide the student with other forms of support and assistance, such as providing an assistant to help with mobility and administrative procedures during study and in class, lending IT equipment, and more.
What can be useful for a student?
Students with disabilities have usually received certain adjustments during their primary and secondary education, but these do not automatically continue in higher education. By using the services of the Counselling Centre, a student can ensure the continuation of necessary adjustments, enabling them to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in line with their abilities and the defined learning outcomes of the course. It is easier for a student to take exams when adjustments are agreed in advance, which also avoids potentially uncomfortable situations where the student must request adjustments from each individual teacher.
What can be useful for a teacher?
Teachers will receive guidelines from the Counselling Centre for adjusting exams and classes according to the abilities and needs of the student concerned, which will resolve any uncertainty about whether fulfilling the student’s requests would violate the defined learning outcomes. At the Counselling Centre, you can obtain information about the impact of a specific health condition or disability on the study process, which can help you make decisions related to that student.
Example 2: Chronic Illness
How can you recognise a problem?
A student with a chronic illness may contact you due to specific needs related to attending classes or difficulties in meeting course requirements during treatment. Some students may need to stand or change their sitting position during lectures, while others, due to a deterioration in their health, may be unable to attend classes because of mandatory medical examinations, hospitalisation, and similar reasons. In addition to symptoms associated with the illness, issues such as drowsiness, insomnia, fatigue, dizziness, irritability, concentration and attention disorders, and motor disorders can also result from medication. All of the above demonstrates that a chronic illness can significantly affect a student’s ability to function in an academic environment.
What can you do?
If there is a person with a chronic illness in your study group, you can refer them to Academic Accommodations Counselling to determine the necessary support and types of reasonable adjustments according to the student’s individual needs.
What can be useful for the student?
Most students with chronic illnesses have received certain adjustments during their previous education, so they should be given the opportunity to share their experiences and express their needs for further adjustments. The guidelines issued by Academic Accommodations Counselling help reduce the inconvenience a student may experience due to individual requests for concessions or specific behaviours resulting from their health condition (for example, leaving the classroom during a lecture to administer insulin or eat).
What can be useful for the teacher?
With a recommendation from the Counselling Centre and information about the illness, you may be better prepared to respond appropriately if symptoms of illness or a deterioration in the student’s health occur during classes. You will also receive clear guidelines for adjusting classes and exams to the individual needs of the student, in accordance with the learning outcomes of the course.
References
- Fajdetić, A., Farnell, T., Jokić-Begić, N., Miholić, D., Pribanić, Lj., Sekušak-Galešev, S. (2012). Opće smjernice. Zagreb: Sveučilište u Zagrebu.
- Ćirić, J., Divjak, B., Doolan, K., Farnell, T. i Jedriško, D. (2013). Osiguravanje minimalnih standarda pristupačnosti visokog obrazovanja za studente s invaliditetom u Republici Hrvatskoj: prijedlog nacionalnog dokumenta. Dokument preuzet 20. srpnja na internetskoj stranici: http://www.unizg.hr/uredssi/images/datoteke/nacionalni_dokument.pdf
- Jokić-Begić, N., Jureša, V., Živčić-Bećirević, I., Čuržik, D., Drusany, D., Musil, V. (2015). Smjernice postupanja za studente sa psihičkim smetnjama i kroničnim bolestima u okviru akademskog okruženja. Zagreb: Sveučilište u Zagrebu.
Universal design in teaching
The concept of universal design is increasingly present in all areas of human life, including education. It is important to understand the positive effects of applying the principles of universal design to keep up with current developments and trends in the academic community.
Communication with people with hearing impairments
Sometimes, when communicating with a hearing-impaired person, we may wonder whether we will achieve mutually successful communication – that is, whether we will understand what the person wants to tell us and whether our message will be fully received. To achieve this, it is useful to follow some practical advice relating to the subjective and objective circumstances of communication with people with hearing impairments.
Guidelines for accommodation for students with dyslexia
Students who have a speech therapist’s report confirming dyslexia – a specific learning disability – are entitled to appropriate support, as are students with disabilities, while academic standards are maintained.