Studying with sensory impairment

Studying with total or partial loss of function of vision and/or visual field requires extra effort, regardless of the cause of the loss of function. Each visual impairment has its own characteristics in which the environment cannot be seen and interpreted properly. As a student with visual impairment, you may encounter various obstacles that make studying, attending lectures, taking exams difficult.

With hearing impairments, you may have difficulty following and participating in spoken education. Depending on your individual circumstances, you may need support with: 

  • (online) lectures, group discussions, working in project groups, auditory learning materials
  • instruction on practicals and tests
  • presentations and oral tests

What can you do yourself?

Every student is different and has different support needs. It is important to explore the options and find what works for you. Discuss with a student counselor, your academic advisor or mentor in your program what support you need to study well with your sensory impairment and ask them about the possibilities available to you. Bear in mind that not everything is possible. 

Do you want to learn more about the difficulties that may come with sensory impairments or do you want to discover various tips? Check out this useful link about studying with a visual impairment or an auditory impairment.

Think about the deadlines!

What support is available at the TU/e?

If there are circumstances that affect your studies, you can contact the TU/e student guidance staff for guidance and facilities. They think along with you and can help you eliminate any obstacles as much as possible and prevent or limit study delays due to your circumstances as much as possible.

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Resources for you

VISUAL IMPAIRMENT

AUDITORY IMPAIRMENT

FREE

FREE

  • AVA - campus license upon request.  AVA is a real-time speech-to-text application to make it easier for the deaf and hard of hearing to communicate with hearing persons through subtitles. 

 

SUPPORT THROUGH HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANY, THUISZORGWINKEL, MUNICIPALITY AND UWV

  • Certain aids are reimbursed by your own health insurance company. 
  • Custom-made facilities (not medical assistance) for permanent use are provided from the municipality's WMO. 
  • Certain aids or facilities for training are provided by the UWV under certain conditions. 

SUPPORT THROUGH HEALTH INSURANCE, THUSIZORGWINKEL, MUNICIPALITY AND UWV 

  • Certain aids are reimbursed by your own health insurance company. 
  • Certain aids or facilities for training are provided by the UWV under certain conditions. 
  • Consult the hearing infotheque for more information and advice on the various aids. 

Information for teachers

Sensory impairments can take many forms and are often not visible. The impact the impairment has on the ability to study ranges from a minor inconvenience to being a huge challenge requiring courage and perseverance on the part of the student. Example: a student with a hearing impairment may be sufficiently helped with hearing aids. Others may need a sign language interpreter to be present at every lecture and meeting. Communicating with hearing people is difficult and group work may be almost impossible. Teaching staff can work together with the student, the academic advisor and the Examination Committee to facilitate a student's needs.

  • The website Hogeronderwijstoegankelijk.nl offers information on various impairments your students may face. The website has short texts on the specific characteristics of various impairments, as well as a list of the obstacles students with a specific impairments may face.  
  • Consider having a conversation with the student about their needs within your curriculum. Here are some pointers on how to respond to signals from a student. In addition, you can consult the student’s academic advisor. It is always a good idea to refer the student to the academic advisor for the disclosure of personal circumstances. If tutors support you in providing education, make agreements with them on how they can raise any concerns they may have about a student. 
  • Check if your online material is accessible for all your students. In Canvas, you can use Immersive Reader for that.