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Living conditions of students with disabilities at the ZHAW

The School of Applied Psychology commissioned the Diversity Unit to conduct a study on the living conditions of students with disabilities at the ZHAW. Despite an already high level of commitment, there remains a need for action.

As a student with visual impairment, do voice output in the lift and room labelling in braille help me find my way to the lecture room? Is the lift big enough for me as a student in a wheelchair? Questions like these shape the everyday lives of people with disabilities everywhere, including at the ZHAW. The Diversity Unit sought to gain a better understanding of the situation of these students, not least regarding the requirements of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. To this end, it commissioned the School of Applied Psychology to conduct a study on this matter.

Survey with 390 students

In 2017, 390 ZHAW students with disabilities or chronic diseases provided information about their situation in an online survey. The results show that the participants in the survey perceive the obstacles in their everyday study lives differently depending on their disability. For students with movement disabilities or visual impairments, these obstacles are primarily due to architectural factors. For students with mental disorders, other factors such as noise, light and the lack of quiet places can complicate their ability to study. "There is still a need for improvement to ensure that these students have equal opportunities," says Brian McGowan from the Diversity Unit. Nonetheless, the ZHAW has already been able to remove many architectural barriers in recent years and Facility Management has received appropriate training and works closely together with the Diversity Unit.

Three student profiles

The Diversity Unit embedded the results of the survey in a more comprehensive format and has published them as a booklet that offers an insight into part of the Diversity Unit's professional work. Topics such as barrier-free didactics and counselling services are discussed alongside possibilities on how to adapt examinations or group work to accommodate people with disabilities (concessions to compensate for disadvantages). Three student profiles illustrate the very different challenges and careers of people with disabilities at the ZHAW.