General informations

Definition and examples

Mobility impairments are usually visible and therefore particularly present in social awareness. They include damage to the musculoskeletal system, such as paralysis, malformations, or loss of limbs, but also neurological, muscular, or joint-related disorders.

Mobility aids such as wheelchairs, walking aids, or prostheses are often used to compensate for such limitations in order to facilitate everyday life and participation in social life.

Mobility impairments can make everyday student life difficult in many ways. Therapeutic measures, such as regular physiotherapy, often take up a large part of the time available. Even if sensory perception is not impaired, limited mobility can make social interaction difficult—for example, by limiting the ability to turn toward conversation partners or actively participate in group work.

In addition, many activities require more time and energy, e.g., taking notes, writing papers, or taking exams. Travel times are also longer, as covering distances or obtaining and processing literature often involves increased effort.

An additional obstacle arises from the fact that barrier-free access is often only possible via longer or more complicated routes—for example, when wheelchair-accessible entrances are located at the end of the building or at the rear entrance.

What are the challenges of studying?

Students with limited mobility often face increased time expenditure in everyday university life, particularly due to:

  • Longer distances between university buildings
  • Steps, stairs, or inaccessible areas that require detours

This additional effort has an impact on various organizational and study-related aspects:

  • Meeting deadlines (e.g., for submissions or exams)
  • Time management, both in the long term when planning the semester and in the short term in the daily routine
  • Compulsory attendance, especially when travel distances are long or access to rooms is difficult

Räumliche Barrieren an der Universität

Neben dem erhöhten Zeitbedarf spielen bauliche und organisatorische Barrieren eine zentrale Rolle. Diese können u. a. auftreten durch:

  • Limited accessibility within university buildings, for example due to spontaneous technical defects (e.g., elevators)
    • Blocked accessible toilet facilities
    • Blocked accessible toilet facilities
    • Libraries or seminar rooms that are not accessible

The consequences of these barriers affect various areas of everyday student life:

  • Difficulties in attending classes, as rooms are not always easily accessible
  • Problems taking notes, for example due to unsuitable table heights or room design
  • Limited participation in field trips if transportation or event locations are not accessible
  • Access to accessible restrooms, which can be impaired by various circumstances:
    • Missing or misaligned toilets
    • Access requiring keys
    • Combined with baby changing rooms, which may block access
    • Longer distances to facilities
    • Need for assistants to access or use facilities

 

How can the university provide support?

To ensure barrier-free study, the following measures can be implemented for students with limited mobility:

  • Bereitstellung barrierefreier Räume (z. B. Raumtausch, reservierte Rollstuhlplätze)
  • Audio- oder Videoaufzeichnung der Lehrveranstaltung zur individuellen Nachbereitung
  • Nutzung von u:stream, sofern entsprechend ausgestattete Hörsäle verfügbar sind
  • Zugänglichmachung von Lern- und Lehrmaterialien, idealerweise digital und vorab
  • Möglichkeit einer Mitschriftenbörse oder Bereitstellung ergänzender Aufzeichnungen
  • Kompensation bei Anwesenheitspflicht, z. B. durch alternative Leistungsnachweise
  • Verlängerung von Abgabefristen für schriftliche Arbeiten oder Projekte
  • Ersatzleistungen im Rahmen abweichender Prüfungsformen, angepasst an die individuellen Bedürfnisse
  • Bevorzugte Platzvergabe im Anmeldesystem zur Gewährleistung der Teilnahme an geeigneten Lehrveranstaltungen
  • Provision of accessible rooms (e.g., room swaps, reserved wheelchair spaces)
  • Audio or video recording of the course for individual follow-up work
  • Making learning and teaching materials available, ideally in digital form and in advance
  • Compensation for compulsory attendance, e.g., through alternative performance assessments
  • Extension of deadlines for written work or projects
  • Alternative assessments in the form of different types of exams, adapted to individual needs
  • Preferential allocation of places in the registration system to ensure participation in suitable courses