Practical matters studying with a disability

Facilities on campus

• Facilities on campus

  Because of your disability and/or chronic illness, you may need certain facilities on campus. Here you will find an overview of the facilities that are offered at the VU. If you want to make use of this, or need something else, please discuss this with your academic advisor. 

• Facilities during exams

  There is a variety of different facilities available during exams, for example extra time, low-impulse environment or the use of a laptop. Contact your academic advisor to apply for these facilities. At VU.nl you can find more information on the possibilities and rules regarding facilities during exams. 

• Lockers

  You can store small aids and textbooks in a personal locker. Contact your academic advisor if you wish to be assigned a locker. 

• Parking

  Parking passes are supplied through Parkeerbedrijf VU/VUmc. There are a few parking spaces on campus available for students. You can only get a parking pass if you already have a nationally valid parking pass. 

  You can apply for a parking card using the Request for a parking pass for VU Amsterdam students with a disability (in Dutch). 

  Don't you have a national or European disability card? Please make an appointment with Mariëlle Rozemond at 020-5989010 or m.h.rozemond@vu.nl from the ARBO service to have your eligibility for the pass determined. 

• Facilities in lecture hall

  Do you need adapted furniture in an education room, for example because you use a wheelchair or special chair or because of another limitation? Contact your academic advisor to discuss the necessary adjustments in lecture halls. 

• Adapted toilets

  You can find a list of adapted toilets in the various VU buildings here.

• Quiet rooms

  If you are in need of a break during the day due to your disability you can use one of the rest rooms. You can reserve the space for a maximum of one hour at a time. Find more information here. There are quiet rooms especially reserved for students with a disability or chronic illness, for these quiet rooms you need to request access through your academic advisor. 

• Access lifts and buildings

  You can apply for an access pass for disabled entrances and elevators. Please contact your academic advisor. 
  Is your VU card unusable or have you lost it? Arrange the replacement directly yourself via the Security Desk in HG-KC04. Within fifteen minutes you will have a replacement card with the same rights as you had. Your old pass will no longer work from that moment on. 

• Storage

  Due to your disability, you can use a storage space for larger aids. Please contact your academic advisor. 

• Other facilities

  Do you need a facility in connection with your disability that is not listed on this page? Then contact your academic advisor to discuss the options. 

• How do I apply for a facility?

  Is a facility suitable and necessary for you? Then you can request this via the academic advisors. Below you can see the step-by-step plan.

  Step 1: If you did not register your disability during your application, please do so via the Disability service page. Indicate which facility you are requesting and make sure that you upload a recent medical statement issued by a BIG-accredited care provider. In case of autism, ADHD or dyslexia, the Examination Board needs a report in which the diagnosis has been made by an authorized care provider.

  Step 2: Send an email to the academic advisors in which you explain why the facility is suitable and necessary. The Examination Board decides and sends you their decision.

  Please note: make sure you submit your application no later than three weeks before the start of the exam period (this applies to both steps). If an exam falls outside the regular exam period, we must receive your application no later than three weeks before the date of the exam.

• My request for a facility has been rejected and I disagree. Is there anything else I can do?

  If a facility is not granted and you think you are entitled to it, you can lodge an objection with the examination board or, if necessary, the Examination Appeals Board (CBE) if it concerns an examination facility or the faculty board if it concerns a teaching facility.  

• I have hearing problems, what facilities are available to me?

  A number of lecture halls are equipped with audio induction loops; a list of these can be found at the top of this page. In some cases, lectures can be recorded. If this is not possible, there might be another solution. Contact your academic advisor to discuss the possibilities. 

• As a prospective student, how can I request extra time for the history test, the pre-master's assessment or the language test?

  These tests are administered by organisations other than the VU; to make use of extra time or other facilities during the pre-master's assessment, the history test or the language test (TOEFL or Dutch Language Test), you must also submit the medical declaration separately via e-mail, this is indicated in your invitation. 

• What should I do in case of an emergency or evacuation?

  A list of emergency phone numbers can be found here. For circumstances in which it is necessary to evacuate a location, there is a specific protocol for people with a disability. It can be found at the top of this page.

• I am organizing an event or function. What should I do to increase accessibility?

  A useful checklist for anyone organizing an event at VU can be found here.

Financial arrangements

• Student Support Regulation

  If you experience a delay in your studies, you can receive financial support for your studies from the Student Support Regulation. Contact your academic advisor  if you experience study delays due to personal circumstances.

• Arrangements through DUO

  Sometimes it is not possible to graduate on time due to special circumstances, or you even have to stop studying completely. In some situations you can make a financial arrangement through DUO. More information can be found on the DUO website. The student counsellor and DUO will assess whether you meet the conditions. Therefore, please contact the student counsellor. 

  Also view the flyer of the Expertise Center for Disability + Study for information about finances and studying with a disability: informatie over financiën en studeren met een beperking (in Dutch). 

• Individual study allowance through the municipality

  For students with a medical disability, it is not always possible to work in addition to the time commitment involved in their studies. if you are unable to earn additional income alongside your studies due to a medical disability, you can apply for an individual study allowance from the municipality. You can find more information on the website of the national government. 

• Postponement of BSA

  If your studies are delayed in your first year, you can request a postponement of your Binding Recommendation on Continuation of Studies (BSA) before the end of the academic year. To do so, you can discuss your personal circumstances with the study advisor. 

Registration

• How should I let the VU know that I have a disability and/or chronic illness?

  During the application procedure, you will be given the opportunity to indicate whether you have a disability or chronic illness. You can also indicate which disability or chronic illness you have and which facilities, if any, could be granted. If you are not sure whether you want to provide this information (yet) you can choose to skip it. You can then register it in your file during your studies and request facilities in consultation with you academic advisor. You are never obliged to register your disability or chronic illness, however, you need this registration if you apply for facilities.  

• During the application procedure I did not register my disability and/or chronic illness, can I still do so?

  Yes, you can still do so. You can register your disability and/or chronic illness through the link at the top of this page. 

• What will be done with the registration of my disability and/or chronic illness?

  Your registration will appear in your student file. Only academic advisors, student deans and yourself can access this. The registration is used for granting of facilities.  

• Who can see the registration of my disability and/or chronic illness?

  Your data will be registered in the information system of VU Amsterdam. The information about your functional disability is very confidential, so we handle it very carefully. That is why only a limited number of VU employees have access to specific information about disabilities. 

• Will my disability and/or chronic illness registration be mentioned on my diploma?

  No, the disability and/or chronic illness registration will not be mentioned on your diploma.

• What does a medical declaration have to comply with?

  The medical declaration is valid when the diagnosis has been established by a BIG registered remedial educationalist, GZ-psychologist, specialist, doctor, physiotherapist, or occupational therapist. The BIG registration guarantees that an objective assessment of the disability and associated impediments or complaints has taken place. 

• What does a medical certificate have to comply with if I have dyslexia?

  In the case of dyslexia, the medical certificate must meet the requirements of the Stichting Dyslexie Nederland, the BIG registration is therefore also the criterion for the dyslexia declaration. If, in addition to extra time, other facilities are involved, it is usually checked to what extent these are mentioned in the declaration.  

• How long is my medical declaration valid?

  In the case of a structural/genuine functional impairment, no period of validity applies (e.g. dyslexia, chronic illness, ad(h)d, autism). In case of a temporary disability (such as fractures, limb surgery, anxiety disorder, temporary illness, such as Lyme disease or Pfeiffer), the period of validity of the facilities is determined in consultation. 

• What should I do if my doctor refuses to issue the (correct) medical certificate?

  Without a medical certificate, it is not possible to grant facilities. If the declaration does not specifically state how the disability affects studying - doctors do not always want to indicate this - a solution can be sought in consultation with the academic advisor. The student can also request the doctor to grant access to their own medical file. The doctor is obliged to provide this. 

• I have uploaded my medical statement but I did not receive any feedback yet.

  Please contact your academic advisor to see what went wrong. 

• My medical situation has worsened, what should I do?

  If your medical situation has worsened, you can contact the academic advisor. In consultation with you, they will examine whether adjustments to your current facilities are possible. Please also inform the academic advisors if you need additional facilities, or if you no longer need a facility. The academic advisor will also refer to the dean, doctor or psychologist if necessary. 

• Where can I upload/send my medical declaration?

  You can upload a medical statement directly at the top of this page. If you do not receive a confirmation of this, it is wise to check with the academic advisor whether your declaration has arrived. 

• An error occurs when I try to upload my medical declaration on VU.nl.

  The declaration can also be e-mailed (in PDF or Word) to the academic advisors' mailbox. If you e-mail a screenshot of the error message to IT via the IT Service Portal, they can fix the problem.  

• How do I register my disability and/or chronic illness as a secondary subject student?

  Your disability and/or chronic illness is not automatically passed on from other universities. You can register your disability at the top of this page. If you have questions about certain facilities, please contact the study advisor of the faculty where you are taking the minor. If you do not know which faculty your course falls under, consult the study guide. 

More information about studying with a functional disability