Activities of handicap + studie directed especially at the students with disabilities themselves in The Netherlands

Introduction

handicap + studie (h+s) is the Dutch expert centre that works on Studying with disabilities in Higher Education in The Netherlands.

h+s works with:

·         students (with disabilities)

·         institutes of Higher Education, (these are universities and institutes for higher vocational education)

·         other stakeholders (like politicians, organizations of universities and similar institutes, organisations of people with disabilities etc.).

Some activities of h+s are aimed at other education levels, for example high schools. In the future h+s wants to work for all levels of the educational system in The Netherlands.

h+s has participated in a number of EU and international projects (see http://www.onderwijsenhandicap.nl/index.cfm?pid=309) gives some information about h+s in English)

The mission statement of h+s is:

more students with disabilities will have the opportunity to successfully follow the study of their own choice in higher education.

h+s is a small organization. It is funded by different organisations and employs about 15 persons (mostly part-time). Because it is independent of other Dutch organisations it can give objective advice without pressure.

Activities directed at students with disabilities

1. Organising a helpdesk for individual students with disabilities (who met hindrances)
2. Empowering students with disabilities (individuals and groups) to ask for what they need and stand up for their rights
3. Giving courses to these students on a variety of subjects
4. Talking with / asking students with disabilities about their experiences; this helps us maintain our expertise on the right level. For us, the students are the experts. .
5. Developing stronger clearer images of people (especially students) with disabilities This is an important way to change the attitudes of non-disabled people towards people with disabilities)
6. Informing students about their rights, about possibilities and about h+s

(Note: Hereafter we neglect all actions of h+s towards institutes of higher vocational education and all other stakeholders. In this paper we only discuss work with students, so all actions of h+s towards institutes of higher vocational education and all other stakeholders are neglected.

Helpdesk

The helpdesk of h+s works on basis of request. An individual student can ask questions, look for help or get advice about nearly everything about with studying with disabilities. The helpdesk can arrange mediation (encourage and facilitate the resolution of a disagreement) between students and counsellors, teachers and others in the institute of Higher Education. The student can also get legal advice.     

Note: The helpdesk ‘reacts’ to requests from students.  All the help and advice is custom-made (made exactly for the needs of the person who applies). 

The helpdesk can also answer questions from student counsellors or other persons at Higher Education Institutes (for example, how to provide services to   their students with disabilities).

Empowerment

When a disabled student is empowered, s/he can decide and act independently, in a responsible way, so that they get the same chances (during and after their studies) as all students. We offer the students possibilities to better understand and learn to control their own situation (especially about their study).  

Most empowerment activities take place in groups, such as courses on time management for students with energy problems, courses in applying for jobs or in dealing with dyslexia or autism etc.

A very important way to empower students is to (help) set up platforms or other organizations of students with disabilities themselves within the institutes. If institutes supported such platforms, this can be a very successful way to empowerment many students.

Research and consultation

Because h+s stands up for students with disabilities, we need to know very well what these students want and need.  The students themselves are the real experts, so from time to time h+s wants to hear their experiences.  So we organize

• surveys among the students.  The results of surveys can be very useful: They can convince the government  of the size and the nature of the problems
• consultation sessions and discussions. The annual congress brings together many stakeholders, including disabled students.
• a collection of mail addresses of students with disabilities who are willing to answer questionnaires (for instance if we need their opinion about a new policy).
• Case studies: when we get permission and anonymously, describing a real situation is a good way to explain how to look for solutions. 

Image building

To create a stronger image, a very important target group is ‘the environment’. We ask people in the environment to be constructive: 

• Talk to a disabled student about the barriers and disadvantages, rather than the disability
• Look for possibilities and opportunities instead of talking about impossibilities

Forget all answers like:

“I haven’t got time enough to do what you ask”,

“I don’t get enough money to do what you ask”,

“we cannot afford”,

“You ask impossible things” (and “this profession is impossible for you” instead of “Let us look to possibilities”),

“What is your disability?” instead of “What hindrance do you meet?”

“Accept your restrictions as well as your disability”

“Your situation? It’s pathetic, so sad!”
Information / communication

A main problem for h+s (from the early days, and still a bit now) is that h+s is not widely known; so many students with disabilities cannot take advantage of the services.

Reaching students with disabilities is a major problem. For instance students with some of the chronic diseases (like asthma), dyslexia or particular psychological disorders don’t recognise themselves as students with disabilities.

Others still don’t accept their disability at all.  Especially students who have just heard that they have a chronic disease like multiple sclerosis can feel angry or be in another stage of mourning about their disability.

So working on information is one of the biggest challenges of h+s:

• Our newsletter, “Anders/om”, is sent four times a year to all student counsellors at Dutch institutes of Higher Educaction. All students who give us their address also get “Anders/om”.
• The h+s website is visited by many people for a lot of (practical) information about studying with disabilities.
• Brochures (for students and counsellors); for example about autism, dyslexia, how to choose a course of study or an institute (what quality indicators can be used), how to be prepared before starting study, summaries of survey results,   etc.

Most recently the Dutch government gave three years’s funding to realise:

·             a large-scale information campaign on national level (students as well as teachers should be well informed about the problems and general solutions)

·             making and implementing plans within the institutions in order to support students with disabilities and develop solutions for practical problems, including plans for improving the communication with and information of the students (including hardware and software: Information and Communication Technology within the institutes)

·             further activities to deepen commitment in the institutions (starting with heads of colleges and through them commitment of teachers and even colleague students and of course peer students)

·             more training of these people (for instance on problems like choice of profession and professional education, intake, possible solutions for specific problems, transition from study to work (e.g. applying for jobs) etc.)

·             further research (results of all actions and measures, delay during study, drop out etc.).

Definitions:

- Students with disabilities: students who may face disadvantage/ hindrance because of a

   ‘functional restriction’: a physical or psychological functional disorder, chronic illness or

   dyslexia.)

- Hindrance: a block, a barrier

- Institute of Higher Education: a college or university that gives post-secondary education

- Stakeholder: A person or group who can affect or is affected by an action