Types of impairment and support options

Depression, autism, anxiety disorders, diabetes, epilepsy, Asperger's syndrome, rheumatism, dyslexia - people who live with them usually don't automatically see it. There are numerous disabilities and chronic diseases whose symptoms are not directly visible to others. These range from organ dysfunction to psychological stress. Symptoms such as exhaustion and fatigue, which affect very many chronically ill people, severely limit resilience and performance. Since the illness of students with a non-visible disability is not outwardly recognisable (at first glance) and thus does not exist for outsiders, they are exposed to enormous pressure to meet expectations and adapt. Teachers and fellow students assume that they can concentrate completely on their studies (without additional distractions such as illness or disability). This pressure often leads to excessive demands. It can be counteracted by coming out, but this is often accompanied by fear of stigmatisation and exclusion. The topic of "outing" is therefore very sensitive and always an individual decision in which the advantages and disadvantages should be weighed.

You can support students in this situation through the following measures:

• point out the confidential counselling services offered by the Service Centre for Students with Disabilities and encourage them to make use of the counselling services.
• allow time for therapy and doctor's appointments to be coordinated and attended.
• set clear and small-step target plans
• provide topics for papers and literature lists at an early stage.
• allow more time for research and literature acquisition.
• avoid time overruns in courses

Visual impairments occur as a result of an eye disease, as a concomitant of another disease (such as multiple sclerosis, migraine, head trauma, tumour disease) or as a side effect of medication. Students with impaired visual function often have difficulty recognising details, grasping large-scale blackboard images, are colour-blind, sensitive to light or need strong lighting. The amount of printed and visually processed study materials is also a major hurdle. The time required to convert books, texts, slides or blackboard images into a form that can be received is enormous.

Students with a visual impairment need different aids depending on the degree of impairment: software to transfer written and visual material into speech, computers with tactile writing (Braille), magnification devices, sound recordings, etc. They usually already have their own equipment. Usually they already have this technical equipment themselves.

They can support students in this situation through the following measures:

• make sure that corridors, offices and entrances are not blocked.
• make your documents (scripts, slides, etc.) available in advance so that affected students can follow the lecture on their laptops (with the help of software).
• write legibly, large and clearly
• discuss graphics and pictures, use digital systems as a substitute for the blackboard if possible (e.g. whiteboard). Speak every word you write out lou
• create accessible teaching materials in which structures and formatting make the documents easier to read (references here: PDF, PPT)
• use PCs with magnification software or screen readers for examinations (loan from IMT Media).
• create documents (e.g. exams) in Braille (service point can provide support here)

Hearing impairment can result from congenital deafness or acquired deafness. Deafness is spoken of when someone has never developed hearing. Accordingly, the acoustic language ability is also not or very little developed. The colloquial language is sign language, spoken language is learned like a foreign language. In the case of deafness, hearing loss occurs in the course of life. From this point on, the ability to articulate may also be limited. Another form of impairment is hearing loss, in which people perceive acoustic speech with difficulty, in a patchy and indistinct manner. Hearing aids can reduce this disability, but usually do not completely compensate for it. All hearing-impaired students depend on receiving written study materials, papers and literature lists very early in order to be able to prepare for the course. It is almost impossible for these students to follow a lecture and take notes themselves at the same time. Major problems also arise in seminar situations when not all participants are recognisable, so that contributions to the discussion cannot be understood or lip-read.

You can support students in this situation with the following measures:

• maintain eye contact, speak slowly and clearly
• speak with a visible "mouth picture" to enable lip reading
• do not stand with your back to the students, do not pace up and down
• provide study materials early
• use a microphone and technical aids, such as FM listening amplifiers
• summarise briefly and repeat what has been said.
• make sure that only one person speaks at a time during group discussions.
  • if necessary, arrange for a microphone and/or FM system to be passed around.
  • suitable seating arrangements would be a circle or square so that all participants have visual contact.
• use written and sign language interpreters as support (the Service Centre can arrange this).
• if sign language interpreters assist, they should also be provided with material in good time so that they can learn technical terms and scientific terminology.
• include subtitles and/or sign language in videos.

Students with a language impairment have often had the experience of being thought intellectually
have had the experience of being considered intellectually immature.
intellectually. Experiences of exclusion and ridicule are not uncommon. For fear of
For fear of being discriminated against again, they often avoid speaking out as much as possible.
Stuttering is probably the best-known form of speech impairment. But also
after an accident, after tumour diseases, with hearing impairment, with muscular dystrophy
muscular dystrophy or other impairments can result in speech, voice and
occur.

You can support students in this situation by taking the following measures:

• avoid the impression of impatience and time pressure, let students speak out.
• do not interrupt students and do not complete words and sentences
• do not give well-intentioned advice such as "Take a deep breath" or "Why don't you start again from the beginning?
• speak as you always do, at your own pace.
• maintain normal eye contact during a speech
• allow papers to be read or, in the case of group work, allow only one person to present the results. If this is an examination performance, a disadvantage compensation may have to be applied for

Dyslexia and dyscalculia are learning impairments that can be attributed to neurobiological brain dysfunctions.
brain dysfunction. They have no connection with the intellectual performance of the affected students. Students with partial performance disorders, however, have often had the experience of being considered "stupid" or "lazy".

In the case of dyslexia, the so-called reading and writing disability, there is a disorder of auditory and visual perception. This means that both phonetic and written language elements are not differentiated, anchored in memory and reproduced.
and reproduced. This can lead to problems in reading: reading speed is slow, words are misspelled or
words are misspelled or mixed up, sentences are misspelled, or the independent structuring of
structuring of texts is difficult or even impossible.

In the case of dyscalculia, the so-called arithmetic impairment, the disorder affects the perception, storage and reproduction of arithmetic operations. This can lead to mathematical processes being understood but not reproduced in writing.

You can support students in this situation by taking the following measures:

• make your documents (scripts, slides, etc.) available at an early stage so that affected students can prepare in good time.
• make sure that presentations are clear and have a high-contrast typeface.
• write down important information and new technical terms in a clearly legible font.
• encourage students to get proofreading help from fellow teachers or to use spelling programmes.
   

People with a physical disability are often limited in their mobility. Some of those affected are permanently dependent on the use of a wheelchair, others use walking aids, prostheses or other aids or try to master their everyday study life without any technical aids at all.
Structural barriers are a major challenge for these students: missing door openers, defective lifts, long distances between venues, wildly parked bicycles, blocked corridors or a lack of wheelchair-accessible disabled toilets are just a few examples of why some courses can be attended late or not at all.
As a rule, there are motor impairments that make it difficult or impossible for these students to take the necessary notes in lectures. In this case, various modifications regarding an extension of the writing time, etc., can eliminate the deficits.

You can support students in this situation by taking the following measures:

• book accessible and barrier-free lecture and seminar rooms (information from the Central Room Allocation Office).
• provide height-adjustable tables and seating.
• announce the necessary literature and paper topics in good time, as procuring literature can be
• procuring literature can be time-consuming
• make your documents (scripts, slides, etc.) available in advance so that students who are affected do not necessarily have to take notes.