Individual adaptation

One or more employees at each faculty have been appointed as contact persons for students in need of individual adaptation. The student’s contact person acts as a liaison between the university’s various units and can assist with applications to the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Organisation (NAV) and other external agencies. Employees at UiT are subject to confidentiality requirements, so you can be confident that whatever you tell them will be treated confidentially.

Contacts for students with disabilities

For whom is individual adaptation relevant?

Individual adaptation is designed for students with a disability/special needs. This disability may be of a physical, psychological or cognitive nature. No requirements are stipulated with respect to permanence or degree of disability. However, it is a prerequisite that the disability is not only temporary.

The disabilities may be divided into the following categories:

• Impaired vision
• Impaired hearing
• Impaired mobility
• Specific reading and writing difficulties as well as dyscalculia
• Chronic illnesses (asthma, allergies, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, epilepsy etc.)
• Mental disorders
• Cognitive disabilities
• Social problems

What can I have adapted?

The purpose of individual adaptation is to compensate the disadvantages a disability causes the student while maintaining the academic requirements for the study.

You must be able to document that you have a disability that results in a need for adaptation. It is extremely important that such documentation outlines the disadvantages your disability creates in your daily student life and/or during an examination.

Providing appropriate individual adaptation relies on good collaboration between the faculty and you as a student. You have a shared responsibility to propose appropriate measures, and you should have an active dialogue with your faculty to clarify your needs and possible measures. It is important to contact your faculty as early as possible because it can take time to put the adaptation measures in place.

In your daily student life

No complete list detailing relevant adaptation measures exists, and any such measures must be assessed on a case by case basis. Examples of previously granted adaptation measures include:

• Individually adapted reading place and reservation of place in the lecture hall
• Adaptation of syllabus literature through the Norwegian Library of Talking Books and Braille and of compendia
• Remedial teaching
• Student assistant
• Recording of lectures as audio files, copies of the lecturer’s notes, presentations and the like

UiT The Arctic University of Norway is responsible for granting some of the adaptation measures, while in other cases the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Organisation (NAV) and/or your municipal council is responsible. Please clarify your needs with your contact person.

The Arctic Student Welfare Organisation can assist if you need adapted housing or a professional to talk with. For more information, please visit: www.samskipnaden.no/en.

During examinations

You may be granted individual adaptation during written examinations if you have a need owing to a disability, pregnancy or if Norwegian is not your first language. You need to apply in writing to the faculty responsible for holding the examination. Your application must be supported by a recent medical certificate/specialist’s declaration.

The deadline for applying for individual adaptation during a written examination is 1 September in the autumn semester and 1 February in the spring semester.

Specially adapted reading places for students

The Science and Health Library, Psychology and Law Library and the Culture and Social Sciences Library all have specially adapted reading places, including computers with magnification software and a scanner connected to speech synthesis. These places can provide support in conditions affecting study for students with visual impairment, dyslexia and the like.

UiT’s action plan for adaptation and accessibility 2017-2020

UiT’s Action plan for adaptation and accessibility 2017-2020 contains objectives and measures for adaptation. For a printed copy of the action plan, please contact the Department of Academic Affairs or the contact at the unit at which you study.

The Learning Environment Committee is responsible for monitoring the university’s follow-up of the action plan.