Here’s how you apply for reasonable accommodation.
First, you’ll need to check you’re eligible
and find out about the process, from an advisory service
or the Beauftragte für Studierende mit Behinderung at your university.
You are eligible to apply if
you – like me – have a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability
and it puts you at a disadvantage when it comes to exams or assessments.
But your condition or disability
can’t be related to the skills the exam is supposed to assess.
If you meet all these three conditions,
you have a right to adjustments in reasonable accommodations.
For example, my health condition means
I need to use the toilet more often than other students.
These toilet breaks aren’t counted towards the time allowed for me to complete an exam.
To get this adjustment, I made a written application.
Some universities have a form you can use.
When you make your application, it’s really important to explain exactly
what effect your condition or disability has on activities
you have to do during an exam or assessment,
such as sitting at a desk, seeing, or writing.
Make sure you list every type of exam or assessment you need adjustments for
and what adjustments you need for each one.
You should also say how long you will need them for.
In my case, I need more breaks in written exams
and a longer time to complete them,
and I need these until the end of my degree course.
The examination regulations for my degree say
I have to submit a medical certificate alongside my application as evidence.
Universities may also accept a written opinion from a psychotherapist
or other types of documents.
I made sure the examination office responsible for my course
received my application and the supporting evidence in plenty of time
before I started my exams.
So… If you want to find out more,
contact an advisory service
or the Beauftragte für Studierende mit Behinderung at your university.