Disadvantage Compensations

The study and examination regulations for many degree programmes set out strict and binding requirements regarding the course of study, which can pose significant challenges for students with impairments, chronic or mental illnesses, as well as students with children or care responsibilities, when in examinations. To ensure that these students have fair opportunities in their studies and examinations, they have the option of claiming adjustments to compensate for disadvantages. These adjustments are intended to compensate for individual and situational disadvantages and do not constitute preferential treatment.

This insight provides an overview over the topic of disadvantage compensations for students. The aim is to provide you, as a member of teaching staff, with a clear understanding of who at the university is involved in this area, for which students disadvantage compensation is important, and also what may fall within your remit. Due to the complex, location-specific nature of the legal and organisational frameworks in the individual federal states and at the respective universities, only general guidance can be provided on certain aspects, or reference made to further sources of information.

Note: The content is taken from the project ‘SHUFFLE – Hochschulinitiative digitale Barrierefreiheit für Alle’ and has been adapted.