Sharpening the awareness of barriers

Impairments

In the student survey conducted in Germany during the summer semester of 2021 (Studierendenbefragung in Deutschland aus dem Sommersemester 2021, BMBF), 24% of students reported having a health impairment. Around 16% of students said that at least one of their impairments had a negative impact on their studies.

Impairments can take different forms and may affect studying and learning.

Impairments of the motor function

Such conditions may include muscular dystrophy, tremors and spasms. In this context, potential barriers may include time-limited tasks or interface elements that cannot be operated. Depending on the specific impairment, special keyboards may also be required. Keyboards designed for people with muscular dystrophy, for example, feature adapted key fields that enable them to be used with minimal physical effort.

Visual Impairments

This can include blindness, low vision or colour blindness. As a significant proportion of information is conveyed visually, people with visual impairments encounter numerous barriers, such as insufficient contrast and poorly structured or formatted documents. People with visual impairments may use assistive technologies, such as screen magnification software or screen readers. However, for these technologies to be effective, documents must be designed to be accessible.

Specific Learning Disorders

A specific learning disorder occurs when the brain has not developed certain abilities, affecting performance in specific areas without impacting general intelligence. The most well-known examples are dyslexia, which causes difficulties with reading and writing, and dyscalculia, which causes difficulties with mathematics. Students with dyslexia may struggle with high reading and writing demands, a large number of foreign terms, and the expectation of error-free spelling — often without the necessary adjustments to support them.

Mental Health Conditions and Chronic Illnesses

A wide variety of conditions, including mental health issues and chronic illnesses, are known to impact academic performance. These conditions can impact perception, thinking, emotions, behaviour, the processing of experiences, and social interactions. For example, medication side effects may reduce concentration and hinder academic achievement.

It is important to note that not all impairments are immediately visible.