Accessible teaching | The PIL Unit
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Accessible teaching

The University of Gothenburg must be accessible and inclusive to all. The University has to take steps to enable everyone to study at GU on equal terms. Among other things, this means that the University is required to work to make its teaching accessible.

As a teacher, you encounter a diverse group of students with a range of different needs. We can look at functional capacity as a sliding scale – we all have varying functional capacities at different stages in life. Access that is not inclusive is a form of discrimination. This means that the University of Gothenburg needs to ensure that students with a functional impairment or disability are in a comparable situation to those without this disability. Students with permanent disabilities can apply for and be recommended/granted study support. This support is then summarised in what is termed a NAIS statement.

What is essential for one person is generally good for everyone – that is the fundamental idea of universal design. When we have a high level of accessibility generally and our University’s activities are inclusive, the need for individual adjustments is reduced.

The information below provides teaching staff with tips and inspiration on how your teaching can be made accessible to a diverse student group with individual needs. The material also contains examples of common adjustments/study support for students with disabilities. You as a teacher and your department need to make decisions on some study support, which is summarised in a student’s NAIS statement. For example, this could include approving an adjustment for exams or allowing a student to record lectures in audio format for their own use.

It’s a good idea to maintain a dialogue with the student; they often have suggestions for solutions based on their situation. In cases where a student is accompanied by an interpreter, address the student directly when communicating with him/her.

The material on this page will be updated as required. If you have any comments or requests concerning the content, you are welcome to contact pil@gu.se

Read more about study support for students with disabilities in the Administrative Handbook (in the Staff Portal)