Accessibility and disability
Here, you will find information for students, employees and interested people with disabilities. The information featured below can also be relevant to involved parties.
People with and without disabilities want to know what they can expect when they visit a university building. That is why the digital information on buildings has been renewed in 2019. This enables visitors to clearly see at a single glance for every building what it is like in terms of reachability, accessibility and facilities such as disabled parking and elevators.
UU wants to give everyone as much access as possible to university buildings and grounds. Diversity, accessibility and inclusivity are important themes that should be recognisable in the accommodations of Utrecht University.
In pre-existing buildings, the departments Corporate Real Estate & Campus and Facility Services are solving bottlenecks in consultation with users. This often succeeds, but especially the monumental buildings in the inner city can sometimes be quite a challenge. All newly constructed buildings of the university will meet the guidelines for accessibility.
Utrecht University wants everyone to feel welcome and to receive the necessary assistance to get the best out of themselves and the degree programmes. If you have a chronic illness or a physical or mental disability, you can apply for special provisions and supervision.
That is why there is the Studying without Limitations. This is a platform for and by students. The platform provides supervision and advice to students with disabilities. On their website, you will find information on what in do in case of matters such as study delays. It is possible to be assigned a buddy who helps you to orient within the university via the platform. In collaboration with Career Services, the Platform Unhindered Studying also provides job-application training to students and alumni with disabilities.
Platform Coordinator Richard Horenberg won the Diversity & Inclusion Award 2019 for his efforts. On 2 September 2019, the Platform Unhindered Studying won the Student Award for Exceptional Extracurricular Achievements. Do you have any questions on studying with disabilities? If you do, please send an email to the Platform Unhindered Studying: onbeperktstuderen@uu.nl.
Everyone in the Netherlands who can work but will not always succeed on the job market without support is covered under the Participation Act. This law is to ensure that more people find work, including people with disabilities. Those with demographic registrations are covered under the Participation Act. Before applying, you can see for yourself whether or not you are in the demographic register on Mijn UWV.
Utrecht University is working hard to carry out the Dutch Participation Act. By now, 120 people are employed at the university as part of the Participation Act. They work in a variety of positions; from archivists to web editors. Do you have a disability, but are you not covered under the Participation Act? If so, please contact your supervisor to arrange for provisions.
UU also regularly provides vacancies for participants. Please contact Participation Act Project Leader Marileen Reinders if you have any questions. There are various initiatives for participants within UU, such as cosy lunch meetings and work-related workshops. As an employee, you can find more information on working as part of the Participation Act on the intranet.
Rinske van Herwaarden and Myra-Lot Perrenet work within Utrecht University as inclusion correspondents. They do this in collaboration with the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Office. As inclusion correspondents, they focus on what it means to work or study with a disability.
By sharing stories, there will be more familiarity and openness on disabilities. This awareness is of essential importance for the development towards a more inclusive university. Some examples of Rinske and Myra-Lot's work are interviewing employees with disabilities and reporting on knowledge meetings about inclusion.
Employees with neurological or psychological disabilities can count on support from the University; you can see what that support entails on the UU intranet (employees only).
More information about assistance for employees.