English

about handicap + studie
what does h + s do?
the Dutch education system
studying with disabilities in the Netherlands
links
publications
Babel fish
history
staff h + s

About handicap + studie (handicap + study)
handicap + studie, the Dutch expert centre for studying with disabilities, stimulates the participation of students with disabilities in higher education. The mission of handicap + studie is to allow students with a handicap to successfully participate in the higher education of their choice.

What does handicap + studie do
handicap + studie maintains direct contact with students and groups of students with restrictions. handicap + study identifies what is important to them and translates their questions into opportunities at institutions of higher education. In this way handicap + studie strives for mentality change. Therefore handicap + studie develops instruments for both students and educational institutions to pro-actively solve existing problems. As a consequence, handicap + studie has wide ranging expertise and broad experience on the forefront of education and handicap.

handicap + studie is a service and information point for educational institutions. We answer requests for support and offer professional development. The supporting activities aim at the polytechnical colleges (united in the 'HBO-council', ), the universities (united in the association of cooperating Dutch universities, VSNU) and the non-governmental institutions for higher education (partly united in PAEPON). Finally, we aim at, directly or indirectly, to all students with disabilities.

Organizations which work on the forefront of education and handicap, may expect handicap + studie to actively approach them, as a consequence of our policy of broad recognition. Moreover we strive for a multi-faceted approach and in our work we want to be dynamic and colourful.

For our work we are financed by:

• The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, for activities aimed at higher education (82% of the exploitation costs),
• Own funds and fund recruitment, for the other educational sectors
  (18% of the exploitation costs),
• Earmarked budgets from external funds, for the realization of specific projects.

The Dutch Education System
Higher education
The bachelor master-structure was officially introduced in the Dutch education system in the academic year 2002-2003. This is a internationally recognised diploma. The bachelor-diploma is obtained first before the optional masters diploma is attained.

In The Netherlands there is a difference in orientation between the polytechnic colleges (‘hogescholen’ or ‘HBO’), which offer a more practical professional education and the universities ('WO') which offer a more theoretical scientific education.

‘Hogescholen’/‘HBO’
These institutions for higher professional education aim at a theoretical and practical preparation for the professional practice. HBO-students are expected to acquire work experience during their studies (training period approx. 6 months). Students graduate by doing a graduate project or writing a thesis.

An HBO-bachelor can be done in four years. Afterwards, a student has access, in principle, to a master's course at a college or a university. Colleges and universities are free to determine their own admission requirements.
An HBO-master's diploma can be gained in approximately two years, depending on the field of study in question.

Universities (‘WO’)
Scientific education is aimed at scientific knowledge and in some cases on the application of this knowledge to a certain profession. Students do research and/or write a thesis in order to graduate.

A WO-bachelor takes three years. Afterwards a student has access, in principle, to a master's course at a college or a university. Colleges and universities are free to determine their own admission requirements. A WO-master's diploma can be attained in at least three years, depending on the degree programme chosen.

Studying with disabilities in The Netherlands
Two important laws governing Higher Education in The Netherlands are:

• The law on higher education and research (‘Wet op het hoger onderwijs’, WHW).
• The law on study grants and loans (‘Wet op de studiefinanciering’)

In these rather general laws some specific arrangements are made for students with disabilities. For example, a student with disabilities may require extra time to complete her/his studies. In such cases, the law dictates that an extra year (over the normal four years) of study financing is made available.
Furthermore, there are two specific laws that are relevant to students with a disability. These are: 

• The law on equal treatment - handicap and chronic illness (‘Wet gelijke behandeling handicap en chronische ziekte’, WGBHCz),
• The law on (re)integration of disabled people (‘Wet Rea’),
• The law on incapacity to work for young people (‘Wet arbeidsongeschiktheid jongehandicapten’, Wajong).

Discrimination of people with a handicap or a chronic illness in higher education is prohibited in The Netherlands. This is regulated in the Law on equal treatment – handicap and chronic illness (December 2003). Institutions of higher education are required to offer an education which is accessible to all students, including students with a handicap. If a student finds the arrangements made by the institution she/he is studying at lacking, she/he has the right to submit a complaint to the Commission for Equal Treatment, upon which the commission will pass a verdict. If a student remains unsatisfied, she/he can go to court.

The law (re)integration of disabled (Wet Rea) regulates the provisions a student may need in order to study (e.g. sign language interpreter, transport compensation). In some cases the Law on incapacity to work for young people can provide the student with financial support.

Links to other websites
https://equal.cec.eu.int/equal/jsp/index.jsp?lang=en
EQUAL project: Look at possibilities (in higher education for students with disabilities)
The project is financed by the European Union (ESF-EQUAL programme). handicap + studie is the applicant and 4 ‘hogescholen’ are partners in the project (Christelijke Hogeschool Windesheim, Hogeschool INHOLLAND, Fontys Hogescholen en Saxion Hogescholen).

The aim of the project is to prevent students with a restriction from dropping out in the first years of their studies. The project is comprised of two parts. In the first part research is carried out to find out about the causes of the high drop out rates for students with disabilities, and in the second part a number of pilot projects are formulated. In each pilot project an innovative solution to the problem is formulated and tested in practice.

www.heagnet.org
The HEAG database is a guide to accessibility services in institutes of higher education across Europe.
This database provides a guide with information regarding disability support services in seventeen European countries, which may help students and their teachers make decisions about possibilities for study programmes and exchange activities.

www.european-agency.org
The European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education is an independent, self-governing organisation maintained by the ministries of education in 24 European states and supported by the European institutions (commission and parliament). Hungary, Malta, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia participate as observers.

The European Agency website provides comparative information about special education in the participating countries, as well country-specific in-depth information and contact details.

Publications
Autism (English version):  reader for students, teachers and counsellors, contains a lot of interesting information.

Babelfish
For those that would like to read more about handicap+studie: the Dutch website can be translated to English, for which we recommend AltaVista Babel Fish. This translation will obviously be far from perfect but we hope the essence will not be lost. To help users to understand the translated text, here is a list of key words.

College volgen - To attend lectures
‘English: colleges’ - Institutions for higher professional education
Convenant - Agreement
Discussie onderwerpen - Discussion Topics
Docent - Teacher
Energie-tekort - Energy shortage
Schrijfpauze - To take a break during writing
Studentendecaan - Counsellor
Studie-activiteiten - Study activities
(toon) studietips - (Show) study tips
Zoek - Search

History
handicap + studie traces its roots back to the Dutch Students Sanatorium (‘Nederlands Studenten Sanatorium’; NSS) which was set up for the treatment of students with tuberculosis. Some years after the establishment of the sanatorium, its tasks were extended to encompass the aid of people with a physical handicap. The Education, worship and entertainment department of the sanatorium (‘Onderwijs, eredienst en ontspanning’) is the direct predecessor of handicap + studie.

The sanatorium was closed in 1965, upon which the foundation handicap + studie NSS moved to an office in Utrecht. The foundation offered study guidance, mediation for acquirement of funds, equipment and housing for students with a physical handicap.
handicap + studie became an expert centre for education and handicap in 1996. Aside from individual recommendations to (prospective) students and student counsellors, handicap + studie gives a high priority to policy activities of a structural kind.

handicap + studie office staff
Would you like to know more about us?

Helpdesk
For questions concerning regulations or facilities, contact our helpdesk, from 9.00 – 12.30 hours, call + 31 (0) 30 – 275 33 00 or e-mail helpdesk@handicap-studie.nl

Quality policy lex.jansen@handicap-studie.nl

Assistance to Institutes of Higher Education and professional development lex.jansen@handicap-studie.nl

Communication / information department
door.schokkenbroek@handicap-studie.nl
jeanet.nijeboer@handicap-studie.nl

Student empowerment leonard.roubos@handicap-studie.nl

Image building judith.jansen@handicap-studie.nl

Projects liesbeth.geling@handicap-studie.nl