Supporting students with special needs
Students with special needs are students of the University of Tartu, whose physical or psycho-social special needs create the necessity to adapt the organisation of work or study environment in order to guarantee an opportunity for maximum participation in the study process and individual development.
Guidebook on how to support special needs students
The counselling center has put together a guidebook on how to support special needs students. The goal is to give the teaching staff information on different special needs, and recommendations on which adjustments can be offered and when to offer them.
Support services
The objective of providing support services is to help students with special needs to cope independently, support their social integration and equal opportunities and promote efficient involvement in studies. University of Tartu supports students with special needs upon entering the university, participating in studies, making exams and tests, providing study materials as well as creating a suitable social and physical environment.
- Students can make an appointment with the special needs adviser
- The University of Tartu Library offers home service for members with special needs. UT Library has audio files of literature for students with visual disabilities. For partially sighted persons, the library also has a video magnifier MLX Reader – MLX Split, which can enlarge the text up to 46 times.
- For visually impaired and blind students and also for those students who experience writing or typing difficulties due to coordination disorder, it is possible to lend speech recognition device which can be used for converting speech to text.
- There are rooms adjusted for persons with reduced mobility in the dormitory of the Student Village located at Raatuse 22.
- Support students are volunteer students who are willing to support other students with special needs. If you want to become a support student please contact Special Needs Adviser.
Any staff member, who needs advice on how to support special needs students, can contact the special needs adviser
Maris Gertz
Special Needs Adviser (EST, ENG)
UT Library, W. Struve 1–450
maris.gertz@ut.ee
+372 737 6393
Mon-Thu
Sille Sepmann
Special Needs Adviser (EST, ENG)
+372 5356 2256
sille.sepmann@ut.ee
UT Library, W. Struve 1–450
Tue
(other days upon agreement)
If there is a need for a longer counselling session, an appointment can be made through the booking system.
What to consider, when there is a special needs student in the classroom?
The European Union Social fund along with Primus, supported six small films on special needs students (the films are in Estonian)
Special needs student: aspergers
Special needs student: visually impaired
Special needs student: chronic illness
Special needs student: hearing impaired
Special needs student: physically impaired
Special needs student: mental illness
Nomination for teaching staff of the year award
