Disabilities and special needs

If you have a disability or special needs you may apply for special arrangement for your studies, teaching material and assessments/exams.

How and when to apply for special arrangements
If you have disabilities that need individual facilitation during your study period, please apply via the application form below. Documentation from a doctor, specialist or other experts must be presented.
The purpose of the accommodation is to compensate for the disadvantages caused by your disability, while at the same time ensuring, to the greatest extent possible, that all candidates are tested equally.
Please let ut know should you have any problems with the form.
You are always welcome to contact us should you have any questions regarding special arrangements - email the disability and special needs office
Remember:
- Your application must be sent within the deadline (see below).
- You can submit documentation from a medical expert or doctor within two (2) weeks of the application date, please send to to post@nmbu.no. See requirements for documentation further down.
- After the deadline, only in the case of acute illness/injury arrangements can be granted for the next exam period.
- Allergy - if you become ill from an allergy, this is not initially considered an acute condition and you must apply for accommodation by the application deadline for the semester.
Application form
Please contact us should you have any questions regarding special arrangements or want to apply. Send an e-mail to the disability and special needs office
Application form for special arrangements
Deadline
- August block - as soon as possible after semester start and no later than two weeks prior to the exam date.
- 1 October - exams/tests in autumn semester, re-examination (konte) autumn and exams/tests in January block.
- 1 March - exams/tests in spring semester, re-examination (konte) autumn and exams/tests in June block.
Would you like a meeting about special arrangements?
If you have questions about special arrangements, you are welcome to book an appointment to speak with us. You can choose between an in-person meeting or an online meeting. Welcome!
Book an in-person or online meeting for guidance
Documentation - requirements
When applying for special arrangements you must present a certificate issued by a medical professional or other documentation of the need for special arrangements.
If you have not yet seen a doctor/specialist for your disabilities/special needs please contact us prior to making an appointment with a doctor/specialist and we will let you know what kind of documentation we require.
The special arrangements made in connection with examinations must not result in the student(s) being tested in a qualitatively different manner, and they must not involve a lowering of the academic standards.
The documentation confirming the need for special arrangements might be a doctor certificate, specialist report, dyslexia certificate or equivalent.
The documentation should say something about what disadvantage the impairment causes in an exam situation. A diagnosis in itself does not give the right to accommodation/advantage.
Please make sure that the documentation contains:
- Your name
- Date or birth and security number
- For how long the documentation applies (if applicable) is the requirement for special arrangements chronic or acute.
- If the need for accommodation is due to an allergy, it must be specified which months there is a need for accommodation.
- What accommodation does the expert believe is necessary to compensate for the disadvantages caused by your disability.
- The documentation must be dated and signed by a doctor or other specialist.
Allergy
The documentation from a doctor or medical expert must confirm that the allergy symptoms you have are so severe that extra time at the exam can make up for the symptoms. The documentation must state in which months the facilitation is need .
Reading and writing difficulties (dyslexia) - documentation
Do you already have documented reading and writing difficulties? NMBU will usually not require a new assessment to offer facilitation in the form of extended time and use of a PC with a spelling program. Please note that the opportunities for facilitation at university level may be limited compared to at high school.
What kind of facilitation can you apply for?
The forms of facilitation below apply both to exams, tests during the teaching period and other forms of assessment. You may apply for one or more forms of facilitation. Please note that you must have documentation that support your need for facilitation.
NB: The facilitation options may vary somewhat from assessment to assessment.
Extended time
Extended time (15 minutes to 1 hour) will be added to the ordinary exam time. See an overview below of how much time you get depending on the duration of the exam/test.
Separate room
You will be placed in a room with few others. In some cases, the room will have separators between the individual spaces. You may be granted permission to sit alone in a room (private room) with an exam invigilator. However private rooms are only granted after further agreement with the individual student.
PC facilitation
Examination on paper
You can be granted the use of a PC for a campus exam carried out on paper. You will be given a loaner PC when you attend the exam hall. Normally only Word is installed, not Excel etc. If you need to use Lingdys typing and/or speech control (program for dyslexia), a separate agreement must be made for this.
Digital exams
If you need Lingdys typing and/or speech synthesis (reading of text), you can apply for:
- Loaning a PC with the program Lingdys installed.
- Use your own computer with Lingdys installed
Rising and lower table or special chair
If you need to switch between standing and sitting, you can use a rising and lower table. This will usually only be available for exams or tests of longer duration.
If you need a different type of chair when you have exams or tests of longer duration, this can usually be arranged.
Other forms of facilitation
Other form of examination
You can apply for a different form of examination for example oral exam in stead of a written exam etc. This often needs to be clarified for the individual exam, as not all exams can be arranged in the same way.
Having the exam text read for you
If you need to have the assignment text read out and Lingdy speech synthesis cannot be used, you can apply for a reading out. If necessary, an exam invigilator will read the assignment text to you one or more times.
Breaks during exam to breast feed babies
If you need to breastfeed your child during an exam, arrangements will be made for this. The time you spend breastfeeding is added to the ordinary exam time.
Remember to notify us in well in advance to ensure that we can arrange for you to be placed for the exam in a building where there are places to sit while you breastfeed and for us to have an available exam invigilator who can be near you while you breastfeed.
- You must in advance have an agreed time for the breastfeeding break(s) with the person who will bring the child. Please inform the guard of the time(s) for the breastfeeding break(s) when you appear for the exam
- Please note that you can only breastfeed the child. Changing the child etc. must be done by the person who brings the child.

Accommodation of teaching

Accommodation of teaching
If you need to accommodation of the teaching, we will find a solution for this in cooperation with the faculty.

Special arrangements for examination and tests

Extended time for exams, tests and home exams
For written exams the following extensions are usually granted:
- 15 minutes extra are granted for examinations with an examination time of up to 1.5 hours.
- 20 minutes extra are granted for examinations with an examination time of more than 1.5 hours and up to 2 hours.
- 30 minutes extra are granted for examinations with an examination time of more than 2 hours and up to 4 hours
- 1 hour extra is granted for examinations with an examination time of more than 4 hours.
For home examinations the following extensions are usually granted:
- examinations lasting 24 hours or longer: 3 extra hours
- examinations lasting 36 hours or longer: 5 extra hours
- examinations lasting 48 hours or longer: 7 extra hours.

Special arrangements WISEflow exam at campus
- Extended time at the exam will automatically be added to the regular exam time in WISEflow.
- You use your own PC for the exam.
- If you do not have your own working PC, you can apply for a loan PC on a separate form.
- You will find the exam questions in WISEflow. If you need to get the assignment on paper, you must contact the disability and special needs office no later than 2 weeks before the exam so that we can see if it is possible to arrange. Some assignments may not be possible to get on paper, such as some types of multiple choice tasks. In such cases we will then try to find other solutions.
- If you need Lingdys speech synthesis/reading of assignment text for exams, you must remember to bring your own earphones!
- If you have your own license for Lingdys on your own PC and want to use it, you must report it to the disability and special needs office so that we can find a solution for that.

Special arrangements digital home exam
- Extended time at the exam will automatically be added to the regular exam time in WISEflow.
- If you need extended time for home exams that are NOT completed in WISEflow, but for example with submission in Canvas, you must notify the course responsible in the course in question so that the faculty can make necessary arrangements.
- You use your own PC for home exams.
- If you need Lingdys reading tool for the exam assignment text, and do not have your own licence, you may access a DEMO version of Lingdys available from their homepage .
Please contact the disability and special needs office if you have any questions.

Special arrangements PC - examination on paper
- Have you registered the need for Lingdys's this will be registered on the PC you will be using.
- If you need Lingdy's speech synthesis/reading of assignment text for exams, you must remember your own earphones!
- You will be given the exam paper in paper form. If you need to have the assignment electronically, you must notify the disability and special needs office no later than 2 weeks before the exam.
- You will only have access to Word during exam, not other programs i.e. Excel.

Special arrangements - assessment during the teaching period and home exams
Written assessment during the teaching period and home exams are often arranged by the faculty, so it is important that you make sure you get the accommodation you have been granted and need. If you need to document that you are granted special arrangements at NMBU, you can refer to the confirmation you have received from the disability and special needs office.
Remember that you can only get special arrangements you already have been granted at NMBU.
If you need accommodation for assessment on campus in the form of a private room, raise/lower table, PC (tests that are completed on paper), you must contact the facilitation office as soon as you know the time of the assessment, so that it can be clarified whether it is possible to make arrangements for this. If you wait too long to contact us, you may not get the accommodation you need for the assessment/exam in question.
For home exams, you must notify the course supervisor or study supervisor at the faculty to ensure that you get extra time for submission.

Useful resources

Talking books and braille
Do you know The Norwegian Library of Talking Books and Braille (NLB) that produces and lends out talking books and braille books? All students with documented reading and writing difficulties can also borrow curriculum literature such as audio books. As a student, you must apply to become a personal user.

Resting lounge with daybed
If you due to health reasons need to lay down/relax during the day there is a room provided for this purpose, located in the clock building (Urbygningen). Contact the Student Information Center (SIT) to sign in if it is vacant. Durability: one hour at a time.
SIT is located on the ground floor of the clock building (Urbygningen) and is open Monday-Thursday 10:00-15:00.

Handicap (HC) parking
Do you need access to a HC-parking at campus for a shorter or longer periode?
Apply for HC-parking via the application form for special arrangements or contact the disability and special needs office. Remember to apply documentation from a doctor or specialist supporting your need for HC-parkering.
PS: HC-parkeringen gjelder kun for parkering på campus.
Remember to report:
- Your mobile number
- Car registration number
Please contact the disability and special needs office for any questions.

Grant from Lånekassen
Lånekassen offers additional grant to to students in higher education who due to reduced functional ability and are unable to work beside your studies.
If you have reduced functional ability and are unable to work beside your studies, you may be eligible for an additional grant. You might also apply for additional grant in the summer on a separate form.
In order to be entitled to the grant, you must be able to study but unable to work besides your studies, because this will have a negative impact on your academic progress. A physician or specialist must confirm this in the application.
You may not have any salaried employment at all as long as you receive the additional grant. If you are doing voluntary or unpaid work beside your studies, you can still receive the grant.
Find more information about ad ditional grant and application form at lånekassen.
Please note that the application form that must be submitted to lånekassen requires a signature from a doctor/professional. The disability and special needs office at NMBU has an agreement with the Health Center for students in Ås and they can sign the form. Remember to bring your doctor/expert documentation confirming that you have a disability.

Contact us

You are always welcome to contact us if you have any questions regarding special arrangements.
Send us an e-mail to tilrettelegging@nmbu.no (please do not send us any sensitive information).

Book an in-person or online meeting for guidance

Disabilities and special needs

Remember:

Application form

Deadline

Would you like a meeting about special arrangements?

Documentation - requirements

Allergy

Reading and writing difficulties (dyslexia) - documentation

Extended time

Separate room

PC facilitation

Examination on paper

Digital exams

Rising and lower table or special chair

Other forms of facilitation

Other form of examination

Having the exam text read for you

Breaks during exam to breast feed babies

Accommodation of teaching

Special arrangements for examination and tests

For written exams the following extensions are usually granted:

For home examinations the following extensions are usually granted:

Useful resources

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