Students that require disability services must contact the UI Student Counselling Centre (UISCC), submit the necessary documents from a medical specialist and sign a written agreement (contract) about the services to be provided. The agreement must be finalised by 1 October in order for services to be put in place for exams in the autumn semester and by 1 March for exams in the spring semester.
The agreement must be signed by the student and a University counsellor and both parties retain a copy. Students are encouraged to scan their physical copy into a computer or take a good quality photograph of it so that they can keep a digital copy as well.
The agreement describes the services that the student requires. Students may need to show teaching staff their agreement in order to have disability services put in place for interim examinations managed by teaching staff / the faculty, for take-home examinations, or to receive services that require the instructor's consent, e.g. flexibility with assignment deadlines or lecture recordings.
The UISCC ensures that services are put in place in partnership with the UI director of examinations. If an instructor sets an interim examination or take-home examination not managed by the Examination Office, the faculty and the instructor are responsible for ensuring that services are in place in accordance with the student's agreement.
The UISCC will advise teaching staff on the provision of disability services. Here you can find information and helpful guidelines on implementing interim exams and pop quizzes that are not managed by the Examination Office.
In recent years, over 1000 students have signed disability service agreements. Disability service agreements may be temporary (for one semester or one academic year) or permanent (valid for as long as the student studies continuously at the University).
There are various services that can be put in place; those that require the consent/cooperation of the instructor include:
- Extra time in interim exams.
- Permission to record lectures.
- Early access to reading lists where course material will need to be adapted for blind / visually impaired students.
- Sign language interpreting / transcription in class, which means that the instructor needs to provide the interpreter/transcriber with access to teaching material in advance.
- Verbal explanations of visual material for visually impaired / blind students.
The UISCC offers a short presentation for instructors and other UI staff on the provision of disability services for students if so requested. The UISCC can also provide educational material for instructors and other staff about disability, learning difficulties and services available to students.
The counsellors Ástríður Margrét Eymundsdóttir, Hrafnhildur V. Kjartansdóttir and Þrúður Kristjánsdóttir oversee the rights of students requiring disability services, along with the office director Magnús M Stephensen and the project manager Inga Birna Albertsdóttir.
Regulation on disability services for study at the University of Iceland