Accessibility

In a wide perspective, accessibility refers to how aspects such as the teaching methods, online systems, physical facilities and attitudes in higher education institutes facilitate the participation and parity of people with diverse personal characteristics and different life situations in the operations of the institute. Promoting accessibility is based on laws and regulations, for example the Non-discrimination Act (1325/2014).

Taking accessibility and the diversity of students into account in the content of teaching includes methods such as versatile teaching methods, clear materials that are suited to many kinds of learners, paying attention to the students’ individual life situations and needs, utilising versatile methods for demonstrating competence and offering opportunities for individual arrangements. The Act on the Provision of Digital Services sets certain requirements for learning materials.

In the Tampere higher education community, one central way of promoting the accessibility of studies is to provide different flexible study opportunities. These include methods such as alternative methods of completion for study units. The purpose of flexible study opportunities is to promote the smooth progress of all students’ studies. Therefore it is important to ensure that these alternative methods are known by and available to all.

Sometimes, the flexible study opportunities presented in the curriculum are not adequate to support the smooth progress of studies. If a student has learning difficulties or an illness or a disability that affects their studies, individual study arrangements can be granted for their studies. More information about the individual study arrangement policy is available on the Accessibility and individual study arrangements page of the Student’s Guide.

Read more about accessibility and individual study arrangements at TAMK and at Tampere University.