Accommodations at UZH – Procedure and Registration

The Disability Office is the first point of contact for UZH students with disabilities or chronic illnesses. The Disability Office is responsible for the assessment of whether and how disabilities or chronic illnesses affect students’ studies in each individual case. It also assesses whether and to what extent accommodation measures are necessary in the individual case on the basis of medical certificates, conversations, and further information.  

Our team gives a specific recommendation to the relevant Office of Student Affairs regarding the type and extent of accommodation measures required. The Offices of Student Affairs then define the accommodation measures to be granted on the basis of the student’s application and our recommendation and notify the student of the decision in writing.

1. Certificate Template

To grant appropriate accommodation measures, the Disability Office must be able to assess your situation and your needs comprehensively and to an adequate standard. To do this, it requires informative medical documents. It is therefore essential that youhand in the UZH medical assessment template (see downloads on the right), completed and signed by a medical specialist. Only certificates completed by medical specialists or special medical/therapeutic practices/bodies can be taken into consideration. Informative descriptions of the difficulties students face in the context of their studies as a result of the impairment are more important than a detailed diagnosis.

This medical assessment template shall be used instead of a medical certificate. Medical certificates may also be accepted, for example if a comprehensive assessment has taken place only recently. They must be informative and satisfy the following quality criteria:

• No older than one year
• Letter head with the title of the medical specialist, dated and signed
• Patient’s name, address, and date of birth
• Diagnosis according to recognized classification system (ICD-10 or DSM IV)
• Trend of condition (stable, progressive, recurring)
• Information about any treatment that has been provided to date and aids used
• Description of how and to what extent health issues affect study-related activities (e.g. exams, learning, presence, perception, concentration)
• Accommodation measures may also be listed. These are always to be understood as recommendations only.

In the case of dyslexia:

Please do not use the certificate template; instead, you should submit a neuropsychological examination report (no more than one year old). Logopedic examination reports may also be accepted if they explain in a clear, understandable way which limitations the student suffers from (e.g. in terms of spelling, grammar, reading or writing speed, reading comprehension). 

2. Optional Additional Documents: 

If you were already granted certain accommodation measures in the past and found them to be helpful (e.g. during past qualifications or at other educational institutions), the Disability Office may take these into account in its recommendations. Written evidence (e.g. past rulings or decisions) of accommodation measures previously granted are required for this. However, it is not guaranteed that UZH will adopt equivalent accommodation measures to those granted in the past.

The process of organizing support and clarifying, recommending, and implementing measures takes time, so please contact us in plenty of time! Consultations can also be arranged for prospective students who would like to begin their studies at a later date.

Your Consultation with the Disability Office

To be granted accommodation measures at the University of Zurich, you must first attend a consultation with our team. Please use the registration form to sign up for a consultation (see downloads on the right)

Together, we will clarify where you are confronted with barriers in your studies due to your disability or chronic illness and which adjustments are required with regard to courses and assessments from your perspective in order to ensure that you enjoy the same opportunities as other students. To ensure that nothing important gets overlooked, we will draw up a protocol of the conversation together with you. You can find examples of measures that the UZH faculties have already taken here. (PDF, 63 KB) German only

Contact-free consultations can be organized on request. The consultations are free of charge and strictly confidential. No information will be passed on to third parties without the students’ agreement. 

So that we can give you the best possible advice, we kindly ask that you provide us with the fully completed medical assessment template before your personal consultation and read up on the requirements of the individual programs.

Preparing for the Consultation

Write down for yourself which study-related activities are impaired because of your disability or chronic illness. Examples include:

• Reading
• Independent learning
• Writing papers
• Writing in general
• Learning in a group
• Written examinations
• Speaking
• Holding presentations
• Study trips
• Writing notes
• Internships/practical training
• eLearning
• Participation in courses
• Social interaction with fellow students or instructors
• Oral examinations
• Organization of day-to-day life as a student
• Excursions 

The following key questions may help you to prepare for the consultation:

- Which aids do you use? What are the consequences of their use for your studies? What has to be taken into consideration?

- Which adjustments and support measures in the field of education have been helpful to you in the past? Which adjustments and support do you require at the University of Zurich?

- Do you have any other unanswered questions (e.g. in relation to the financing of your studies or your residential situation)?

Proposals are submitted after the consultation. Your application to the faculty must include the following documents in particular:

• Disability Accomoadations Application form (including details of the modules for which accommodation measures are required). 
• Certificate template (completed and signed by a qualified individual/body) or a medical certificate that meets the quality criteria.
• Consultation protocol (this is drawn up by the Disability Office during the consultation together with you).

The following can also be enclosed with your application to the faculty:

• Additional medical documents
• Decision regarding accommodation measures granted in the past (e.g. at school or at another university)

Please be sure to comply with the faculties’ binding application deadlines. If accommodation measures are granted for an entire academic level, the dean’s office must be informed by e-mail in a timely manner each semester of the modules for which accommodation measures will be required during the assessments.

The faculties will check your application, the associated documents, and the Disability Office’s recommendation and define which accommodation measures can be granted. Based on experience, this can take around three to six weeks. The decision will be issued in writing and will include instructions on the right to appeal. If you have any questions about the progress of your application or the decision, please get in touch with the contact person at your faculty.