Accomodations at UZH

The University of Zurich (UZH) is committed to living a culture of diversity and proactively promotes equal opportunities for people with disabilities and chronic illnesses. The University of Zurich is proud of developments over recent years: In 2013, UZH enabled 143 students with disabilities to take an equal-opportunities study program; by 2019 this figure had more than doubled to 311.

In accordance with its strategic principles, UZH views equal opportunities as a core value in university life and a university-wide duty of all UZH units and members. To achieve this goal, it takes appropriate preventive and reactive measures to prevent discrimination in specific cases, in line with its Diversity Policy (see downloads on the right).

Students living with disabilities or chronic illnesses that have an impact on their studies have a right to accommodation measures that is enshrined in multiple laws and regulations including the Federal Constitution, the constitution of the canton of Zurich, and the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). Common disabilities that have an impact on studies include:

• Mobility or sensory impairments
• Chronic illnesses (e.g. multiple sclerosis or cancer)
• Mental health illnesses (e.g. depression or bipolar disorder)  
• Specific learning disabilities such as dyslexia or dyscalculia
• Asperger syndrome or attention deficit disorder

Accommodation measures are granted on an individual basis and do not serve to make the examinations easier in any way. They simply address the conditions under which a certain academic achievement must be accomplished. The content-related requirements remain unchanged. 

The purpose of accommodation measures is to ensure that students with disabilities and chronic illnesses can concentrate on their studies and take exams with the same prospects of success as their non-disabled fellow students.