Studying with a disability
Sweden has a national disability policy to ensure equal opportunities for all. If you have any form of disability and are going to Sweden to study, it is important for you to know how the country and your higher education institute can accommodate you.
You will also want to find out exactly what types of support are available. Remember that processes and services may differ from what you are used to in your home country.
Applying for support
If you have a documented permanent disability, you can apply for targeted study support in order to, as far as possible, be able to study at a higher education institute on the same terms as other students. Targeted study support is applied for at most higher education institutes via the national system, Nais.
See also your higher education institute’s website for what applies where you are going to study. Remember to apply for support in good time, preferably as soon you are admitted to your educational programme.
Useful information before applying
Targeted study support is only given to students with permanent disabilities. Your application must therefore contain documentation confirming your permanent disability, such as a medical certificate or an assessment of reading and writing skills. A disability is considered permanent if it has existed, or it is estimated that it will exist, for at least six months.
Most higher education institutes will call you to an assessment conversation with a coordinator for targeted study support. During the conversation, you discuss what obstacles you think may arise as a result of your disability and what support the institute can offer to overcome them.
The support is intended to help you with the challenges you encounter in your studies. It is important to remember that all students have the same requirements for learning outcomes in order to be able to be examined and get a pass grade. Visit your higher education institute's website to see the syllabuses and goals of your courses.
Examples of targeted study support:
- note-taking support
- mentor (help with structure and planning of studies)
- educational interpreting (sign language interpretation, speech-to-text interpretation and deafblind interpretation)
- adaptations of written examinations, for example longer time allowed, sitting in a smaller group and speech synthesis.
The vast majority of higher education institutions also have a number of forms of support that don’t require an application for targeted study support, such as help with writing in language workshops, talking books and lectures on study skills. Some support is mainly aimed at certain target groups, but much support is available to all students. See your higher education institute's website for information on available support.