© Anu Welling and the Crip Students Organisation
This guide was originally written in Finnish. You can also download it as a PDF: Peer guide for students on applying for individual arrangements (PDF, in Finnish).
Official instructions made by the University of Helsinki: Individual arrangements to support studies (Studies Service).
This peer guide gives guidance on applying for individual arrangements. The guide will help you if you have an identified need for individual arrangements and need guidance on how to apply for them.
This guide was created in 2024 in the University of Helsinki’s Kipinä project (in Finnish) in cooperation with the Crip Students Organisation. The purpose of the peer guide is to share with fellow students the experience-based knowledge that has been gained from using individual arrangements.
The peer perspective makes visible how you can make sense of individual arrangements in your own situation and actively work to make sure they are put into practice.
The advice was written by reading the university’s practices ‘through crip lenses’, that is, from the perspective of student agency – in particular the Instructions for teaching, which deal with individual arrangements more extensively than the instructions for students. Secondly, the examples in the peer guide (In a student’s words) give voice to a peer, a student who already has more experience of individual arrangements. The practical examples they put into words can open up new perspectives on your own situation.
Recommendation for individual arrangements at the University of Helsinki
The content and implementation of individual arrangements are determined individually and case by case. Your right to arrangements must be demonstrated, for example, with a medical certificate. We recommend that you apply to the university for a recommendation for individual arrangements, so that when you deal with teachers, you already have the university’s position on the arrangements that suit you. In addition, the recommendation does not include information about your health, which is usually included in statements from healthcare professionals.
To apply for a recommendation, you can contact the accessibility contact person by encrypted email at specialneeds@helsinki.fi.s.
The encryption only works from email addresses ending in helsinki.fi.
Part 1: Legal background of individual arrangements
Individual arrangements are practical arrangements in entrance or aptitude tests and in teaching, supervision and examination situations. Their purpose is to support learning and studying when a student needs support because of a long-term illness, disability or impairment. The aim of these arrangements is to promote de facto equality and to support students in achieving the learning outcomes of courses and degrees.
Individual arrangements are the reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities laid down in the Non-discrimination Act. The need for individual arrangements must be demonstrated in a recommendation for individual arrangements or, for example, in a written statement from a doctor, psychologist or other healthcare professional.
The Non-discrimination Act (1325/2014, section 15) obliges educational institutions to provide reasonable accommodation for students with disabilities.
The University of Helsinki’s practices are based on a decision of the Vice-Rector from 2021 (HY/4984/00.00.06.01/2021).
The right to equality is based on the Constitution of Finland (731/1999, section 6) and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Finnish Treaty Series 27/2016, Article 2).
In a student’s words:
“As a student, I have the right to study smoothly on an equal basis with others. My needs have been demonstrated and recorded in the recommendation for individual arrangements, so I have the right to receive these reasonable arrangements. Reasonable accommodation is the university’s responsibility, and providing it is not solely the responsibility of individual teachers. When reasonableness is assessed, the university’s resources as a whole are taken into account. That’s why, when necessary, I have myself suggested looking for a solution with the support of the accessibility contact person.”
Part 2: Instructions for applying for individual arrangements
Using individual arrangements can be challenging, as the ways of implementing them always depend on the case and the course. These instructions are therefore only indicative. The peer guide describes how to apply for arrangements and what it would be useful to take into account when applying.
Following the four steps below will help you gather the information the course teacher needs when considering individual arrangements in your situation.
If implementing the arrangements requires more planning and consideration, it can be seen as a negotiation between the course organiser and the student who needs individual arrangements, as stated in the Instructions for teaching. In the negotiation, the student can actively help find a suitable solution by preparing to present the arrangements they need clearly and concretely.
Four steps to applying for individual arrangements
1. Gather the information you need about the course
- Read the course information in Sisu and in the Studies Service, where you can find information on teaching locations, learning outcomes, content, modes of completion and literature.
- Did you find all the information you need for your studies? Write down what you need more information about.
- If necessary, ask the teacher or the responsible teacher of the course for more details about how the course will be carried out. You can explain that you need the information so that individual arrangements can be put in place in good time.
- It is worth finding out about the teaching arrangements, because accessibility and alternative modes of completion may already have been taken into account so that you can complete the course without individual arrangements.
2. Examine your own situation
Compare the information you have gathered with your own situation. The purpose of this step is to identify what kind of reasonable accommodation could meet your needs on this particular course.
The following questions can help you identify what kind of reasonable accommodation could meet your needs on this course:
- Do I have the same opportunities as other students to complete the course successfully?
- Does some task or way of working put an unreasonable strain on me for health reasons?
- Are there barriers related to completing the course that prevent me from taking part?
In a student’s words:
“Lectures are usually held without a break at the request of other students. Sitting for a long time is exhausting for me, and I can’t concentrate. I add a request for breaks to the teaching arrangements as an accommodation, so that I can attend the lectures.”
If you already have a recommendation for individual arrangements from the university or another statement recommending certain support measures, think about how they could be put into practice on this course.
Example: I have a recommendation for extra time for exams and for submitting assignments. Do I also need the course literature in advance so that I have time to study it calmly? Does the same reason affect my participation in group work where everyone is expected to read and produce demanding texts? You can also draw on any previous experience you have of what kinds of solutions could work.
3. Making a clear request and suggesting concrete solutions
Once you have mapped out your needs, think about concrete solutions that would help you do better on the course. Based on your reflection and your own experience, you can also suggest solutions yourself. The instructions for teachers Recommendations for teachers in special situations (in Finnish) encourage teachers to ask the students themselves, so your own initiative in the matter is welcome.
In a student’s words:
“I need the course materials in advance in an accessible format. To avoid misunderstandings, I now add a clarification to my message that I specifically need the texts in an accessible format, not captions for visual material.”
4. Communicating with the teacher
It is a good idea to agree on individual arrangements in writing. Always remember to use a secure email address. If you do agree on individual arrangements orally, it is worth confirming what you agreed in writing, for example by email.
Keep your messages with the teacher or the written confirmation until your course completion has been recorded in Sisu.
You can also submit your recommendation for individual arrangements to the accessibility contact person. You can ask the teacher to check the content of the recommendation with the accessibility contact person.
Part 3: Model email – applying for individual arrangements for a course
This section contains a model email that you can use to apply for individual arrangements for a course. You can copy the “Email body” part directly into the body of your email and complete the sentences wherever text in brackets and italics shows that something needs to be filled in. These places contain suggestions for what you could write. However, always edit the message to match your own situation and needs.
Using this model email, you can also create a template for contacting teachers that you can update, with your own basic details already filled in. You can save it for yourself, for example as a .docx or .txt file. This way you can always edit the email and use it to apply for accommodations whenever you need to.
Note: Always write the recipient’s email address in encrypted form so that your information is encrypted. Add the ending .s after the email address. Example: firstname.lastname@helsinki.fi.s
Note: You are not obliged to say what kind of learning difficulty you have. If you wish, however, you can specify your need for accommodation. For example: the need for accommodation is related to dyslexia.
Model email
Email subject: Individual arrangements for the course (course code)
Email recipient: (the course teacher’s email address in encrypted form, that is, with the .s ending)
Email body:
Hello,
I am contacting you because I need individual arrangements to be able to complete the course (course name and code), starting on (start date), on an equal basis with other students.
I have a health-related need for arrangements, as defined in the instructions on individual arrangements.
The individual arrangements I need are … (for example:)
- extra time for the exam or for submitting assignments
- a quiet exam room
- teaching materials in advance
- an alternative mode of completing the course – suggest what kind
I have documentation of my need for individual arrangements. It is … (the university’s recommendation for individual arrangements or a statement by a healthcare professional)
The documentation is … (attached to this email or has been submitted to the accessibility contact person)
You can contact me … (by email or by phone)
I would like to arrange a time to discuss this … (only if you would like a meeting) (in person or remotely)
Best regards,
(name and student number)
Part 4: Tips for problem situations
Support and advice
For questions related to individual arrangements, the student’s main source of help is the accessibility contact person. The accessibility contact person’s role is to meet and advise students and offer them support. You can reach the accessibility contact person responsible for your studies at specialneeds@helsinki.fi.s.
Delays
It is possible that your message about your need for individual arrangements goes unnoticed for one reason or another. You can try to resolve the situation together with the accessibility contact person.
In a student’s words:
“Reasonable accommodation should be provided in good time so that studies can progress smoothly. As a student, I try to make my request as early as possible. I expect the university, too, to respond to my request and enquiry within a reasonable time. After a week, I sent a reminder saying that I needed the information to be able to complete the course in the next teaching period. I marked the email as urgent. When the matter did not move forward with the teacher, I contacted the accessibility contact person. We agreed that they could first look into the matter with the teacher.”
Unclear situations: the teacher says that the individual arrangement you asked for cannot be made for this course
The university has no instructions on students’ legal protection in situations where the individual arrangements a student has applied for are not granted. For this reason, this guide cannot give instructions on what to do or provide legal advice. Unclear situations may sometimes arise, and you can try to resolve them together with the accessibility contact person.
In a student’s words:
“The teacher says that the individual arrangement I asked for cannot be made for this course. Was the decision based primarily on my situation and my identified need? Were the arrangements I asked for unreasonable to implement?”
In a student’s words:
“I asked why I couldn’t have an alternative way of completing an extensive writing assignment. It turned out that the teacher had designed the course in such a way that they couldn’t think of how to assess a partly oral performance. I asked the accessibility contact person for advice, and we agreed that they would look into the matter with the teacher. Together, they drew up alternative assessment criteria for the assignment.”
In a student’s words:
“I was told that my faculty has a policy that the course includes group work. I had asked for an alternative mode of completion because I need extra time and so can’t work according to other students’ schedules. I asked the study guidance services who could decide on the matter. The Head of Academic Affairs assessed that the learning outcomes on practising interaction and collaboration skills defined in the curriculum had been achieved in my case, because I had already completed courses that included group work. This was set out in the Instructions for teaching.”
Inappropriate treatment and discrimination
The university is committed to equal and responsible interaction. Everyone has the right to a safe study environment and to equal treatment. It is important that you are not left alone when you face inappropriate treatment.
Inappropriate treatment in connection with individual arrangements can look like this, for example:
- Example 1: The teacher demanded to know my diagnosis in order to implement the recommended individual arrangements.
- Example 2: The teacher suggested that I might be better off interrupting my studies and compared my situation to their own experiences of the health of their child with special needs.
- Example 3: I received the recommended accommodations only partially, which meant that completing the course would still involve barriers. In our discussion, the teacher said that, on their supervisor’s instructions, they would limit how they responded to my requests, because they had already spent two working days planning my pedagogical accommodation.
If your negotiation with the teacher has stalled, you can move it forward by contacting the accessibility contact person by encrypted email at specialneeds@helsinki.fi.s.
If you experience inappropriate treatment or discrimination, please contact the harassment contact person by encrypted email at hairintayhdyshenkilo@hyy.fi.s.