Studying with health conditions (chronic illnesses, disabilities and neurodivergence)

To prepare for a meeting with the Diversity Officer or Department 1: Registrar's Office, it would be helpful if you could complete the following form in advance and bring it with you to the meeting.

Form to help you prepare for your meeting with the Diversity Officer (pdf)

The following information has been compiled by the German Student Services Organisation (Deutsches Studierendenwerk), specifically its Information and Advice Centre on Studying and Disability (IBS) (Berlin, 6 April 2017).

1. Germany Semester Ticket

Matriculation and registration at the University of Erfurt and each re-registration entitle students to a ‘Deutschlandsemesterticket’. Once the semester feehas been paid, all students can access this ticket via the website of the Mittelthüringen Transport Association (VMT). The terms and conditions of travel are summarised on the following website: https://www.vmt-thueringen.de/tickets-abos/abonnements/deutschlandsemesterticket/.

Exemption from and reimbursement of these fees for holders of a severely disabled person’s pass with a valid stamp:

Upon application, the Thuringian Student Services Organisation (Studierendenwerk) will reimburse students with disabilities who are entitled to transport under the provisions for people with severe disabilities in Book Nine of the Social Code (SGB IX) and who provide proof of this (disability card bearing the codes G, aG, Bl, Gl or H, including the supplementary sheet with a valid token), will be reimbursed for any fees already paid for the semester ticket (refund). In accordance with the Studierendenwerk’s fee regulations, applications for a refund must be submitted to the Studierendenwerk no later than one day before the start of the semester. Please use the application form for the refund of the Studierendenwerk fee.

You may also be exempted from the fees for the semester ticket by submitting an informal application to Department 1: Studies and Teachingprior to matriculation and registration or during re-registration. To do so, the relevant supporting documents (a copy of the front and back of your severe disability card and a current token) must be attached to the application (exemption).

2. Housing

Are you looking for affordable accommodation tailored to your specific needs whilst studying at the University of Erfurt due to a disability? The Thuringian Student Services Organisation (Studierendenwerk) manages several residential homes directly on and near the university campus. If you have specific requirements for your accommodation, such as barrier-free access, you should contact the Studierendenwerk as early as possible. The Student Accommodation Department will be happy to help you find suitable accommodation.

3. Coverage of the costs of technical aids

You can obtain advice on this, for example, from the European Independent Participation Advisory Service (EUTB)

or from the Erfurt Integration Support Service

or your health insurance provider

or through the Café B. The ‘B’ stands for disability, advice and civic engagement. Café B is a shared office space and serves as a contact, information and support centre for independent living for people with disabilities. The barrier-free premises offer excellent opportunities for low-threshold advice in Erfurt.

Café B is the central point of contact in Erfurt for:

• people with disabilities and chronic illnesses who, for example, wish to find out about the Personal Budget
• People in need of care and their relatives
• People with and without disabilities who wish to get involved in community, neighbourhood or local initiatives

5. Studying whilst using a wheelchair

In principle, all teaching buildings are accessible to wheelchair users. We endeavour to ensure that your courses are held on the ground floor. To this end, please send us your timetable in good time so that we can take this into account when allocating rooms at Department 1.